Mellow Blog

HR & payroll, done properly

Practical, country-by-country guides on payroll, compliance and leave — and how to treat your people as capital to invest in, not headcount to manage. Written for HR leaders at growing companies across the UK, Ireland, USA, UAE, India and Australia.

Payroll to the penny in 6 countriesERA 2025 & local compliance built inConnects to Slack, Teams, Xero & QuickBooksBuilt for teams of 10–100
HR Compliance Global

Bradford Factor: how to use it without creating problems

The Bradford Factor measures frequent short absences. Useful as a trigger for conversation, but dangerous if applied without considering disability, pregnancy, or mental health. Here is how to use it responsibly.

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HR Compliance Global

GDPR for employers: handling employee data correctly

Employers are data controllers for employee data under UK GDPR. A guide to lawful bases, special category data, retention periods, data subject access requests, and breach reporting.

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HR Compliance Global

HR policy management: which policies are legally required

Some HR policies are legally required, some are strongly recommended. A guide to which policies every employer must have and which are good practice.

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HR Compliance Global

DBS checks: when you need them and how to manage renewals

DBS checks: four levels, who needs which, how to manage renewals, and what to do with a disclosure. A guide for employers in regulated sectors.

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HR Compliance Global

Right to work checks: the complete employer guide

Right to work checks are mandatory before employment begins. A complete guide to manual checks, online checks, IDVT, document retention, and re-checks.

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Payroll Global

Payroll errors: how to correct them before HMRC notices

Payroll errors: how to correct overpayments, underpayments, wrong tax codes, NI category mistakes, and late FPS submissions before HMRC takes action.

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Payroll Global

Running your first payroll: a step-by-step guide

Running payroll for the first time: HMRC registration, collecting employee data, calculating gross pay and deductions, submitting RTI, paying employees and HMRC.

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Payroll Global

Payroll for part-time employees: pro-rata calculations

Part-time employees have the same rights as full-time, calculated pro-rata. How to calculate salary, holiday, pension, statutory pay, and bonuses for part-time staff.

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Payroll Global

Salary sacrifice schemes: tax advantages and pitfalls

Salary sacrifice reduces gross pay in exchange for benefits, saving income tax and NI for employee and employer. The advantages and the pitfalls worth knowing before you set one up.

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Payroll Global

Holiday pay calculations after the Harpur Trust ruling

The Harpur Trust Supreme Court ruling says 12.07% holiday pay is wrong for term-time and irregular workers. The correct method uses a 52-week rolling average. Here is how it works.

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Payroll Global

Scottish and Welsh tax rates: differences employers need to know

Scotland has six income tax bands with rates up to 48%. Wales currently matches England. What employers with Scottish or Welsh employees need to apply in payroll.

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Payroll Global

Attachment of earnings orders: how to process them

Employers must comply with Attachment of Earnings Orders or face contempt of court. A guide to AEO types, priority order, protected earnings, and the step-by-step deduction process.

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