GLOBAL EMPLOYER OF RECORD IN 190+ countries
Employer of Record in Jersey
Access local or international talent in Jersey without making a permanent corporate footprint the price of an early hire. Acumen acts as your Employer of Record, so you can start lean, grow selectively and keep incorporation aligned with actual headcount.
GLOBAL EMPLOYER OF RECORD
Global coverage
Acumen International delivers global employment solutions across 190+ countries.
Strategic markets
Hiring and compliance support across North America, Europe, and Asia-Pacific.
Established jurisdictions
Lawful employment and payroll in regulated, compliance-intensive countries.
Growth economies
Expanding into new regions? Hiring support across fast-moving economies.
Risky and remote locations
Compliant employment solutions in jurisdictions with limited infrastructure.
Employing in Jersey through an Employer of Record
Your hire joins Acumen International’s Jersey payroll on standard local terms: a written statement of terms, income tax collected through ITIS, social security and long-term care contributions, and at least three weeks’ paid holiday plus bank holidays. Their post counts against Acumen’s business licence, so your business gains a Jersey team without a licence or company of its own, and directs that team’s work as it would its own staff. Where the right person has not yet been found, Acumen International can also run the search, from specialist recruitment to executive search, with background and education checks before the offer.
Situations where an Employer of Record serves a Jersey hire
- Contractor compliance. Specialists working full time for your business in Jersey move onto employment contracts, ending the exposure to reclassification and back-dated tax and social security.
- One accountable provider. Staff permissions, work permits, ITIS, social security and employment law sit with Acumen International rather than with several advisers.
- No entity to set up or maintain. You employ in Jersey without incorporating a company or applying for a business licence.
- Market tests and short-term projects. A fund launch, a pilot or a fixed-term mandate is staffed without premises, then grown or closed as results come in.
- Bridge to your own entity. While your Jersey company is being set up and licensed, the first hires start with Acumen International and transfer once it can employ them.
- Fast team launch. Permissions and permits are applied for together, with work permit decisions in about three weeks.
- Mergers and restructuring. Jersey-based staff stay employed without a break while the group structure around them changes.
- NGO staffing. Charities and international organisations employ programme and specialist staff under Jersey law.
- Employer liability. Acumen International holds the Jersey employer’s liability, so statutory duties sit with the party Revenue Jersey, Social Security and the Immigration Service hold accountable.
- Remote team expansion. Team members based in Jersey join a distributed team with Jersey contracts, tax and social security.
Employing for another business in Jersey: the legal basis and its limits
Jersey law treats a business that supplies its own employees to work for other employers as an employment agency, which must be registered with the Minister for Social Security under the Employment Agencies (Registration) (Jersey) Law 1969. Acumen International employs your team in Jersey and provides their services to your business on that basis. These rules apply:
- A business must hold a business licence before it employs anyone, and may employ Licensed, Licensed for Lease Only or Standard workers only within the permissions on that licence.
- Temporary staff supplied by an agency are covered by the agency’s licence, so the business using them does not need their registration cards.
- A work permit names the employer and the role, cannot be transferred, and a long-term permit holder cannot change employer in the first six months.
- The employer must notify the Immigration Service before a permit holder’s last working day.
What Acumen International handles in Jersey, from recruitment to exit
| Stage | What it involves in Jersey |
|---|---|
| Recruitment and checks | Finding the candidate where needed, with background and education checks before the offer |
| Staff permission | A Licensed, Licensed for Lease Only or Standard permission where the hire needs one, with evidence of the search for local candidates |
| Work permit | The work permit for the named role, on a signed contract, where the hire is not British or Irish |
| Contract | A written statement of terms within four weeks of the start |
| Pay | Payroll in pounds sterling with ITIS income tax, social security and long-term care contributions |
| Leave | Paid annual leave, bank holidays and parental leave, including the six weeks paid by the employer |
| Exit | Statutory notice, redundancy pay where due, signed written reasons and notice to the Immigration Service for permit holders |
Minimum wage and pay rules in Jersey
The minimum wage is £13.59 an hour from 1 April 2026, up from £13.00, with a trainee rate of £10.50.
Salaries for skilled roles are agreed as an annual gross amount in pounds sterling, and salary decides more than pay in Jersey: a Licensed permission generally needs a salary of £60,000, Licensed for Lease Only £54,000 and Standard £30,000 or the going rate, unless the role is listed as qualifying.
