Global Expansion Resources | Italy
Italy HR Services
The trusted global people partner for your company’s Italy HR requirements
Connect your company’s workforce strategies to your overall business goals with Leap29’s reliable Italy HR Services
With Italy’s economy placing third largest in the Eurozone and eighth largest in the world, it’s safe to say the country has a strong economic foundation.
Not to mention the 1 million plus people who have graduated from university there over the last 3 academic years, with 40% of those being in STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics) disciplines. This highly skilled talent pool is particularly beneficial for businesses looking to expand into Italy, as their key investment sectors currently include:
- Aerospace: Especially within the defence and security sectors.
- Data Centres: Milan in particular is emerging as a dominant hub with significant foreign investment and projected capacity growth.
- Green Technologies: Placing fourth in the European Union’s (EU) list of the largest renewable energy technology (RET) providers, Italy is a top global exporter in this field.
- Pharmaceuticals: Italy has the second highest number of pharmaceutical companies in Europe, with Research and Development (R & D) investments reaching over €2 billion in 2023.
- Software & IT Services: Attracted significant venture capital investment in 2024.
- Telecommunications: Remains a strong sector when it comes to Foreign Direct Investment (FDI), highlighted by major cross-border Merger & Acquisition (M&A) deals in 2024. For example, Vodafone selling its Italian unit to Swisscom for €8 billion that year.
Source: Why Invest in Italy? A Thriving Business Environment | Italian Trade Agency
Want to expand into Italy?
Contact us today to see how Leap29 can be the trusted partner that supports your global expansion.
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What’s included:
HR software
Bespoke employee management software included in our PEO service.
Global compliance
We have expert teams across the world to ensure global compliance.
Transparent pricing
Avoid hidden costs and account for our fee with our transparent pricing.
Italy: HR Advice & Information
Why partner with an Italian HR provider?
Choosing where to expand your operations is just the first step. But selecting the right HR partner is what brings the entire global expansion strategy together, ensuring your international hires are covered by the correct policies to avoid disputes, unhappy employees and delays to market.
That’s where Leap29 comes in. When you partner with us, our experienced team is here to help you:
- Issue lawful Italian employment contracts to avoid costly compliance risks.
- Run accurate and reliable payroll, aligned with Agenzia delle Entrate (Italian Revenue Agency) tax rules and Istituto Nazionale della Previdenza Sociale (National Institute for Social Security) social security obligations.
- Manage statutory employee benefits, bonuses and leave entitlements.
- Implement essential HR policies in line with Italian health and safety, training and employee relations requirements.
You could go down the in-house HR route, but contractual, payroll and regulatory rules will vary significantly from what your team will be used to dealing with. Avoid the guesswork – partner with our international experts at Leap29.
Key HR Responsibilities in Italy
All of the following HR responsibilities are governed by a combination of the Italian Constituion, the Italian Civil Code and collective bargaining agreements.
Italian Employment Contracts
From open-ended and fixed-term contracts to on-call and occasional service set-ups, Italian employment contracts can be difficult to manage if your in-house HR team isn’t familiar with country-specific regulations. Not to mention the complexities of Contratto Collettivo Nazionale di Lavoro (National Collective Labour Agreements).
That’s why we’re here to help you manage subordinate (the classic employer and employee dynamic) and parasubordinate (more collaborative/hybrid conditions) Italian employment contracts, as well as common sector-specific labour agreements across retail, manufacturing, hospitality and more.
Working Hours & Overtime in Italy
The standard working hours in Italy are 40 hours per week, usually split into 8 hours per day across Monday to Friday.
Overtime is restricted to 2 hours per day and must be approved. The total hours cannot go over 48 hours per week or 250 hours per year. The rate of pay for overtime in Italy must exceed the worker’s salary by 10% and should be agreed upon in the contract between employer and employee. The number of hours worked will need to be stated on the payslip.
If your employees have any questions, you can answer them via LeapForward. Our intuitive platform that comes with our Italian HR package, acting as a dedicated employee HR helpline (available via phone and email).
Annual Leave in Italy
Italian employees are generally entitled to 12 public holidays per year and a minimum of 20-26 days (or around 4 weeks’ worth) of paid annual leave. However, this can vary depending on collective labour agreements, employment contracts and employer discretion.
Leap29’s Italian HR experts can help you write compliant policies in line with all relevant legislation.
