It's a small World after all - Wide Web - Web sites for international HR professionals

HR Magazine, Dec, 1998 by Michael Frost

The Internet brings international HR to your desktop

It is, after all, called the World Wide Web. So, it is not surprising that the Internet has become an excellent source of information for international human resource managers. In the "old days," way back in 1994 or earlier, it could be quite challenging to find out about laws and customs governing the conduct of business in foreign countries. Now, those resources are just a click away.

Here is a look at 10 essential sites for international HR practitioners.

* SHRM Global Forum. The Society for Human Resource Management debuted its Global Forum (www.shrmglobal.org) in September. The site is geared toward two primary audiences - HR practitioners working abroad and domestic-based HR practitioners with an interest in international management issues.

For the internationally based HR professional, the site includes full-text versions of HR Magazine, HR News, Workplace Visions and Mosaics as well as HR Update from the Institute for International Human Resources (IIHR). SHRM members based overseas once had to endure long delays in receiving publications via international mail. Now, with membership in the Global Forum, these periodicals are available online immediately.

The WorldWatch section of Global Forum is of particular value to U.S.-based practitioners managing an overseas workforce. It contains a country-by-country breakdown of employment laws and management issues. The Bureau of National Affairs provides breaking news and analysis of international HR stories. Forum members also have exclusive access to a number of publications from outside information providers. An online bulletin board offers an opportunity to network with other global HR practitioners.

The SHRM Global Forum comes with the IIHR basic membership package. For non-members, the service is available for an annual subscription of $90, but they must be members of their country's HR association. For example, in England, they must belong to the Institute for Personnel Development. Full details on membership qualifications are available on the Global Forum web site.

In addition, SHRM's HR Links (www.shrm. org/hrlinks) contains a country-by-country list of online resources as well as links to other international HR web sites.

* U.S. government web sites. U.S. government agencies offer a vast array of resources on international employment on the Internet. For starters, check out the Bureau of International Labor Affairs (www. dol.gov/dol/ilab), a division of the U.S. Department of Labor. It has several useful online reports focusing on international labor practices. The agency also posts Federal Register notices of laws and regulations affecting U.S. companies abroad as well as foreign companies operating in the United States.

The Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) has an area dedicated to comparative studies of U.S. and foreign labor statistics (stats.bls.gov/flshome.htm). The BLS site features useful comparisons of compensation and productivity rates for 17 European, Asian and North American countries.

The CIA World Factbook (www.odci.gov/cia/publications/fact book/) also is available from the U.S. government. No, it doesn't give inside scoops on who's spying on whom. But, it does contain sweeping, plain-English analyses of political and business climates in almost every country.

* International Salary Calculator. So, the company wants to place someone in its Brussels office. How much should that person be paid? One way to find out is to consult the International Salary Calculator (www2.homefair.com/calc/salcalc.html). Offered by HomeFair.com, the site compares salary amounts for hundreds of cities around the world based on cost of living differentials. For example, a $40,000 salary in Indiana is equivalent to $65,288 in Brussels. Then log onto the Expedia's Currency Converter site (http://expedia.msn.com/pub/curcnvrt.dll) to convert the amount to the local currency. For example, $65,288 equals 2.25 million Belgian francs.

* William M. Mercer Co. The HR consulting giant has offices in 28 countries around the world, and it puts some of that gathered intelligence online for current and potential clients (www.wmmercer.com). Log on to the publications area for analysis of international business trends. Reports recently available online included the "1998 International Benefit Guidelines," "Global Compensation Report" and "Medical Protection for Employees Working Outside Their Homes: An Employer Guide." Some of the reports require a PDF reader such as Adobe Acrobat to view.

* Watson Wyatt Worldwide. Another global consulting firm, Watson Wyatt, offers a web page (http://www.watsonwyatt.com) that features a global news section that focuses on management issues. A recent check of headlines found stories about the debate in Chile over establishing a national pension fund, the UK's implementation of the working time directive and the impact of the latest wave of mergers and acquisitions on global employers. There is also a section summarizing Watson Wyatt's reports on international employment issues. The web page offers links to a variety of global web sites that take a closer look at HR issues in Australia, Canada and the U.K.