U.K. Employment Landscape
Expand Your Global Workforce in the United Kingdom
Your guide to the employment landscape, working customs, and local labor laws in the United Kingdom.
Capital: London
Currency: GBP (Pound Sterling)
Languages: English
GDP per Capita: $56,660
Employer Tax: 15%
Payroll Frequency: Monthly
Talent Overview
The United Kingdom is one of the most developed countries and a high-income nation. Its economy is driven primarily by the service and finance sectors, boasting one of the world's largest GDPs at approximately $3.5 trillion. Businesses often expand into the UK for enhanced economic growth opportunities.
Major Economic Hubs:
- London
- Manchester
- Edinburgh
- Birmingham
- Glasgow
Skills in Demand:
- Software Engineer
- IT Engineer
- Data Analyst
- Data Scientist
- Business Analyst
Top Local Universities in the United Kingdom
Top Local Job Boards:
- Indeed
- Reed
- CV-Library
- Totaljobs
- Monster
Number of LinkedIn Users:
47,500,000
Cryptocurrency Usage in the United Kingdom
Cryptocurrency adoption in the United Kingdom has seen steady growth, with approximately 24% of the population engaging with crypto assets. This equates to around 16 million users out of a total population of about 67 million. The UK ranks as a leading crypto economy in Europe, with significant surges in activity driven by institutional investments, ETFs, and stablecoins. Popular uses include trading, payments, and tokenized assets, supported by a maturing regulatory environment.
Most Popular Remote Roles
Remote work has become a staple in the UK job market, with industries like tech, finance, and healthcare leading the way. Based on 2025 trends, the most sought-after remote positions offer flexibility, competitive pay, and opportunities for work-life balance. Here are the top 10 most popular remote roles in the United Kingdom:
These roles are in high demand due to the ongoing shift toward hybrid and fully remote models, with companies like BBC, HSBC, and AstraZeneca actively hiring remote talent.
Salary Data
The table below outlines average salary data for common roles in the UK.
Employing in the United Kingdom
Understanding UK labor laws is essential for hiring local employees. Employers must address bonuses, leaves, allowances, and compliance. Key areas include employee contracts, holidays, leaves, payroll, taxes, benefits, and offboarding.
Employee Contract
Employment contracts must be written in English, detailing job roles, bonuses, allowances, and leaves.
Public and Provincial Holidays 2025
For province-specific holidays, refer to local resources.
Employee Leaves
Payroll in the United Kingdom
The payroll cycle is monthly. Minimum wage is £12.21 per hour for workers aged 21 and over. Overtime is not mandatory to be paid at a premium rate, but average pay must not fall below the National Minimum Wage.
Payroll Tax
National Insurance contributions:
Employee Income Tax
Income tax rates for 2025/26:
VAT
Standard VAT rate is 20%.
13th Month Pay
No legal requirement, but employers may offer Christmas or year-end bonuses.
Employee Benefits
- National Health Service (NHS) access
- National Insurance Contributions (NICs)
- Statutory Sick Pay
- Statutory Maternity Pay
- Auto-enrolment pension
- Paid annual leave
Employee Offboarding
Notice periods are at least one week's notice if employed between one month and two years, and one week for each year of continuous employment (up to a maximum of 12 weeks) if employed for more than two years. No statutory severance pay unless specified in contract.
Visa and Immigration
Immigrant workers need visas, often sponsored by employers under the Skilled Worker visa route, requiring a job offer from an approved sponsor, meeting salary thresholds (at least £41,700 or the going rate), and points-based assessment.
What Is Rise’s U.K. EOR?
Rise acts as the legal employer for your U.K.-based team members, managing payroll, compliance, and benefits on your behalf. You direct the employees’ day-to-day work, while Rise handles the rest.
Automated U.K. Onboarding
Hire full-time employees anywhere in the United Kingdom through Rise’s owned U.K. entity. Our automated onboarding workflow manages contracts, tax forms (P45/P60, right-to-work checks), and payroll setup, ensuring every hire is compliant from day one.
Compliant Employment Agreements
Stay fully compliant with U.K. employment laws, including the Employment Rights Act and Equality Act. Rise’s legal and compliance experts handle employment agreements, background checks, and worker classification, helping you avoid penalties from HMRC or employment tribunals.
