hire in the USA

USA PEO &
Employer of Record

SALARY PAYMENT IN United States Dollar (USD, $)

CONTRACT LANGUAGES English

PAYROLL TAX Varies per state

PAYROLL CYCLE Bi-weekly or weekly

TIME TO HIRE 12 hours
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Horizons-owned entity with local country experts in the USA.

We offer fair, scalable, and transparent pricing on USA PEO service. Contact us for a cost breakdown

End service in the USA with no additional penalties or fees.

Private medical & 401(k) for your USA team. We are covered by the 2nd largest provider in the US.

Hire and pay talents
with Horizons in
180+ countries

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United States

Hire in the USA

Employment Laws

Compensation & Benefits

FAQs

Simple, compliant hiring with Horizons PEO

Hire in the USA

Horizons provides compliance solutions to ensure your business in the USA operates in line with American labor laws and tax regulations. Businesses benefit from hiring in, investing in, or job outsourcing to, the United States in a range of industries, from customer service, to accounting services, to software development.

We also process monthly payroll, and, as a USA Employer of Record, absorb all local employer liabilities. Partnering with our USA PEO is the quickest and most cost-effective way to enter the American market.

Facts & Stats

PEO Platform Hire in the US, and pay employees through our platform or app.	PEO Cost Our US PEO solution is the most affordable on the market.	Time-to-hire Fast onboarding in the US, hire in as little as 12 hours.
Contracts We draft labor contracts compliant with American labor law.	Local Benefits We administer all mandatory benefits and contributions in the US.	180+ Countries It doesn’t stop with the US — we are an international PEO

stay compliant with United States labor laws

Employment Laws

USA employment contracts

It is important for employers in the US to provide all employees with a written employment contract which includes all relevant details of the working relationship, such as sick leave, vacation leave, compensation, and so on. The contracts should be written in English and use the local currency of US dollars. Oral contracts can also technically be legally enforceable but can present issues in practice, so it is always best to use formal written contracts.

By partnering with our USA PEO & Employer of Record, Horizons’ team of local experts can provide assistance for drafting strong employment contracts that are compliant with local regulations.

Fixed-term

Probationary period	0 – 90 days (standard)
Termination notice period	2 weeks (standard)
Severance	Not required, but highly recommended
Special note	Contract type is not standard for PEO services due to complexity of termination

Indefinite

Probationary period

0 – 90 days (standard)

Termination notice period

2 weeks (standard)

1 month recommended for senior roles

Severance

Not required, but highly recommended

Working hours in the USA

Normal working hours in the US are 40 hours per week and eight hours per day, although this does vary from role to role. When employees work over 40 hours, most are legally entitled to overtime pay at a rate of at least 150% of normal pay. Some employees are exempt from maximum working hours, and this exemption should always be written into their individual employment contract.

Hire compliantly in USA without a local entity.

Quick, compliant hiring in 12 hours—no subsidiary required.

Public holidays in the USA

Holiday Schedule in USA [2023]

In the US, employees are not legally entitled to any paid public holidays. However, most employers do offer some, with the following being the most common:

Date	Holiday name
1 Jan Sunday	New Year’s Day
2 Jan Monday	New Year’s Day (substitute)
16 Jan Monday	Martin Luther King Jr. Day
20 Feb Monday	Presidents’ Day
29 May Monday	Memorial Day
19 Jun Monday	Juneteenth
4 Jul Tuesday	Independence Day
4 Sep Monday	Labor Day
9 Oct Monday	Columbus Day
10 Nov Friday	Veterans Day (substitute)
11 Nov Saturday	Veterans Day
23 Nov Thursday	Thanksgiving Day
25 Dec Monday	Christmas Day

USA vacation leave

Employees in the US are not legally entitled to vacation leave as standard. Most employers do offer some paid leave allowance, but it varies massively from employer to employer and role to role and is still generally significantly lower than most other countries in the world.

Due to the dedicated working culture in the US, many employees do not take their full allowance even when offered it.

USA sick leave

Employees in the US are not entitled to any paid sick leave as standard. However, the Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA) does dictate that most employees are entitled to up to 12 weeks of unpaid sick leave every year. Additionally, most employers choose to offer a paid sick leave allowance for their employees as part of their benefits package. Also, some state-level regulation does entitle employers to paid sick leave, so it is important that you understand the local laws when employing in the US.

Maternity and paternity leave in the USA

Unlike most countries, employees in the US are not entitled to paid parental leave as standard. However, some states do have regulations to provide paid parental leave, and many employers choose to offer it as part of their benefits packages. Also, the FMLA does provide 12 weeks of unpaid leave for all employees in the US.