Employment contracts and working time in Jersey
| Rule | What it means for you |
|---|---|
| A written statement of terms is due within four weeks of the start | Pay, hours, holiday, sickness and notice are confirmed in writing early |
| Employees are entitled to at least three weeks’ paid annual leave, plus paid bank and public holidays or time off in lieu | Leave planning starts from three weeks plus the island’s holidays |
| Every employee is entitled to 24 consecutive hours’ rest in each seven days and a 20-minute break in each six hours worked | Rotas for long shifts and on-call roles are built around the rest rules |
| Discrimination is unlawful on grounds including race, disability, sex, sexual orientation, age, transgender status and pregnancy | Recruitment, pay and selection rest on documented, objective criteria |
| Signed written reasons for dismissal are a right from the first day of employment | Reasons are documented and given with every dismissal |
Ending employment in Jersey
Statutory notice is one week for each complete year of service, up to 12 weeks after 12 years, unless the contract gives more. After 52 weeks’ service, an employee can claim unfair dismissal within eight weeks of leaving.
- Unfair dismissal awards run from four weeks’ pay for one year’s service up to 36 weeks’ pay for 15 years or more, and the Tribunal can add up to 25%.
- Redundancy pay is one week’s pay for each year of service after more than two years, paid on top of notice, with weekly pay capped at £1,100 from 22 September 2026.
- Collective redundancies of more than 12 employees at one establishment within 30 days require consultation with elected representatives and notice to the Minister for Social Security, with protective awards of up to nine weeks’ pay for failures.
For a work permit holder, the Immigration Service must be told before the last working day.
Employment risks in Jersey and how Acumen International covers them
| Risk | Where it arises | How Acumen International covers it |
|---|---|---|
| Worker misclassification | A contractor working full time under your direction can be treated as an employee, with ITIS and social security due for past periods | Your team is employed under Jersey law and paid through ITIS from the first payroll |
| IP ownership | Rights in work created in the job sit with the local employer unless the contracts pass them on | Contracts confirm the rights and transfer them onward to your business |
| Client liability for pay and contributions | Supplying staff without agency registration, or beyond licensed permissions, is an offence and can leave the arrangement exposed | The supply runs on Acumen International’s registration and licence, and the service agreement sets out each party’s role |
| Equal pay for assigned staff | Pay discrimination on a protected ground can lead to an award of up to £30,000 or 52 weeks’ pay, whichever is lower, plus up to £30,000 for hurt and distress | Pay is set against comparable roles on objective criteria before the offer |
| Permanent establishment | An employee who negotiates or signs contracts for your company can create a taxable presence in Jersey | Signing authority stays with your company and is written into the role |
| Exit cost | Unfair dismissal awards of up to 36 weeks’ pay plus a 25% uplift, and redundancy pay after two years | Grounds, procedure and costs are prepared before any decision |
| Sponsor obligations | A work permit is tied to a named employer and role, and the employer must report the end of employment | Acumen International is the named employer, keeps the permit in line with the role and notifies the Immigration Service on time |
| Pay transparency | Jersey has no pay transparency law, but EU-based groups apply the Pay Transparency Directive to their workforce | Pay structures are documented on objective criteria |
Staff permissions and work permits in Jersey
Hiring in Jersey can involve two separate approvals: a staff permission under the Control of Housing and Work (Jersey) Law 2012, which depends on the person’s residential status, and a work permit for anyone who is not British or Irish and does not hold EU settled or pre-settled status.
- Staff permissions. Entitled and Entitled for Work Only staff can be employed freely. Licensed, Licensed for Lease Only and Standard staff need a permission on the employer’s licence, granted after the employer shows it could not find an entitled candidate. The usual salary tests are £60,000, £54,000 and £30,000 or the going rate.
- The long-term work permit covers roles at RQF Level 3 or above, for up to three years initially, at the occupation’s salary threshold or the going rate, whichever is higher; a chief executive’s threshold, for example, is £84,100. Applicants need English at B1 level, and the employer must submit a signed contract.
- Intra-company transfers run for up to 36 months.
- Applications can be made up to three months before the start date and take about three weeks. Long-term permit time counts towards settlement.
What Acumen International contributes
- One employer holding both approvals. A work permit can only be applied for once the employer holds the licensing permission for the role. Acumen International holds the business licence, applies for the permission with the evidence of the local search, and then applies for the permit as the named employer.
- An offer built to the threshold. Acumen International sets the salary at the higher of the occupation’s threshold and the going rate, confirms the role sits at RQF Level 3 or above, and issues the signed contract the application requires.
- The route that brings the family. Dependants can join only long-term or intra-company permit holders whose permit runs beyond 12 months, and the household must pass an income test. Acumen International structures the contract for that route and checks the income test before the family moves.
- Status that lasts to settlement. Extensions are filed up to six months before expiry, and changes of role are applied for before they take effect, so the person keeps building time towards settlement.
Family members
A spouse or partner and children under 18 can join a long-term or intra-company permit holder whose permit exceeds 12 months, provided the household’s net income after rent, childcare and loan repayments exceeds the relevant income support level.
