Back to BlogBehind the scenes: Why workforce compliance is the star of global media operations
Introduction
Media operations in EMEA are being subjected to increasingly strict workforce compliance regulations. With a diversity of legal frameworks, which are different from country to country, it’s difficult for media companies to scale and leverage talent in cross-border productions, with a compliant contractor workforce.
Behind every shoot, edit suite, news article, or live event lies a complex web of labour laws, worker contracts, and classification rules. And in today’s world of “digital everything”, with super-tight deadlines, increasing bottom line pressures, UGC competition, and multinational production schedules, managing a compliant global workforce is more important than ever.
As EU regulators tighten the rules on freelance misclassification, and Middle Eastern markets enforce rigid visa and sponsorship requirements, a compliant international workforce in EMEA is both essential and complex. For media companies engaging international crews or remote freelancers, a single slip-up can jeopardise the entire production schedule. Compliance may be backstage, but it’s the linchpin holding global media operations together.
Why compliance is at the heart of global media operations
For media companies with a presence in EMEA, workforce compliance has the potential to directly impact operational efficiency, production output, financial results and brand reputation. Non-compliance won’t just upset production schedules, it can result in crippling regulatory action. And companies with a multi-national presence in the region can face sanctions and complicated legal issues, across multiple jurisdictions.
With multiple legislative frameworks operating in the region, the cost of workforce non-compliance in EMEA is particularly high. So for media companies with a presence in more than one country, the risk is very real. A study by the Ponemon Institute found that non-compliance with payroll, tax or employment law costs 2.71 times more than if companies were to proactively address workforce compliance.
The risks of getting it wrong
The most common workforce compliance failures for media companies in EMEA are:
- worker misclassification
- errors in statutory payments to contractors, and
- poor data management and governance.
Spanish gig‑platform Glovo, which operates across Europe, was fined over €56 million in 2023 for misclassifying over 7,800 delivery workers, as well as for visa and social security violations. Similar issues in the UK and US have forced companies into multimillion-dollar settlements.
And if payroll is mismanaged, especially across different countries, the risk of tax and labour law violations escalate. Add to that the issue of data privacy breaches, where mishandled worker information will trigger penalties under GDPR law.
When media companies fail it’s often compliance – not creativity – that is the single point of weakness.
The hidden dangers of misclassification and poor contracting
Speed, and time-to-productivity is often a critical hiring criteria for media companies. But when contractor agreements are rushed, avoidable risk is introduced. This is particularly the case when it comes to worker classification and IP protections.
The high cost of misclassifying freelancers
Misclassification is not so much a technical error as it is a regulatory red flag. In the UK, the IR35 reform is forcing media companies to reassess their use of personal service companies (PSCs): these are limited companies set up by freelancers to provide their services. Under the IR35 law, if a contractor using a PSC is found to be working as an employee, the media company may be liable for unpaid taxes and other legal obligations.
Protecting intellectual property and contracts
Creative output and the associated intellectual property (IP) is the main currency of media organisations, yet poorly structured contracts can leave IP ownership ambiguous. And without airtight clauses around “work for hire” and the assignment of ownership and rights, companies risk losing control of their own content.
Our advice on this is clear: if contractor agreements lack definitive IP and confidentiality clauses, ownership may rest with the freelancer, not the company. This is an issue that’s not just a potential legal headache, it could become disastrous for content distribution and monetisation.
Navigating the global regulatory landscape
Media companies operating in EMEA often execute projects in multiple countries across the region. That means navigating a medley of labour laws, safety standards, and data privacy rules, from country to country.
Essential employment and safety standards
Each market across EMEA has stand-alone compliance mandates, unique to the individual country or region. For example, in the EU, working hour limits and rest breaks are strictly enforced under the Working Time Directive. And in the UAE, employer obligations around medical coverage and visa sponsorship are mandatory for non-citizens. Ignoring these laws, knowingly or not, will invariably lead to fines or suspended productions.
Media companies must also follow health and safety laws. Consider the unfortunate example in the US, of the Rust film tragedy. This incident deeply underscores the importance of safety on set. Regulatory bodies in countries across EMEA tend to view safety lapses not just as accidents or oversights, but as failures of workplace safety governance.
Understanding data privacy obligations
The GDPR law, introduced in 2016, is the toughest data privacy and data security law, anywhere globally. Its application includes any company that handles the personal data of EU-based individuals, including short-term contractors. That means media companies must gain consent, limit access to certain data, and store and process information lawfully. So information such as call sheets, ID scans, and contractor payment details need to be securely stored, then deleted when no longer applicable.
