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Yes. A few common issues. - Language - Cultural differences, including things like time off, work hours - Timezone differences causing large delays in commun

Yes. A few common issues. - Language - Cultural differences, including things like time off, work hours - Timezone differences causing large delays in communication On top of those issues, employers who haven’t hired internationally may worry about tax and legal implications. The potential employee may have those concerns too, and expect the employer to deal with all of it. While straightforward solutions like B2B contracting (described in other comments) simplify the tax and legal issues at the US end (but maybe not at the other end), international hiring is a novelty for many employers, so they may avoid it out of worry and ignorance, or cultural bias.

gtirloni 3y ago
My example was precisely between NY company and WA employee because that includes very different timezones, time off, work hours, local holidays, etc. So the international employee wouldn't be a novelty in that area. Language, you're supposedly filtering for that in your hiring process but I understand it might be extra work (in the initial screening phase). It seems everything you listed would be up to the company to decide (compared to hard requirements around legal/tax issues -- are there any that you know of?). My question is more about stuff that would be a burden or even prevent that type of hiring even if the company is already 100% remote. I'm trying to understand the multitude of "Remote US" job posts.
- gregjor 3y ago
  NY and WA have a three hour time difference, so at least five hours of overlap in a work day. Employees in Europe or Asia would have bigger differences. But my main point is that hiring people from another country does present a novel situation to many employers. Whether their concerns have any basis or solutions is beside the point. If someone has a fear of flying you can't make them feel better with facts about safety. Plenty of employers believe foreign employees, or American employees working from abroad, create complicated tax and legal problems for the employer. Sometimes that's true, sometimes not, and usually they could find a solution if sufficiently motivated. But even so it's a lot to ask an employer, to create a special case or do the research, when they think they can just as easily get someone without those possible problems. Ask your employer to pay you through PayPal or in Bitcoin and you'll see what I mean -- it's not a matter of possibility or legality, just that you create a bureaucratic exception that someone has to handle. So based on some real, some imaginary, and mostly solvable problems that nonetheless look like risk, hassle, and exceptions to standard process, employers choose what looks like the easy and safe route.
  - gtirloni 3y ago
    Thanks for the perspective. It gave more insights into this reality, much appreciated.
MaxHoppersGhost 3y ago
Also it is very hard to fire someone in countries like France or Germany. So much so that we try to hire in the UK only anytime we need a European employee. Even the UK isn’t great but it’s the lesser of evils.

gtirloni 3y ago

My example was precisely between NY company and WA employee because that includes very different timezones, time off, work hours, local holidays, etc. So the international employee wouldn't be a novelty in that area. Language, you're supposedly filtering for that in your hiring process but I understand it might be extra work (in the initial screening phase). It seems everything you listed would be up to the company to decide (compared to hard requirements around legal/tax issues -- are there any that you know of?). My question is more about stuff that would be a burden or even prevent that type of hiring even if the company is already 100% remote. I'm trying to understand the multitude of "Remote US" job posts.

gregjor 3y ago
NY and WA have a three hour time difference, so at least five hours of overlap in a work day. Employees in Europe or Asia would have bigger differences. But my main point is that hiring people from another country does present a novel situation to many employers. Whether their concerns have any basis or solutions is beside the point. If someone has a fear of flying you can't make them feel better with facts about safety. Plenty of employers believe foreign employees, or American employees working from abroad, create complicated tax and legal problems for the employer. Sometimes that's true, sometimes not, and usually they could find a solution if sufficiently motivated. But even so it's a lot to ask an employer, to create a special case or do the research, when they think they can just as easily get someone without those possible problems. Ask your employer to pay you through PayPal or in Bitcoin and you'll see what I mean -- it's not a matter of possibility or legality, just that you create a bureaucratic exception that someone has to handle. So based on some real, some imaginary, and mostly solvable problems that nonetheless look like risk, hassle, and exceptions to standard process, employers choose what looks like the easy and safe route.
- gtirloni 3y ago
  Thanks for the perspective. It gave more insights into this reality, much appreciated.

MaxHoppersGhost 3y ago

Also it is very hard to fire someone in countries like France or Germany. So much so that we try to hire in the UK only anytime we need a European employee. Even the UK isn’t great but it’s the lesser of evils.