Hiring in the UK? Familiarity is not a compliance strategy.

The UK is one of the world’s largest and most connected economies, but PAYE, National Insurance, pension auto-enrolment and unfair-dismissal rights make getting your employment model wrong genuinely costly in time, money, and compliance. We help you choose the right way to hire, place you with the right partner, and stay alongside you for the life of the relationship.

  • Independent advice
  • Vetted partners
  • On your side at renewal

A familiar market that punishes assumptions.

The UK is one of the world’s largest and most internationally connected economies, with global strengths in finance, technology, professional services, and creative industries, and a deep, English-speaking talent pool.

01

Deep financial and tech talent

One of the world’s largest financial-services and tech labour pools, in a common-law system and native English, with none of the CAO or works-council complexity of the EU.

02

Flexible but protective labour market

PAYE real-time reporting, pension auto-enrolment, and unfair-dismissal rights after two years mean your employment structure has to be chosen with care.

03

Independent expert advice

Not sure whether you need EOR, PEO, payroll, or your own company? We map your headcount, timeline, and risk profile and give you a clear recommendation, not a product pitch.

Four ways to hire in the UK. Choose on facts, not habit.

Most businesses arrive having already decided, and often decided too quickly. Here is the honest version of each route. When one fits, the detailed guide is one click away.

Employer of Record

An EOR partner becomes the legal employer of your UK staff, handling the contract, payroll, tax, and compliance, while you direct the work. Operational in days, no entity needed. Best for testing the market or hiring a small team.

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Global Payroll

For when you already have a UK entity, or want to consolidate payroll across several countries under one process. You stay the legal employer; a specialist partner runs compliant UK payroll, including PAYE and auto-enrolment.

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Entity Formation

Your own UK company (a private limited company). Full control and a local presence, with no per-employee fees. Incorporation is fast, but you cannot run payroll until HMRC registration completes, and the ongoing obligations are real. Right when the headcount and permanence justify it.

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PEO Services

A co-employment model where you and a partner share the employer role. Less common in the UK than EOR, and right only for specific structures. We will tell you honestly if it fits, or if EOR is simpler.

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The UK at a glance

Currency

Pound Sterling (GBP). Salaries, PAYE, and National Insurance all run in pounds.

Minimum wage (2026)

National Living Wage is GBP 12.71 an hour for 21 and over from April 2026, with lower bands for under-21s and apprentices.

Employer costs

Employer National Insurance is 15% on earnings above GBP 5,000 a year, plus a minimum 3% pension auto-enrolment contribution.

Leave & Notice

5.6 weeks (28 days for a five-day worker) statutory annual leave. Statutory notice runs from 1 week up to 12 weeks by length of service; contractual notice is often 1 to 3 months.

Hiring in the UK: common questions

The questions we are asked most about hiring in the UK.

What is the fastest way to hire someone in the UK?

An Employer of Record. Your hire can start in days, with a compliant Employment Rights Act contract from day one and no entity to set up. It is the lowest-risk way to test the market or place a small team. The detail is on our UK EOR guide.

Do I need a UK entity to hire?

No. With an EOR you can employ people in the UK without your own company. You only need an entity (a limited company) when you are committing to a permanent, larger presence, and we will tell you honestly when that point arrives.

Real-time PAYE reporting, pension auto-enrolment duties, and unfair-dismissal rights after two years. None of it is a problem when handled correctly, which is the point of getting the model right at the start.

We are independent: we assess what you actually need, place you with the right vetted partner, secure pricing you will not get going direct, and stay on your side to escalate or renegotiate. You get advice, not a product pitch.

Let’s get your UK hire sorted.

Tell us who you want to hire and where you are headed in the UK. One conversation maps your options, flags the risks, and usually gets you to a better answer, and better pricing, than going direct. No pitch.

Tax and labour data verified June 2026 (HMRC, ACAS, OECD). Figures change; we confirm the current position when we scope your hire.