Fines of up to 4% of global turnover are the result of falling short of GDPR mandates as seen in very high profile cases of employee data breaches across Europe.
Scaling operations without sacrificing compliance
When media companies seek to expand into new countries or fast-track production processes, they can face the challenge of scaling their workforce, while staying compliant.
Managing multi-jurisdictional compliance
When scaling media operations across EMEA, consideration of the differing legal frameworks and union mandates between countries is crucial. What’s compliant in France may be non-compliant in South Africa. Best practice scaling must factor in local knowledge for seamless scalability. In doing so, as a media company, you can ensure worker classification, taxes, benefits, and visa requirements are up to scratch in each location.
Media employers need both centralised worker oversight and a local compliance lens. That’s why at CXC, we embed local compliance teams into global media operations, providing a turnkey solution that protects our media clients from regulatory exposure. And we do this, while allowing them to scale their workforce quickly, efficiently and compliantly.
Standardising onboarding and payments
The key to successful cross-border scaling is to establish consistent processes for onboarding and paying your contract workers. Without standardised processes, from one market to another, your risk profile elevates, and non-compliance becomes very likely.
At CXC, we help media companies resolve this by streamlining onboarding, payroll, and contractor management through a single platform that’s custom-built for compliance in every EMEA market. Contractors are paid in local currency, in line with local employment and tax laws, and our media clients receive one consolidated invoice. The result? Faster onboarding, fewer errors, and a compliant cross-border workforce.
Building resilient compliance frameworks in media
Long-term compliance isn’t achieved through temporary fixes. It’s achieved through workplace culture, company policies, training, the right technologies and a commitment to continuous improvement.
Internal policies and best practices
The best media companies embed standardised compliance practices into every single project. This includes customised, pre-approved contracts, mandatory worker classification checks, and secure documentation trails for all contingent workers. The inclusion of regular policy reviews and compliance training for hiring managers ensures all worker classification decisions are well-informed and well-documented.
Staying ahead of regulatory changes
The other major issue for multi-national compliance in the region, is staying abreast of legislation changes. Every single country in EMEA undergoes changes to workplace laws, from time to time. These may be as simple as new timeframes for reporting. But they can also be more complex; from IR35 reforms in the UK to data protection shifts in Africa and the Middle East, media companies need to monitor regulatory changes constantly.
A proactive compliance approach will allow your media company to adjust your workforce engagement strategies, ahead of media law changes. This in turn, will ensure you’re always operating on the right side of workplace laws, no matter what country or region you’re operating in.
How CXC enables compliant, agile media workforces
Media companies in EMEA and across the globe, partner with CXC to achieve agility, scalability and peace of mind. Our systems, technology and local expertise will ensure your media company avoids major non-compliance pitfalls, such as:
- Misclassification of freelancers and crew
- Delays and inconsistencies of contractor onboarding
- Stagnated scaling ability due to visa, tax or other compliance issues
We have proven systems, insights and experience to enable your media company to scale operations to meet production schedules, in multi-country operations.
EOR and contractor management for media
As the leading provider of Employer of Record (EOR) and Agent of Record (AOR) services across 100+ countries, CXC is trusted by media companies to source and hire local talent, without having to establish a local business entity. And by managing the classification, contracts, payroll, taxes, and IP protections for media companies, CXC allows media productions to remain lean, fast, in control of their creative output, and legally compliant.
Delivering peace of mind behind the scenes
CXC’s media clients report faster contractor onboarding, full workforce visibility, and zero compliance surprises. Contractors are paid on time, securely, and compliantly: this is how we build trust in every market we operate in.
Conclusion
In media operations, creativity moves fast: it’s a critical success factor in an industry that is changing and evolving, all the time, with ever-lax consumer loyalty. But without compliance, everything is at risk: operations, reputations, profitability and IP. Compliance is the backbone of global media output.
For companies navigating complex hiring landscapes, CXC provides the speed of a production crew with the precision of a legal team. Behind every scene, CXC ensures the lights stay on, the talent stays engaged, and the regulators stay satisfied.
About CXC
At CXC, we want to help you grow your business with flexible, contingent talent. But we also understand that managing a contingent workforce can be complicated, costly and time-consuming. Through our MSP solution, we can help you to fulfil all of your contingent hiring needs, including temp employees, independent contractors and SOW workers. And if your needs change? No problem. Our flexible solution is designed to scale up and down to match our clients’ requirements.
