How QBench scaled without compliance guesswork with Deel

When Trevor Ewen, COO of QBench, began building a high-performing global team, he faced a significant hurdle: a lack of clarity on international employment law. The company initially relied on platforms like Upwork for project work, but transitioning to long-term talent raised complex questions about misclassification and payment legality.

"The biggest concern was simply not knowing what was legally permissible when wiring money to contractors in different countries," said Ewen. Without a dedicated legal team in every market, QBench risked financial exposure and regulatory grey areas as they attempted to expand into Latin America and the Philippines.

QBench consolidated its international workforce on Deel to ensure a sound legal structure and reliable payments. By using Deel Contractor and Contractor of Record, the company gained access to compliant contract templates and proactive support for managing misclassification risk.

Deel now powers roughly half of QBench’s product engineering and back-office teams. The platform provides built-in guidance on local regulations, allowing QBench to hire wherever the talent is—without the months of legal groundwork required to set up local entities. Additionally, Deel’s consolidated reporting simplified financial oversight for the lean operations team.

"Deel is comprehensive. The platform effectively guides operations by ensuring steps aren't skipped, and the customer success team offers pragmatic advice on managing misclassification risk—without constantly upselling you." — Trevor Ewen, COO, QBench

Since partnering with Deel, QBench has automated its global operations, saving at least two full days of administrative work each month. By moving contractors off high-markup marketplaces and onto Deel, the company also significantly reduced intermediary fees, a win Ewen reports to his CFO quarterly.