Employee severance and terminations in the USA

The US varies from most countries in its laws around terminations and severance rights. Most states adhere to the concept of ‘at-will employment’, meaning that employees can be terminated at any time and for almost any reason (besides things like race, gender, or religion). Employees are also allowed to leave for any reason and are not required to give notice.

Severance payments are not required, but some employers do offer them as part of their benefits packages. Some employees may be entitled to payment when they lose their jobs and it isn’t their fault. They also retain employer-linked health insurance for a time after losing their jobs.

By partnering with our USA PEO, Horizons’ team of local experts can provide assistance for drafting strong employment contracts that are compliant with local regulations.

Taxation in the USA

Employers and employees in the US are required to pay towards different funds, with both needing to pay 6.2% of salary to social security tax and 1.45% to Medicare. Additionally, employers need to pay unemployment tax for every employee.

Employees in the US are taxed progressively, so pay more at higher levels of income. The rates range from 10% to 37%. Rates also vary depending on whether the payer is single, married, or head of a household. Employers do not need to withhold taxes, but some choose to.

Businesses are taxed on a federal level, but there are also varying rates imposed by different states, so you need to understand the specific laws in your location.

Health coverage in the USA

Employers are not legally required to offer private health insurance, but almost all do, and they may be penalized by the government for not doing so. The US does not have nationalized healthcare, so most employees rely on their employers for some or all of their health coverage, and it is an important element of most benefits packages.

hassle-free USA compensation & benefits

Compensation & Benefits

Compensation Laws in the USA

The minimum wage in the US is set at a federal level, but some states also have their own higher rate. The standard federal minimum is $7.25 per hour.

Benefit management in the USA

Benefits packages are particularly important in the US, with many employees relying on their packages to provide healthcare, sick leave, and more. This makes them a deciding factor for many when choosing their next role. But establishing a benefits system in the US as a foreign organization can be a difficult process with many different laws and administrative procedures potentially causing delays.

One effective solution is to outsource your USA benefits management to Horizons benefits specialists. Our team will ensure that your benefits system is set up quickly and compliantly, so you can focus on a rapid and successful expansion. Horizons USA PEO can provide expert guidance to help simplify the process of expanding into the United States.

Hire in USA in 12h
without your own local entity.

With Horizons, you get quick service, transparent pricing, and expert support.

FAQs

What is the difference between a USA PEO and a USA EOR?

A USA PEO and a USA EOR are two types of companies which specialize in providing human resources services to businesses in the USA.

The main difference between a USA PEO and a USA EOR is in the scope of their services.

USA PEOs provide a full range of HR services, including payroll, benefits administration, and employee recruiting—all under one roof as a co-employer. Engaging a USA PEO is essentially outsourcing your HR duties in the USA.

USA EORs actually take over as the legal employer of your employees based abroad. USA EORs become responsible for labor compliance for your employees in the USA.

At Horizons, we offer both PEO and EOR services in the USA. Get in touch now and let us know what service you are seeking.

Can a PEO in the USA hire both local and foreign nationals to work in USA?

A PEO in the USA can feasibly hire both local and foreign nationals to work in the USA.

However, the ability of Horizons to sponsor your foreign national employee in the USA may be limited due to visa quotas practiced in many countries.

Contact us with your requirements and our Global Mobility team with review the case and get back to you within 2 business days.

How long does Horizons' USA PEO service take to hire an employee?

In most cases, Horizons’ USA PEO can hire & onboard your employee within 12 hours. The actual start date of the employee will depend on their notice period obligation to their previous employer as well as any relevant hiring rules in the USA.

Is it possible to get a work visa in the USA?

It is possible to get a work visa in the USA. Horizons’ Global Mobility team is a dedicated team of work visa experts. They assess the details of each case to determine feasibility and costs before Horizons applies for the work visa on behalf of your employee. If the Global Mobility team determines that your case is feasible, the process is smooth and transparent. Visa spots in the USA are limited, however—get started today to secure your employees’ visa spot.

hire in the USA

USA PEO & Employer of Record

Simple, compliant hiring with Horizons PEO

Hire in the USA

Facts & Stats

stay compliant with United States labor laws

Employment Laws

USA employment contracts

Fixed-term

Indefinite

Working hours in the USA

Hire compliantly in USA without a local entity.

Public holidays in the USA

USA vacation leave

USA sick leave

Maternity and paternity leave in the USA

Employee severance and terminations in the USA

Taxation in the USA

Health coverage in the USA

hassle-free USA compensation & benefits

Compensation & Benefits

Compensation Laws in the USA

Benefit management in the USA

Hire in USA in 12h without your own local entity.

FAQs

Hire Anywhere. Today.

USA PEO &
Employer of Record

Hire in USA in 12h
without your own local entity.