Leaving the HTP: What Changes for Your Employees and How to Keep the Team
Companies leave the Hi-Tech Park for different reasons. Some change their business model, some no longer find the reporting and other obligations worth it, and some lose their status because they stop meeting the Park’s requirements. Whatever the reason, the news tends to reach employees in the same simplified form: “we are leaving the HTP, so our salaries will go down”.
In most cases the real impact on employees is smaller than they expect, but it is not zero, and it differs a lot from person to person. How the company explains the change, and how early it does so, often decides who stays and who starts answering recruiters’ messages.
This article explains what HTP residency currently gives employees, what changes when a company leaves, where the main risk of losing people lies and what employers can do to keep the team. The legal points below are a general overview, and specific cases should be checked with a Belarusian lawyer or tax adviser.
Why companies leave the Park
The most common situations we see are:
- A voluntary decision, usually because the company’s activity has changed and the benefits no longer outweigh the obligations of residency.
- Loss of status after the company fails to meet the conditions of its business project or other requirements of the Park.
- Restructuring, when part of the business is moved to another legal entity that is not a resident.
- A shift towards activities that are not on the Park’s list of permitted activities.
The reason matters for planning. A voluntary exit can be prepared months in advance, while a loss of status often leaves much less time to recalculate salaries, review contracts and talk to the team.
What HTP residency gives employees today
Before looking at what changes, it helps to be clear about the starting point. According to the Park’s own description of resident benefits, the main points that affect employees are:
- Personal income tax: the law provides for a reduced 9% rate for employees of residents, but at present the standard 13% rate is applied.
- Social security contributions: for HTP employees they are calculated on the basis of the average salary in Belarus rather than the employee’s full salary.
- Legal instruments such as option agreements, non-compete and non-poaching agreements, which are generally not available to ordinary Belarusian companies in the same form.
- Foreign employees can be hired without special work permits and can obtain temporary residence permits in a simplified way.
The first point is important for the conversation with employees, because it means that the income tax they pay is currently the same as at any other Belarusian company.
What changes when the company leaves
Payroll costs
For the employer, this is usually the biggest change. As a resident, the company pays social security contributions on a base limited to the average salary in Belarus. After leaving, contributions are calculated on the employee’s actual salary within the general limits, which for most IT specialists means a much larger base. For an employee earning three times the national average, the contribution base roughly triples.
The salary itself does not change automatically, but the total cost of each well-paid employee rises noticeably. This is where the risk for employees comes from: some companies respond by trying to reduce gross salaries to keep their costs at the previous level.
Net pay and pensions
If gross salaries stay the same, take-home pay does not fall because of the income tax rate, since employees of residents already pay the standard 13%. This is the most important message for the team, and it is worth saying clearly, because many employees assume the opposite.
Because contributions are now paid on a larger part of the salary, they count towards a higher base for the employee’s future state pension.
Options, non-compete and other agreements
This area needs the most careful legal review. Under Belarusian law, non-compete clauses in employment relations are generally unenforceable, with an exception for employees of HTP residents. For them, the restriction can last up to one year after the employment ends, and the employer must pay monthly compensation of at least one-third of the employee’s average monthly salary, as the Sorainen employment overview summarises.
Once the company is no longer a resident, existing non-compete and option agreements may lose some or all of their legal basis. Employees who hold options will want to know what happens to them, and the company should have an answer before it announces the change, not after.
What stays the same
A lot does not change at all. The employment contract remains in force, length of service is kept, leave and other guarantees under the Labour Code continue to apply, and the employer’s obligations to the employee stay the same. Saying this explicitly helps reduce anxiety.
Foreign employees
For foreign specialists the consequences can be more serious. As a resident, the company could employ them without a special work permit, and they could obtain a temporary residence permit in a simplified way. Outside the Park, the general rules apply: in most cases a foreigner without a permanent residence permit needs a special work permit and a temporary residence permit, as Rödl & Partner explains. Citizens of some countries, such as Russia, Kazakhstan, Armenia and Kyrgyzstan, do not need a work permit.
Each foreign employee’s situation should be reviewed individually, with a clear timeline for new documents, so that nobody ends up working without the right status.
| Area | As an HTP resident | After leaving | What to do |
|---|---|---|---|
| Income tax | Standard 13% currently applied | Standard 13% | Explain to employees that net pay is not affected by the tax rate |
| Social contributions | Based on the average salary in Belarus | Based on actual salary within general limits | Calculate the new cost per employee before announcing |
| Non-compete and options | Available under HTP rules | Legal basis may be lost | Review agreements with a lawyer and plan alternatives |
| Foreign employees | No work permit, simplified residence | General rules apply | Prepare documents and timelines individually |
| Employment contract | In force | Stays in force | Confirm this clearly to the team |
The real risk: losing people during the transition
News about leaving the Park spreads quickly, both inside the company and in the market. Recruiters and competitors often start contacting a company’s engineers within days. Even people who were not planning to move start comparing offers.
