HR Software for UK Tech Startups

Tech startup HR is defined by the speed of the growth phase. When you add 20 people in a quarter, HR infrastructure that takes weeks to implement is not useful. The system needs to be live before the next hire. That means self-service setup, immediate onboarding capability, and a pricing model that scales with headcount rather than charging enterprise implementation fees upfront.

For UK tech startups, the ERA 2025 change to the unfair dismissal qualifying period is a compliance change to plan for. There is no day-one unfair dismissal right; the qualifying period stays at two years for now and is planned to drop to six months for dismissals on or after 1 January 2027. Startups that hire quickly and sometimes part ways quickly during probation should still build documented probationary review processes — a three-sentence email is not enough to defend a dismissal if it is challenged. Mellow's onboarding workflow schedules probationary reviews and logs their outcomes from day one.

For startups with equity arrangements — share options, EMI schemes, long-term incentive plans — employment contracts need to reflect these correctly. Mellow's document management holds employment contracts and any supplementary option agreements, ensuring the latest version is always accessible and that historical versions are preserved. When the first employee leaves and asks for their CSOP or EMI paperwork, you need to be able to produce it. Mellow holds it.