Italian Payroll Obligations
Setting up Italian payroll is a complex process. Some of the steps your business will need to take include:
- Registering with an Italian notary
- Registering with all relevant authorities, including:
- Agenzia delle Entrate (tax office)
- Ministero del Lavoro e delle Politiche Sociali (Ministry of Labour and Social Policies)
- Istituto Nazionale Previdenza Sociale (social security authorities)
- Istituto Nazionale per L’Assicurazione contro gli Infortuni sul Lavoro (Insurance Institute)
- Submitting the necessary documents to the Italian Business Register
- Obtaining a VAT number and taxpayer number
- Opening a local bank account
Luckily, Leap29 has a full team of global payroll specialists on-hand to support you with paying your employees in an accurate and timely manner.
Essential HR Policies & Employee Protections in Italy
Your employees need to be covered by essential HR policies and protected against various acts in the workplace. With over 25 years of country-specific knowledge and expertise, Leap29 can help you comply with Italian regulations regarding, but not limited to, the following:
- AI and workplace technology policies (e.g. the EU’s Artificial Intelligence Act)
- Anti-discrimination
- CCNL compliance policies
- Compensation and payroll
- Data privacy
- Disciplinary and termination
- Equal treatment for temporary agency workers
- Gender equality
- Health & safety
- Leave and absence policies
- Pay equity
- Whistleblowing protection
- Working hours and overtime
Why choose Leap29’s Italy HR Services?
Leap29 has been providing specialist global HR support across over 180 countries for the last 25+ years. We pride ourselves on:
- Ensuring HR queries are answered fast, so your business can build positive relationships with your Italian employees.
- Giving genuinely well-informed advice on Italy-appropriate benefits, backed up by decades of international experience.
- Offering transparent Italian HR pricing, with no hidden costs or surprise fees.
Want to see how our comprehensive Italy HR Services can help your business? Call our experts today on +44 (0) 20 8129 6860 or send your enquiry to expansion@leap29.com.
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Whatever stage you’re at in your global expansion journey, we can help.
Contact us today to see how Leap29 can be the trusted EOR partner that supports your global expansion.
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Italy
Expansion Resources
Italy Entity Set Up
Italy Employment Contracts
Italy Payroll Solutions
Italy’s New Protections for Workers with Serious Illnesses: What Law 106/2025 Means for 2026
Italy Introduces New Measures to Tackle Illegal Hiring and Support Foreign Worker Entry
Italy EOR Services
Italy PEO Services
Local expertise, global reach
Employ people compliantly in 180+ countries – with or without your own foreign entities. We can help you set up and manage foreign entities – or act as an Employer of Record. We can also help with multi-country payroll and all your HR management. Wherever, whenever and however you want to employ people, we can help.
180+
We make expansion in Italy simple
Employing people compliantly across international borders can be challenging but we make it simple, bringing down barriers and making light work of the complexities. We offer the full range of compliant global expansion solutions so that wherever, whenever and however you want to employ people, we can support you.
EOR Services
Employ people compliantly in 180+ countries – without setting up new entities. We’ll shoulder responsibility as Employer of Record (EOR), making sure all your international employment is fully compliant.
We can also take care of your global HR from multi-country payroll to onboarding and offboarding.
Payroll Solutions
Getting global payroll right is one of the hardest challenges for any business expanding into new countries. We can shoulder this burden, freeing up valuable in-house resource to focus on growing your business.
Consider us an extension of your HR team, ready to answer all your questions large and small.
Global Mobility
Mobilise your people across borders with ease. Relocating to work abroad can feel daunting. But with Leap29 at your side, your employees can feel safe and supported.
We’ll guide your employees through the complexities of working in another country, helping them settle in fast.
Entity Services
Follow the opportunities to grow your business – wherever they take you.
We lighten the load of establishing and managing foreign entities and can help you solve all your entity challenges from running compliant, accurate multi-country payroll to local accounting and financial reporting.
PEO Solutions
Employ international talent wherever and whenever you need it – and enjoy the peace of mind of knowing you’re fully compliant. Our Professional Employer Organisation (PEO) services allow you to focus on growing your business while we handle compliance, multi-country payroll and your global HR.
Support & Advisory
The help you need to make your global growth effortless – trusted guidance and advice on your expansion challenges large and small.
HR Support
When you’re employing people in lots of different countries, answering just a simple query can take a disproportionate amount of time for your in-house HR team. Our HR Support service reduces this burden, saving you time and money and giving you the confidence of knowing your employees are well looked after, whatever their location.
Contractor Payroll
Enjoy compliant contractor payroll that meets all local requirements for tax, social security and employment legislation. We understand the importance of compliant contractor payroll to the success of your business and will pay your contractors on time, every time.
Start hiring today – and onboard within hours.
Pricing
Budget confidently with transparent, competitive fees and no hidden costs.
Want us to shoulder employer liability and take care of your global HR through our EOR solution? No problem. Just want global payroll? You can have that too. Pick the solutions that your individual business needs.