KithHR — Free Time Clock, Payroll & HR Software for UK Businesses

KithHR is the #1 free time clock and payroll HR platform built for UK small businesses. Manage employee time, shift scheduling, and automate HMRC-ready payroll reports — all from one place. Free forever for teams up to 10 employees.

What is KithHR?

KithHR is the UK's leading free HR software platform for small and medium businesses. Unlike generic US-built HR tools, KithHR is designed from the ground up for British employment law, HMRC compliance, and the 2026 Employment Rights Act changes. Whether you run a café, a retail shop, a restaurant, or a care home, KithHR gives your team the tools to clock in, track hours, manage holidays, and stay compliant — all without spreadsheets or expensive software licences.

The platform operates as a Progressive Web App (PWA), meaning your employees can access it instantly from any iOS or Android smartphone — no App Store download required. Managers get a powerful web dashboard, and employees get a clean mobile interface to check their schedule, request time off, and clock in and out with GPS verification.

Key Features of KithHR Free HR Software

📅 Shift Scheduling & Rota Builder: Build weekly rotas with a drag-and-drop calendar. Publish shifts with one click and allow employees to view their upcoming schedule on any device. KithHR also supports autonomous shift-swapping with manager-approval workflows built in.
⏰ Mobile Clock-In & PIN Kiosk: Employees clock in via the mobile PWA using their phone's location, or using a shared tablet running KithHR's PIN-based kiosk mode. The Pro plan adds AI Face ID biometric verification to prevent buddy punching and time theft.
🏖️ UK Holiday Tracking: Automatically calculate and track statutory holiday entitlement at the UK rate of 12.07% for part-time and hourly workers. Employees request time off directly, and managers approve via the web dashboard or the notification inbox.
🚨 Day-One Sick Pay (2026 Ready): KithHR is one of the first HR platforms to automate Statutory Sick Pay (SSP) from day one of illness, in line with the 2026 Employment Rights Bill. The system calculates daily SSP at £116.75/week automatically.
🛡️ Probation Guardian: An autonomous workflow that tracks employee probation periods, triggers performance review reminders, and ensures managers take action before the 2-year day-one rights threshold under the 2026 Act.
📊 Labor Burn & Wage Forecasting: Real-time dashboards track your labor costs against revenue targets. Get instant alerts when your labor percentage exceeds budget, helping you make smart scheduling decisions before costs spiral.
📄 PDF Timesheets & Payroll Reports: Export UK-formatted timesheet reports, HMRC-ready payroll summaries, and attendance logs as PDF or CSV — ready to hand to your accountant or payroll provider at month end.
🌍 Geofencing & GPS Verification (Pro): Set location boundaries around your workplace. The system automatically flags any clock-in that happens outside your approved zone, reducing fraudulent remote clock-ins.
📋 Audit Trail & Compliance Log: Every action — from clock-in to holiday approval to sick leave — is logged with timestamps, user IDs, and verification method. This creates an audit-ready trail for HMRC inspections and employment tribunals.

2026 UK Employment Rights — Is Your Business Ready?

The 2026 Employment Rights Act introduces the most significant changes to UK employment law in decades. Day-One Statutory Sick Pay removes the previous 3-day waiting period, meaning employers must pay SSP from the very first day of illness. The Act also introduces enhanced worker protections around flexible working, zero-hour contracts, and probation periods.

KithHR is built to handle these changes automatically. Our Probation Guardian feature monitors probation end dates and sends automatic alerts to managers so no employee accidentally passes into protected status without a formal review. Day-One SSP calculations are baked directly into the absence management workflow, so you're always compliant without manual effort.

KithHR Pricing — Free vs Pro

Essential (Free Forever): Manage up to 10 employees at no cost with no credit card required. Includes mobile clock-in, PIN kiosk, shift scheduling, holiday tracking, sick day logging, PDF timesheets, Day-One SSP, and Probation Guardian. No trial expiry — the free plan is free forever.

Pro Plan from £5.59/user/month: Unlock unlimited employee seats (up to 500), AI Face ID biometric kiosk, GPS geofencing, advanced payroll reports, labor forecasting, real-time exception alerts, and priority support. Start with a free 14-day trial — no card required.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is KithHR completely free for small businesses in the UK?

Yes. The KithHR Essential plan is free forever for businesses with up to 10 employees. There is no credit card required and no trial expiry — the free tier never expires.

Do employees need to download a separate app?

No. KithHR is a Progressive Web App (PWA). Employees simply open the browser link on any smartphone to clock in or view their schedule. No App Store download is needed. For tablet kiosk sign-in, managers can set up a shared device with PIN or Face ID entry.

Is KithHR GDPR compliant?

Yes. All data is stored on Google Cloud's European infrastructure and is fully protected under UK GDPR. Biometric Face ID (Pro plan) processes facial descriptors exclusively on the locked kiosk device and never uploads raw photos to the cloud.

Does it work when the internet is down?

Yes. KithHR's Kiosk mode continues to record clock-ins and clock-outs offline and automatically syncs all data to the cloud when connectivity is restored.

What industries use KithHR?

KithHR serves restaurants, cafés, retail shops, care homes, hospitality businesses, construction firms, cleaning companies, and any UK small business that manages hourly or shift-based workers. It's particularly popular with businesses transitioning from paper timesheets or spreadsheets.