Companies aren’t limited by physical borders anymore. You can hire from anywhere and expand your team with fresh perspectives from all over the world. In recent years, companies have been hiring from countries off the beaten track, such as Tunisia. However, finding the talent you need legally can be challenging.
Hiring global remote talent on your own can be challenging, though. An Employer of Record (EOR) offers a simple and straightforward way to hire and pay global talent legally. It provides everything you need to hire, onboard, and manage full-time employees.
This guide will explore Tunisia's talent pool and how to tap into it effectively.
Why Hire Talent in Tunisia?
The workforce in Tunisia is highly educated and skilled, with large pools of talent in fields such as IT, engineering, and finance. They’re well known for their technical expertise, professionalism, and attention to detail.
Tunisian culture is known for its focus on collaboration, teamwork, and hospitality. Tunisians are also typically multilingual, with many fluently speaking Arabic, French, and English. As a result, Tunisian remote workers are well-suited to working in multicultural teams and building solid relationships with international clients and colleagues.
Tunisia is in the Central European Time (CET) time zone. This can be advantageous for businesses in Europe and the Middle East looking to hire remote workers who can work during their regular business hours.
Lastly, Tunisia has a lower cost of living than many Western countries, which means that remote workers from Tunisia can be hired at a lower cost. This can be particularly attractive for small businesses or startups with limited budgets.
How Can I Legally Hire an Employee in Tunisia?
Things can get complicated if you want to hire talent in Tunisia on your terms. To hire in Tunisia, businesses must establish an entity based in the country. The process can be a headache and is only worthwhile if you intend to practice business in Tunisia long-term.
EORs offer an easy, straightforward way to hire full-time employees from Tunisia. An EOR, like Borderless, serves as an intermediary and facilitates the processes involved in global hiring. EORs already have an entity in place that’s capable of hiring talent, onboarding them, and ensuring local compliance.
What Does an EOR Do?
EORs ensure you maintain strict compliance with local laws and regulations in the countries you hire talent from. They remove the legal roadblocks involved in hiring globally so that you can focus on growing your business. Hiring laws vary considerably worldwide. Although it’s challenging to keep up with constantly changing regulations, it’s critical to follow them to avoid legal implications. EORs take care of the following processes and ensure they’re fully compliant:
- Work visas and permits
- Employment contracts
- Onboarding
- Tax documentation and filing
- Payroll processing
- Employee benefits
- Intellectual property protection
- Termination
EORs handle all of the tedious administrative tasks associated with these processes. They generate compliant employment contracts, collect tax documentation, file it per local laws, etc.
Employee Insurance and Benefits
Staying competitive is always important, especially in a tight labor market. An EOR will help you stand out from the crowd with a comprehensive benefits package, including generous health and wellness benefits, time off, financial security, and much more. It will ensure you provide your team members with what they’re legally entitled to and help you attract top talent with attractive offerings.
Vacations and Public Holidays
In Tunisia, employees are entitled to paid vacation leave, with the amount of leave depending on their length of service. Employees who have worked for less than a year are entitled to 2.5 days of paid leave per month worked.Those who have worked for a year or more are entitled to 30 days per year.
Along with other forms of leave, employees in Tunisia are entitled to take the following public holidays off.
- January 1: New Year's Day
- January 11: Revolution Day
- April 6: Martyrs' Day
- May 1: Labor Day
- May 25 (varies): Eid al-Fitr: May 25
- July 21: Republic Day
- August 10: Women's Day
- August 23 (varies): Eid al-Adha
- September 11 (varies): Islamic New Year
- March 18: Independence Day
Note that the dates for Eid al-Fitr, Eid al-Adha, and Islamic New Year may vary depending on the sighting of the moon.
Taxes & Social Security Contributions
In Tunisia, income taxes and social security contributions are deducted from an employee's salary by the employer and paid to the Tunisian government.
Income taxes are calculated based on a progressive tax system, with different tax rates applying to different income brackets. Social security contributions are also deducted from an employee's salary by the employer, with the employer and employee each contributing a portion of the employee's salary. Social Security contributions cover a range of benefits, including health insurance, retirement benefits, and disability benefits.
It's important to note that there are also other types of taxes in Tunisia, such as value-added tax (VAT) and corporate income tax, which may be relevant to businesses operating in Tunisia.
An EOR, like Borderless, will ensure you remit payroll taxes on time, every time. With the support and expertise of an EOR, social security contributions are simplified, and taxes are filed accurately and compliantly. So you can cut back on busy work and focus on growing your business.
What Are the Advantages of Going Through an EOR in Tunisia?
Working with an EOR comes with a range of benefits.
- Saves time and money
- Minimizes risks and avoids penalties related to non-compliance
- Cuts back on busy work
- Improves retention and talent attraction
- Expands your talent pool
- Keeps your data safe and secure
- Keeps you up to date on hiring trends
These are just some of the ways an EOR can positively impact your business. Sign up with Borderless to explore what an EOR can do for you.
How Do I Choose the Right EOR for Me?
With so many EORs to choose from, it’s important to determine which one suits your individual needs. It’s helpful to keep the following considerations in mind.
- Expertise: Choose an EOR with a history of hiring, onboarding, and managing employees in the countries you want to hire from. Checking this box will help ensure your EOR of choice maintains compliance every step of the way.
- User experience: It’s important to provide your team with an easy-to-use, intuitive EOR platform packed with self-service options. The goal is to integrate it into your team's existing workflow, stress-free.
- Support: Turn to EORs with a solid team of experts with a proven track record. Ensure that they’ll be there to lend you support when you need it.
- Security: Keeping your data safe and secure is paramount. This is especially true when working with a globally distributed team, leaving you more vulnerable to cyberattacks. So, choose an EOR that has a robust set of data security standards and protocols.
Borderless: The Employer of Record Your Company Needs
Broaden your horizons by hiring global talent. Use Borderless as your EOR of choice to expand your talent base and get the most out of your global hiring experience. Get in touch and book a demo today.
Disclaimer
Borderless does not provide legal services or legal advice to anyone. This includes customers, contractors, employees, partners, and the general public. We are not lawyers or paralegals. Please read our full disclaimer here.