Employer cost and income tax in Jersey
Social security for 2026 is charged on monthly earnings above the minimum earnings threshold of £618:
| Contribution | Employer | Employee | Earnings band |
|---|---|---|---|
| Social security | 6.5% | 6% | Up to the standard earnings limit of £6,062 a month |
| Social security, upper band | 2.5% | — | From £6,062 to £27,632 a month |
| Long-term care | — | 1.5% | Gross earnings up to £331,584 a year |
Income tax
Income tax is collected by the employer through the Income Tax Instalment Scheme (ITIS). Liability is the lower of 20% of income after allowances and 26% of income above the exemption threshold, so for most senior salaries the effective ceiling is 20%.
Sectors employing through an Employer of Record in Jersey
- Fund administrators and managers employ fund accountants, portfolio managers and compliance officers.
- Trust and corporate services providers employ trust officers, client directors and company secretaries.
- Banks and wealth managers employ relationship managers, investment managers and risk specialists.
- Law and accountancy firms employ lawyers, tax advisers and regulatory specialists.
- Digital and fintech businesses employ engineers, product managers and cyber security specialists.
Hiring cases in Jersey and how they are handled
| Case | What local rules add | How it is handled |
|---|---|---|
| A fund manager hires a head of risk from London on £95,000 | A British citizen needs no work permit, but as a new arrival needs a Licensed permission on the employer’s licence | The permission is applied for with evidence of the local search, and the salary clears the £60,000 test |
| A trust company recruits a South African client director who will relocate with family | A long-term work permit at the occupation threshold, B1 English, and dependants only on a permit over 12 months with an income test | The permission comes first, then the permit on a signed contract of more than 12 months, with the income test checked |
| A group transfers a Singapore-based compliance manager to Jersey for two years | An intra-company transfer of up to 36 months, tied to the named employer and role | The transfer permit is applied for up to three months before the start |
| A senior analyst’s role is cut after six years | Six weeks’ notice and six weeks’ redundancy pay, with weekly pay capped at £1,100 | Notice, redundancy pay and signed written reasons are prepared before the decision |
Benefits, payroll and leave in Jersey
Jersey sets no statutory sick pay, so the contract decides what an employee receives beyond the island’s incapacity allowance.
Payroll obligations
| When | What happens |
|---|---|
| Before the start | The staff permission and any work permit are in place, and the registration card is checked |
| Within four weeks of the start | The written statement of terms is issued |
| Every pay period | Salary is paid with ITIS income tax, social security and long-term care deducted |
| 1 November each year | Annual fees for staff permissions are charged, payable by 31 December |
| Before a permit holder’s last working day | The Immigration Service is notified |
Leave entitlements
| Leave | Entitlement | Paid by |
|---|---|---|
| Annual leave | At least three weeks a year | Employer |
| Bank and public holidays | Paid holidays, or time off in lieu | Employer |
| Sick leave | No statutory sick pay; set in the contract | Short Term or Long Term Incapacity Allowance from the States |
| Parental leave | 52 weeks, from day one, in up to three blocks within two years of birth or adoption | Employer pays at least six weeks in full |
Sources
- Business licences and staff permissions
- Work Permit Policy
- Contribution rates for employers
- 2026 proposed minimum wage announced
- Employment Agencies (Registration) (Jersey) Law 1969
- Redundancy: rights, processes and payments
- Fundamental employee rights in Jersey
- Employment and Discrimination (Jersey) Amendment Law in force
- Jersey to increase annual leave and daily rest breaks
- Jersey: other taxes
- Jersey: taxes on personal income
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
Got questions?
We’ve got answers
Have questions about hiring globally? You’re not alone. Below you’ll find answers to the most common questions from teams expanding into new markets — from compliance and onboarding timelines to payroll and local benefits.
If you don’t see what you’re looking for, our team of in-country experts is always ready to help you navigate the details.
Can we offer benefits above the statutory minimum in Jersey?
Yes. Statutory entitlements form the baseline, not the ceiling. Acumen can help add supplementary benefits that fit the role and the market in Jersey, while keeping the package workable from a payroll, tax and administration perspective.
Can we use an EOR in Jersey for a single high-value hire?
Yes, where the position is suitable for EOR employment. A senior or specialist hire in Jersey can move ahead without making entity formation a prerequisite, which is useful when the person or the timing matters more than immediate local incorporation.
How does Acumen handle payroll currency for employees in Jersey?
Acumen separates the employee payroll requirement from the client’s funding preference. Salary is paid in the currency permitted for employment in Jersey; where an alternative payment currency is lawful and practical, it can be reviewed. Client invoices can be handled in an agreed major currency where the service structure supports it.