The Problem
Comox is a seaside community of about 15,000 people on the eastern coast of Vancouver Island, British Columbia. The warm dry summers, mild winters, natural beauty and variety of recreation options – on land and on water – make it one of the most popular tourist destinations in Canada.
Nico teWinkel calls the Comox Valley home – and has for most of his life. And with a partner with her own life and family there and aging parents close by, he says he is not in a hurry to leave anytime soon.
“The only major problem is that there are not a lot of employment opportunities here for the kind of work I do as a software engineer,” says Nico.
“Pretty much the only job suitable for my qualifications would be to teach at the local college (which I have done). Living here is wonderful, but it’s definitely an employment challenge!”
The Impact
A specialist in iPhone and Android app development with a degree in Computer Science from the University of Victoria and additional courses from Stanford University, Nico’s best chance for interesting work suitable for his skill set is in Silicon Valley.
But San Francisco, with one of the highest costs of living in North America, highly competitive marketplace and distance from his family and home, was not a very attractive option.
“I wanted a big city opportunity, but not a big city life,” said Nico.
He’d also spent many years as a software consultant and found that being a contractor wasn’t what he wanted anymore. At this stage in his life, he was looking for the stability and benefits that come from employment.
“I was just not that interested in being a traveling consultant. I wanted an actual remote position that allowed me to stay in Comox and focus on both my personal life and my career. There’s a lot going on in my life here. I did not want to give up one for the other.”
Nico wasn’t sure what to do. Then by chance he heard about Syndesus.
“I was connected to Marc (Pavlopoulos, founder of Syndesus) through LinkedIn because we both used to work for the same company and I noticed he had a tagline in his profile that said ‘facilitating remote teams in Canada.’ It was like a lightbulb went off. Remote employment, that’s exactly what I needed! So, I reached out to Marc.”
The Solution
Syndesus works with many companies in Silicon Valley and across the US, helping them remotely employ Canadian talent. With new knowledge that remote employment was a feasible option through a Professional Employer Organization (PEO) like Syndesus, Nico reached out to Silicon Valley employers.
He landed with Gate Labs, a consumer electronics firm with software and technology hardware that makes smart door locks, enabling users to manage access to their homes via their smartphone. Gate Labs hired Nico as manager of mobile apps development. Working remotely from Comox, Nico’s main focus is to build the iOS app that works with the Gate Smart Lock hardware. And with his exceptional skill set, he’s also providing management support for Android development.
Syndesus took care of all the logistics related to hiring Nico: payroll, healthcare benefits, stock options, Canadian taxes (supplying Nico with his T4 every year), and compliance with Canadian employment law. As a US-Canada cross-border employment expert, Syndesus helps US companies like Gate Labs hire Canadians without having to become experts in Canadian employment law and ensures they employ remote workers in the most efficient manner possible – for everyone.
The Results
Nico says remote employment and working through Syndesus has made his life easier, and is a win for his employer too. Hiring Canadian tech talent is considerably less expensive, with Canadian software engineers often seeking 30 to 40% less than what their US counterparts are asking. Gate Labs also avoided the relocation costs they would have had to incur to move Nico from Canada to Silicon Valley.
In turn, Nico’s salary is higher than what he believes he would have received from a Canadian company. And Syndesus provides a healthcare benefits plan that is competitive with what is offered to US employees but at less cost to Gate Labs.
Nico says he also feels protected through Syndesus. “As a contractor, if something went wrong with the technology I was working on I could be held liable. But as an employee through Syndesus, my exposure is reduced. Syndesus has just made life so much easier in so many ways.”
And with COVID-19 wreaking havoc around the world, with a heavy impact in the US, Nico has never been more grateful for his remote employment gig from a small town in British Columbia.
“Watching what is happening around the world, and in the US, I’m very happy to be on my little island,” says Nico.
