Best platforms for converting contractors to employees

The three conversion triggers

1. Risk caught up. The relationship fails the local test — four-fold in the Philippines, subordination in Mexico, pejotização exposure in Brazil — and every additional month adds to the retroactive bill if challenged. Converting stops the clock (it doesn’t erase the past; see our misclassification guide).
2. Retention economics. Senior contractors get counter-offered with employment: equity, benefits, stability. Converting first beats converting reactively.
3. The work changed. Project work became a core function with direction and integration — the honest read is that it’s a job now.

The cost math nobody shows

The contractor’s rate covered their self-employment costs; employment moves those to you, plus the statutory load. Ballpark employer add-ons over gross salary: Canada ~10–15%, Philippines modest but with 13th month, Switzerland meaningful social contributions on high salaries, Mexico with PTU profit-sharing on top, Brazil the world champion at 60–80% all-in. Our country guides carry the specifics — run the numbers before the offer conversation, and anchor salary at billings ÷ 1.2–1.5, letting benefits close the rest.

The mechanics that matter: both tiers on one platform, history preserved, no re-onboarding. Ranked by fit:

What to check before committing

1. What actually carries over: payment history, documents, equipment records, start date for tenure purposes.
2. Notice mechanics: ending the contractor agreement and starting employment without a gap (or an accidental overlap).
3. The offer package in the target country — statutory minimums vs the market benefits a good convert expects.
4. Cost transparency: a per-country employment cost quote before you promise anyone anything.

Related: managing employees and contractors together for the steady state after conversion.