Competitive U.K. Benefits Packages
Attract top British talent with comprehensive health insurance, dental and vision coverage, paid time off, and pension schemes like auto-enrollment pensions. We also offer crypto-friendly benefits programs for companies that want to integrate digital assets into their compensation strategy.
Hybrid Payroll Flexibility
Pay employees in GBP, stablecoins, or cryptocurrencies, all through Rise’s hybrid payroll system. Your team gets paid how they prefer, and Rise ensures tax compliance and proper reporting to U.K. authorities.
Tax & Compliance, Fully Managed
Rise handles:
- National Insurance Contributions (NIC) and payroll taxes
- P60/P45 filings, benefits administration, and withholdings
- Compliance with Employment Rights Act, Health and Safety at Work Act, and Equality Act regulations
You stay compliant across England, Scotland, Wales, and Northern Ireland without registering your own entity.
Why Use Rise’s U.K. EOR
- Hire full-time employees anywhere in the U.K. - instantly
- Avoid the cost and complexity of setting up a U.K. entity
- Offer competitive benefits packages and flexible payroll
- Stay compliant with all U.K. employment laws
- Save time, Rise automates onboarding, payroll, and filings
Stablecoin Payroll for U.K. Employees
Rise supports stablecoin payroll, allowing payments in USDC, USDT, or other assets. This is fully compliant, with contracts and filings denominated in local currency. Employees can opt for partial or full crypto payments, and employers can fund via fiat or crypto.
How to Onboard Employees From the U.K. to Rise EOR
Here’s a step-by-step breakdown of how a company would onboard full-time employees using the Rise Employer-of-Record (EOR) service.
Engagement & Setup
The company engages Rise’s EOR service in the target country. Rise sets up the local legal employment entity (or uses their partner entity) so you can legally employ in that country. You provide Rise with your head-count, start dates, compensation details, job roles, and employment terms. Rise configures the employment contract template and local compliance checks.
Candidate/Employee Onboarding Initiation
You identify the hire and enter the new employee details into Rise: name, start date, job title, compensation, country, work location, etc. Rise triggers the onboarding workflow: electronic offer letter, contract generation, tax forms, local statutory paperwork. The employee receives a digital onboarding packet: contract, benefits information, tax & payroll forms, personal data collection.
Employment Contract & Compliance
Rise generates a locally compliant employment agreement (in the local language if required) under the EOR entity. They handle local employment law compliance: statutory benefits, tax withholding, social security, etc. The employee signs the contract electronically (via Rise). You, as the hiring company, manage the day-to-day direction of the employee (while Rise is the legal employer).
System Provisioning & Internal Setup
Once the employee is in the system, Rise automates provisioning: payroll enrollment, benefits enrollment, IT access if relevant (since Rise unifies HR/IT). Employee data flows into payroll, HRIS, benefits modules. No separate systems needed. If equipment/devices or software access are needed, they can be arranged (especially in remote/hybrid setups) via the platform.
First Payroll & Benefits
Rise runs the payroll for the employee via the EOR entity: calculates gross → tax → net, pays in local currency, remits local statutory deductions. Benefits enrollment is triggered: local statutory and any company-offered benefits (health, pension, etc.). You coordinate with the employee’s manager for onboarding the actual work, while Rise ensures admin/pay/legal is in place.
Ongoing HR/Payroll/Compliance Management
Future changes (salary adjustments, job changes, location changes) are handled in the unified system. Because Rise is EOR + HRIS + payroll, those updates propagate across modules. Rise continuously monitors compliance, local regulations, tax updates, etc., mitigating risk of mis-classification or regulatory breach. Offboarding or termination is also managed via the platform under the local entity’s rules.
EOR Employee Onboarding Checklist
Phase 1 — Pre-Onboarding Preparation
Goal: Collect all necessary info before initiating EOR setup in Rise.
- Define job details (job title, role description, department, reporting manager; employment type: full-time under EOR; compensation details: salary, currency, payment frequency).
- Verify country eligibility (confirm Rise supports EOR in the target country; check local employment requirements: minimum wage, statutory benefits, notice period).
- Confirm headcount & budget (ensure internal approval and budget allocation; determine start date and probation period).
- Prepare offer details (draft offer terms: salary, benefits, working hours, time off, contract length; decide who sends the offer: you or Rise).
- Collect employee information (full legal name, address, email, phone number; national ID/passport, tax number if applicable; emergency contact details).
Phase 2 — Setup & Compliance
Goal: Rise sets up the employee in the system and ensures legal compliance.