The first to leave are usually the people with the most options: senior specialists, foreign employees whose status is affected, and employees whose overall package depends heavily on options or other HTP-specific arrangements. Losing them in the middle of a project is expensive. Gallup estimates the cost of replacing an employee at between half and twice their annual salary, and its research found that 52% of people who left voluntarily believed their manager or organisation could have done something to keep them.
Much of this turnover can be prevented, and the transition period is when that effort pays off most.
Senior IT specialists remain in short supply, and replacing them takes time. Our developer salary benchmarks for 2026 show how much the market is currently paying for these roles.
How to keep the team: six steps
1. Calculate the impact before you announce anything
Work out the change in payroll cost for each employee and decide in advance how much of it the company will absorb. Employees will ask whether their salary is going to change, and “we are still calculating” is the answer that makes people start looking for other jobs.
2. Talk to the team early and honestly
Explain what is changing, what is not and when it will happen, ideally before rumours spread. A short internal FAQ helps, as does a named person who answers questions. Managers should hear the details first, so they can talk to their teams with confidence. If you are planning this kind of communication for the first time, HR consulting can help you prepare the messages, documents and timeline.
3. Protect net pay for key people
Where the company can afford it, keep take-home pay at the current level by adjusting gross salaries for the people whose departure would hurt the most. For some, a retention bonus paid after six or twelve months is a useful addition, because it gives them a concrete reason to stay through the transition.
4. Replace HTP-specific arrangements
If employees hold options or have non-compete agreements, work with a lawyer to decide what happens to them and what can be offered instead. A clear alternative, even if it is not identical, is much better than leaving the question open.
5. Handle foreign employees one by one
Review each foreign employee’s status, prepare the necessary permits and agree a timeline with them personally. Some companies find it simpler to move payroll and HR administration for these employees to an external provider during the transition.
6. Watch for warning signs and be ready to backfill
Hold short one-to-one conversations with key people about how they see the change. SHRM recommends that managers ask, among other things, why the employee stays and when they last thought about leaving. Track resignations closely and have a backup plan for critical roles.
Options worth considering before you leave
Leaving the Park is not always the only option. Depending on the situation, a company may be able to restructure so that part of its activity remains with a resident entity, or adjust its business project so that it meets the Park’s requirements again.
Another route is to move some specialists to a different employment model. IT outstaffing, for example, allows a company to keep working with the same people while a provider handles their employment.
Each of these options has legal and tax consequences, so it is worth discussing them with advisers before the decision is final.
A short checklist for HR
- Payroll cost per employee recalculated, and a decision made on what the company will absorb.
- Messages prepared for managers and for the whole team, with a date for each.
- Internal FAQ written, and a person named to answer questions.
- Option and non-compete agreements reviewed with a lawyer.
- Foreign employees’ status reviewed, with a timeline for each person.
- Key people identified, with a retention plan for each.
- Backup plan ready for critical roles.
Frequently asked questions
Not automatically. The employment contract and salary stay the same. However, the employer’s payroll costs rise, and some companies try to compensate by revising salaries, which is why it is important to decide on pay before announcing the change.
At present, no. Although the law provides for a reduced 9% rate for employees of HTP residents, the standard 13% rate is currently applied, so employees pay the same rate before and after the company leaves.
They lose the benefits of the HTP regime, such as employment without a special work permit. In most cases they will need a work permit and a temporary residence permit under the general rules, unless they are citizens of countries that are exempt. Employer of Record and payroll services can help manage their employment during the transition.
This needs legal review. Non-compete clauses in employment are generally enforceable in Belarus only for employees of HTP residents, so after leaving, existing agreements may lose their legal basis.
Yes. A company can apply for residency again if it meets the Park’s requirements and submits a new business project. Our page about joining the HTP describes the process.
It depends on salary levels. Social contributions are no longer calculated on the average salary but on the employee’s actual salary within general limits, so the increase is largest for the best-paid specialists.
Summary
For most employees, leaving the HTP changes less than they fear. Income tax stays at the standard rate they already pay, and their contracts remain in force. The main changes are higher payroll costs for the employer, the status of options and non-compete agreements, and new documents for foreign employees.
Whether the change turns into a staffing problem depends mostly on preparation. Companies that do the calculations first, talk to people openly and look after their key employees usually keep their team. If someone important does leave, a partner focused on HTP recruitment can help fill the role quickly.
Planning to leave the HTP?
We help companies plan the HR side of the transition, keep key people and quickly replace those who leave. Contact our team to discuss your situation.