HR & Payroll

CharlieHR

Replaces manual HR spreadsheets, paper-based onboarding, and the admin burden of a part-time Office Manager.

Monthly Cost
£25–£150/month (Base fee of £20 + £5 per employee per month)
Category
HR & Payroll

AI Features

  • ✦AI Performance Review Assistant that drafts professional feedback from rough bullet points
  • ✦Automated onboarding sequences that trigger tasks based on hire date
  • ✦AI-assisted policy creation for building custom employee handbooks
  • ✦Smart holiday calculations including pro-rata logic for part-time staff
  • ✦Sentiment tracking prompts during 1-to-1 check-ins
  • ✦Automated compliance reminders for document expiry (passports, visas)

✅ Best For

  • ✓UK-based startups and scale-ups with 5–50 employees
  • ✓Founders who are currently acting as their own HR department
  • ✓Remote-first companies needing a central hub for employee data

⚠️ Limitations

  • •Primary focus is the UK market; lacks depth for international employment law
  • •Payroll is not built-in (it requires an integration or their paid managed service)
  • •The AI writing tools can feel generic if managers don't provide specific input
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Penny's Verdict

CharlieHR is what I call 'sanity software' for UK founders. It doesn't try to be everything to everyone; it just tries to make sure you don't get sued and that your team knows when they can take a holiday. It’s particularly good at solving the 'blank page' problem with its AI review assistant—it takes a manager's messy notes and turns them into something constructive, which is a massive time-saver for busy teams. However, don't confuse this with a full HR department. It handles the 'what' and 'where' of HR, but you'll still need to provide the 'how' and 'why' of your company culture. If you're growing past 50 people, you might start to feel its limits, but for a small team, it’s the most frictionless way to get your operations out of a spreadsheet. Use it if you're in the UK; look elsewhere if you're a global-first entity.

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Frequently Asked Questions

Does CharlieHR handle my payroll automatically?+
No. CharlieHR is an HRIS (Human Resources Information System), not a payroll engine. It stores your data and integrates with Xero, or you can pay an additional fee (roughly £6/employee) for their managed payroll service where they do the filing for you.
Is CharlieHR suitable for companies outside the UK?+
Technically yes, but practically no. Its templates, legal advice, and compliance features are heavily anchored in UK employment law. If you are based in the US or EU, tools like Rippling or Personio are better fits.
How does the AI Review Assistant work?+
A manager types in basic observations—like 'John was great at the project launch but needs to speak up in meetings'—and the AI rephrases this into professional, structured feedback. It’s meant to be a draft, not a final copy.
Can I store employee contracts securely in the platform?+
Yes, it functions as a centralized, encrypted document store. You can assign visibility permissions so only the employee and their manager (or admin) can see sensitive documents like contracts and salary reviews.
How long does it take to set up?+
For a team of 15, you can be fully onboarded in about two hours. The most time-consuming part is getting your team's remaining holiday balances into the system, but CharlieHR provides CSV import tools to speed this up.

Tasks CharlieHR Can Automate

Manage PayrollOnboard EmployeesWrite Employment Contracts

Compare Service Costs

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