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
People Management Ireland

Right-to-work and work-eligibility checks in Ireland

Employers in Ireland are legally required to check that every employee has the right to work in the state before they begin employment — not after. Failing to do so can result in criminal prosecution,

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Use Cases UK

HR and Payroll for Education and Training Providers

Education and training businesses have term-time contracts, complex holiday calculations, and strict compliance requirements. Here is how to manage HR and payroll effectively.

3 min readRead →
People Management Global

When to Restructure Your Team: Signs and Process

Restructuring for the right reasons can transform a team's effectiveness. Restructuring for the wrong reasons creates disruption without solving anything. Here is how to tell the difference.

3 min readRead →
People Management India

Background and reference checks in India

Background and reference checks in India have no single governing law, but they are regulated by a patchwork of rules covering data privacy, labour, and sector-specific requirements. Done correctly, t

5 min readRead →
People Management USA

Background and reference checks in the United States

Before you run a background or reference check on a job candidate, you need written authorization from that person — and you need to follow federal and state rules that govern what you can look at, ho

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People Management Australia

Background and reference checks in Australia

Background and reference checks are legal in Australia provided they are relevant to the role, handled consistently, and carried out with the candidate's knowledge and consent. Done properly, they pro

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People Management UAE

Background and reference checks in the United Arab Emirates

Employers in the UAE can run background and reference checks on candidates, but the process is shaped by federal privacy rules, the need for candidate consent, and a reliance on official government ch

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People Management UK

Background and reference checks in the United Kingdom

Conducting a background or reference check in the UK is legal, but it must follow specific rules around data protection, consent and discrimination law. Done correctly, it protects both the employer a

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People Management Ireland

Background and reference checks in Ireland

Carrying out background and reference checks in Ireland is lawful, but it must be done carefully within a framework set by data protection law, employment law, and sector-specific regulation. Done rig

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Use Cases UK

HR and Payroll for Professional Services Firms

Law firms, consultancies, and accountancies have structured HR needs. Here is how professional services firms should think about HR and payroll infrastructure.

3 min readRead →
Payroll Global

Directors' Payroll: Optimal Salary Strategy 2025

Director salary strategy 2025: NI threshold changes, optimal salary levels, the interaction with dividends, and how to set it up in payroll.

2 min readRead →
People Management Global

Managing Freelancers and Contractors Alongside Employees

Managing freelancers alongside employees creates legal, cultural, and operational challenges that are distinct from pure employee management. Here is the framework that handles both.

3 min readRead →