- Create the employee profile in Rise (enter employee data: name, email, start date, role, salary, currency; assign correct EOR entity/country).
- Generate employment contract (Rise creates a locally compliant contract; review terms and confirm approval before sending to the employee).
- Handle compliance setup (verify right-to-work documentation; Rise configures statutory benefits, payroll taxes, and social contributions; confirm compliance with local data protection and labor laws).
- Send contract & onboarding documents (Rise sends e-signature contract and legal forms to the employee; employee signs electronically).
- Assign internal onboarding contacts (hiring manager; HR contact/onboarding coordinator; IT/equipment contact if applicable).
Phase 3 — Employee Activation
Goal: Ensure the new hire is active in Rise and ready to begin work.
- Add to payroll (Rise enrolls the employee in payroll under the EOR entity; verify tax and banking details; confirm pay date and payroll cycle).
- Set up benefits (employee completes benefits enrollment through Rise; confirm local statutory and optional benefits coverage).
- Provision equipment and access (order or ship devices if remote; set up software accounts and permissions: Slack, Gmail, etc.; use Rise device management if applicable).
- Add to HR systems & workflows (assign onboarding tasks inside Rise: document uploads, training, intro calls; add employee to company org chart and communication tools).
- Schedule welcome call (conduct first-day orientation; introduce manager, team, and company culture).
Phase 4 — Post-Onboarding & Ongoing Management
Goal: Maintain compliance and ensure smooth ongoing HR operations.
- Verify first payroll (confirm salary, taxes, and deductions processed correctly; ensure local currency payment is received).
- Track probation period (add reminders for probation review/confirmation of continued employment).
- Monitor compliance updates (Rise will notify you of any local law or benefits changes; ensure updates to compensation or contracts as needed).
- Maintain employee records (store contracts, IDs, and compliance documents securely in Rise; keep all changes: address, dependents, salary updated).
- Plan offboarding (if needed) (follow Rise’s local termination procedure for EOR hires; manage final pay, benefits closure, and compliance reporting).
FAQ
How does Rise help my company legally hire employees in another country?
Rise acts as the Employer of Record (EOR) (the legal employer on paper), allowing your company to hire full-time staff in countries where you don’t have a local entity. We handle employment contracts, taxes, payroll, and statutory benefits compliance, while you retain full control over the employee’s daily work and performance.
What information do I need to provide before onboarding a new employee?
Before onboarding, you’ll share the employee’s key details: job title, compensation, start date, country, and employment terms. You’ll also need to confirm budget approval, provide the job description, and ensure Rise supports EOR operations in the target country.
What does Rise handle during the onboarding process?
Rise manages the entire end-to-end onboarding workflow, including: generating a locally compliant employment contract; collecting tax forms and statutory documentation; setting up payroll and benefits enrollment; managing legal, tax, and compliance requirements. You simply approve the offer details — Rise takes care of the rest.
How are payroll and benefits managed after the employee is onboarded?
Once the employee is active, Rise runs monthly payroll through the local EOR entity, calculates taxes and deductions, and pays the employee in local currency. Rise also handles statutory and optional benefits enrollment, ensuring compliance with local labor laws.
Can I pay my team in stablecoins or cryptocurrency?
Yes. Rise supports crypto and stablecoin salary payments, allowing employers to pay in USDC, USDT, or other supported assets. Employees can choose to receive part or all of their salary in fiat or crypto, depending on local regulations and preferences.
How does Rise handle funding and payouts? Can I fund payroll with crypto or a local bank account?
Employers can fund payroll in either local fiat currency or crypto. Fiat funding: You can deposit from a local or international business bank account in USD, EUR, or other supported currencies. Crypto funding: You can also fund payroll directly using stablecoins, which Rise converts or distributes seamlessly to employee wallets or local accounts.
Is it compliant to pay employees in stablecoins?
Yes. Rise ensures full regulatory and tax compliance in every supported country. Even when salaries are paid in stablecoins, the underlying employment contracts, payslips, and tax filings are denominated in local currency, ensuring compliance with labor and tax authorities.
What happens after onboarding? Can Rise manage changes or offboarding?
Yes. Rise provides ongoing HR and compliance management, including salary adjustments, job changes, or location updates. If you need to offboard an employee, Rise follows the correct local labor laws to ensure compliant termination, final pay, and benefits closure.
