EOR · GBP (£)

Employer of Record in United Kingdom

Hiring in the UK looks simple until the first right-to-work check, IR35 question, or Skilled Worker visa sponsorship comes up. Post-Brexit, the UK is no longer inside the EU's free-movement zone, which means non-UK hires often need sponsorship before they can start — and getting that wrong delays start dates or triggers penalties. An Employer of Record removes the entity-setup step and the compliance guesswork in one move.

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xpath.global Employer of Record coverage — hire in United Kingdom without a local entity

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United Kingdom · GBP (£)

Why hire in the UK through an EOR

The UK remains one of Europe's deepest talent pools for fintech, SaaS and professional services, and English-language contracts make it a natural first market for US and EU companies expanding into Europe. The friction isn't finding candidates — it's the six-to-twelve weeks and legal cost of registering a UK entity, opening a PAYE payroll scheme, and setting up pension auto-enrolment before you can pay anyone. xpath.global's EOR employs the person under its own UK entity from day one, so the hire starts on schedule.

Employment law essentials in the UK

UK contracts typically carry a probationary period of three to six months, and statutory notice runs from one week per year of service up to a maximum of twelve weeks — most professional contracts extend this by agreement. Right-to-work checks are a legal requirement before any employee's first day, with real penalties for employers who skip them. Auto-enrolment pension contributions are mandatory once an employee meets the earnings threshold.

How it works

How hiring through an Employer of Record works

Five clean steps from candidate selection to compliant, ongoing employment — with xpath.global as the legal employer on record.

Diverse international team collaborating on cross-border hiring through an Employer of Record

The result

You operate as if the employee were on your internal team — without entity setup, cross-border compliance risk or payroll complexity.

01
Step 01
Select your candidate
Identify the person you want to hire — anywhere across Europe. We support hiring in 20+ European countries, whether it's a new recruit, a converted contractor or an internal transfer.
02
Step 02
Immigration & relocation readiness
Before the contract is signed, our in-house mobility team checks what's required for the move: work permits, visas, residence registration, posted-worker notifications, A1 certificates, home search, school support and settling-in. Because xpath.global combines EOR with global mobility, employment and relocation are orchestrated by one case owner — not bounced between vendors.
03
Step 03
Employment setup through xpath.global
Onboarding typically begins within a few business days of candidate confirmation. xpath.global drafts a locally compliant employment contract and hires the employee through our in-country entity — no need for you to open a legal presence.
04
Step 04
Payroll, taxes and benefits administration
We run payroll coordination, income tax, social security and statutory benefits in line with each country's labour law — plus supplementary benefits (private health, pension, equity) when your policy calls for them.
05
Step 05
Ongoing employment and HR support
xpath.global maintains continuous compliance, contract updates, leave, expenses and offboarding — while you manage the employee's day-to-day work exactly as you would with an internal hire.

Payroll, tax & immigration in the UK

Payroll runs through PAYE (Pay As You Earn), with income tax and National Insurance contributions deducted at source. For hires who need sponsorship — most non-UK nationals — the employer must hold a Skilled Worker sponsor licence and the role must clear the relevant salary threshold. xpath.global's in-house immigration team manages sponsorship end-to-end rather than routing it through a separate visa agency, so the same case owner who signs the employment contract also tracks the sponsorship timeline.

How xpath.global's EOR works in the UK

One case owner runs the UK contract, PAYE payroll, pension enrolment and, where needed, Skilled Worker sponsorship — under one roof instead of three separate vendors. That matters most for the hires who aren't straightforward: a contractor converting to employee, a candidate who needs sponsorship, or a relocation that includes settling-in support.

Always-on compliance

Stay compliant while you grow — everywhere.

Contracts, minimum wage, statutory benefits, terminations and local labour law across 20+ European countries. Our compliance team monitors changes so your team never gets caught out.

Full employee lifecycle — hire, adjust, terminate
Regulatory monitoring and proactive alerts
200+ legal experts specialised by country
Data protection: GDPR, SOC 2 aligned processes

Talk to a specialist

20+

European countries covered

UK, DE, ES, FR, NL, IT, PL, RO…

200+

In-house legal and tax experts

Country-specialised, on your case

24×7

Dedicated customer support

One case owner, no ticket queues

120+

Currencies to pay your employees

Multi-currency payroll & FX

Pricing

Pay, manage and grow your global team.

Transparent, per-employee pricing across the services that surround the EOR relationship — employment, immigration, contractors and full mobility. All plans include a dedicated case owner and platform access.

Employer of Record

Employ talent across Europe without setting up a local entity.

Starting at

Tailored

per employee / month

Legal employment in 20+ European countries
Locally compliant contracts & onboarding
Payroll, tax & social security handled
Statutory + supplementary benefits
Automated compliance & filings
24/7 HR & legal expertise

Book a demo

Immigration Compliance

Employer of Record bundled with work authorization and visas — one case owner end-to-end.

Custom

Tailored

priced by scope

Legal employment in 20+ European countries
Locally compliant contracts & onboarding
Payroll, tax & social security handled
Work permit & visa processing
In-house immigration specialists
Family & dependant support
Posted-worker & A1 filings
Same case owner across EOR & immigration

Talk to us

Contractor Management

Engage and pay global contractors compliantly.

Starting at

Tailored

per contractor / month

Compliant contractor agreements
Payments in 120+ currencies
Misclassification risk checks
Automated invoicing & tax forms
Centralized contractor dashboard

Book a demo

Indicative pricing. Final quotes depend on country, role and volume — we confirm the exact monthly and one-off fees before you sign.

FAQs — Employer of Record in United Kingdom

Do we need a UK entity to hire a UK-based employee?+

No — that's the point of an EOR. xpath.global employs the person through its own UK entity, so you can hire without incorporating.

Can xpath.global sponsor a Skilled Worker visa for our UK hire?+

Yes, where the role and salary meet Home Office requirements. Our immigration team runs the sponsorship process alongside the employment contract, under the same case owner.

How fast can we onboard a UK employee?+

Most straightforward UK hires onboard within the standard EOR timeline; sponsorship-dependent hires take longer and depend on Home Office processing times, which we'll confirm upfront.

Forward look

As UK immigration rules keep shifting — salary thresholds, sponsor licence requirements, and right-to-work checks all get revisited by the Home Office on a regular cycle — the value of having immigration expertise built into the employment relationship, not bolted on after the fact, keeps growing.