Cross-Border Employment with Gianna Ricciardi, Vita Assure

In this HRchat episode, we look at some key considerations for cross-border benefits plus the legacy left by the pandemic on cross-border teams.

Bill's guest this time is Gianna Ricciardi, Co-Founder and Practice Leader at Vita Assure, a company that specializes in employee benefits brokerage and consulting, group insurance plans, group retirement savings plans, benefits administration outsourcing, disability and ability management, wellness programs, chronic care management, prescription drug management, employee benefit communication programs, expatriate coverage, special risks, and executive benefits.

Gianna has worked with Finance, Human Resources and Payroll teams for almost 20 years, designing employee benefit packages that meet the evolving needs of the workforce.

Questions For Gianna Include:

• Tell us about the mission of Vita Assure and the HR problems it tries to address
• What is a PEO and what is Outsourced or Third-Party Employment?
• How can you legally employ workers across the border using a PEO?
• In respect to cross border benefits, what are some common considerations? For example, can you shed light on alignment of benefits with other geographies within organization, vs local markets?
• Can a foreign business with a small team in Canada get competitive benefits for these employees? 
• How can HR help employees understand the value of their plans? How can they better communicate the benefits?
• What are the risks in treating a worker as a contractor vs employee? What is the value of employing a worker vs treating them as a contractor? Talk about disadvantages of a PEO/EOR?
• What has been the lasting impact of pandemic on cross-border teams (e.g. working from home is more accepted/desired, focus on wellness in benefit packages)?
• 2022 has seen unprecedented challenges in attracting and retaining talent. Talent acquisition, engagement, retention, a focus on culture and DEI, hybrid, remote work, increased salaries and renewed benefits are all top of mind. You are going to speak at Talent Focus 2022: Work Trends. Tell us about your upcoming session and hoped-for learning outcomes.

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