UK employer of record & payroll
Hire in the UK without setting up a UK company
We become the legal employer of your UK team. You choose the people and direct their work; we handle the employment contract, PAYE payroll, pensions, statutory pay and HR compliance, so they're employed properly from day one.
- UK employment contracts
- PAYE payroll and RTI filing
- Workplace pension enrolment
- Right to work checks
Employment record
Senior Product Engineer · London
- Legal employer
- EOR Services
- Day-to-day manager
- Your company
- Right to work
- Checked
- Contract
- Signed
- PAYE & RTI
- Filed each pay day
- Workplace pension
- Enrolled
- Contracts under UK employment law
- HMRC PAYE and RTI
- Auto-enrolment pensions
- UK GDPR data handling
- Sponsor licence support
What we do
Four ways we take UK employment off your hands
Use one service or combine them. Every option is run by people who know UK payroll and employment rules, not a ticketing queue.
Employer of Record
We legally employ your UK staff for you. Ideal when you're testing the UK market, hiring your first few people, or don't want the cost and admin of a UK entity yet.
How our EOR worksPayroll Services
Already have a UK company? We run your payroll: PAYE, National Insurance, RTI submissions, pensions, statutory pay and year-end, accurately every pay day.
See payroll servicesSponsor Licence Support
Hiring from overseas? We get your HR records, payroll and processes ready for a Home Office sponsor licence, and keep them compliant afterwards, alongside your regulated adviser.
Sponsor licence supportContractor Management
Working with UK contractors? We help you engage, onboard and pay them with IR35 in mind, or move them onto proper UK employment when that's the safer route.
Contractor management
How it works
From offer letter to first payslip
A clear sequence, so you always know what happens next and what we need from you.
- 1Day 1
Tell us about the hire
Role, salary, location, start date and any benefits. We confirm the employment terms and give you a clear quote.
- 2
We issue the contract
We draft a UK-compliant contract and written statement of particulars, check the employee's right to work, and collect their payroll details.
- 3
Onboarding and payroll setup
We register them on our PAYE payroll, assess them for auto-enrolment and set up their workplace pension and any agreed benefits.
- 4Monthly
Ongoing employment
Every month we run payroll, file RTI with HMRC, pay pension contributions and handle sickness, leave and changes. You get one consolidated invoice.
Your options
EOR, your own UK company, or contractors?
Each route works for different situations. Here's how they compare for an overseas business hiring its first people in the UK.
| Compare | Employer of recordRecommended | Set up a UK company | Use contractors |
|---|---|---|---|
| Who is the legal employer? | EOR Services | Your UK company | Nobody: they're self-employed |
| What you need first | A signed services agreement | Incorporation, HMRC employer registration, bank account, employer's liability insurance | A contract, and an IR35 status check if they work through their own company |
| Payroll, PAYE and pensions | Handled by us | Your responsibility (in-house or outsourced) | Not applicable: they invoice you |
| Employment rights for the worker | Full UK employee rights | Full UK employee rights | Limited; misclassification is a risk |
| Best for | First hires, market testing, small UK teams | Established UK operations and larger teams | Short, clearly defined projects |
An EOR handles employment, not every tax question: if your UK staff sign contracts on your behalf, take advice on permanent establishment risk.
Free tool
Know the real cost of a UK hire before you commit
Salary is only part of it. Employers also pay 15% National Insurance on earnings above £5,000 a year and at least 3% pension on qualifying earnings. Our calculator uses the 2026/27 rates from GOV.UK, so you can budget properly.
- Annual and monthly view
- Employer NI, pension and Employment Allowance
- Checks the hourly rate against the National Living Wage
£45,000 salary, 2026/27
Minimum employer costs
- Gross salary
- £45,000.00
- Employer NI (15% over £5,000)
- £6,000.00
- Employer pension (3% of £38,760)
- £1,162.80
- Total employer cost
- £52,162.80
Why EOR Services
UK employment done properly, explained plainly
Compliance built in
Contracts, right to work, minimum wage, holiday pay and statutory pay follow current UK rules. When the law changes, as it is under the Employment Rights Act 2025, we update how we work.
A named contact
You and your employees deal with people who know your account, by email and phone, not a chatbot.
Clear, predictable costs
A quote you can understand before you start, and one invoice each month showing salary, employer costs and our fee.
Data handled carefully
Payroll data is personal data. We process it under UK GDPR, share it only where the law or the job requires, and keep it no longer than we need to.
Good for your people
Your employees get a proper UK contract, accurate payslips, a workplace pension and someone to ask when they have a question.
Room to grow
When your UK team is big enough to justify your own company, we can help you move your employees across and keep running the payroll.
Employer guides
Straight answers on UK hiring and payroll
Practical guides for employers, checked against GOV.UK for the 2026/27 tax year.
Auto Enrolment Pension: An Employer's Guide to Your Duties in 2026/27
Every UK employer must put eligible staff into a workplace pension and pay in. Here is how to assess your workers, what you must contribute in 2026/27, and the deadlines The Pensions Regulator enforces.
6 min read
Employer National Insurance 2026/27: Rates, Thresholds and Worked Examples
Employer National Insurance is 15% of each employee's pay above £5,000 a year in 2026/27. Here is how it is worked out each pay period, who gets relief, and what it costs at two common salaries.
7 min read
Employment Rights Act 2025: What's in Force and What's Coming for Employers
The Employment Rights Act 2025 is arriving in phases. This is where things stand in October 2026, based on the government's own timeline, and what employers should do next.
5 min read
FAQ
Questions employers ask us
What is an employer of record?
An employer of record (EOR) is a company that legally employs people on another business's behalf. It issues the employment contract, runs payroll, pays tax and National Insurance, enrols staff into a pension and handles HR compliance, while the business it works for manages the employee's day-to-day work. Read our full guide: what is an employer of record.
Can I hire someone in the UK without a UK company?
Yes. Through an employer of record, the EOR is the UK employer, so you don't need to incorporate a UK company, register as an employer with HMRC or set up UK payroll yourself. See how to hire in the UK without a UK company.
How much does it cost to employ someone in the UK?
On top of salary, employers pay 15% employer National Insurance on earnings above £5,000 a year and at least 3% pension contributions on qualifying earnings (2026/27). On a £45,000 salary that's about £7,163 a year before benefits and fees. Try our employer cost calculator.
Who owns the work my EOR employees create?
Your services agreement and the employment contract should assign intellectual property created in the job to your business. We set this up in the contract so the work your team produces belongs to you.
Can you help us sponsor an overseas worker?
Yes. We help you prepare for and maintain a Home Office sponsor licence: HR records, payroll, right to work checks and reporting duties. Immigration advice itself must come from an OISC-regulated adviser or a solicitor, and we work alongside yours. See sponsor licence support.
Do you only work with overseas companies?
No. Overseas companies use our employer of record service, but UK businesses use our payroll services to take PAYE, pensions and statutory pay off their hands.
Ready when you are
Tell us who you want to hire
Share the role, salary and start date, and we'll come back with a clear plan and a quote, usually within one working day.