How Macaloney’s Distillery unlocked time, accuracy and growth with automated HR and payroll

About the business 

Macaloney’s Distillery is a proudly Canadian craft distillery based in Victoria, BC, producing award-winning whisky using locally sourced ingredients and traditional Scottish techniques. Built over the past decade through community support and one of the country’s largest crowdfunding efforts, the business has carved out a distinct place in a highly competitive category.

The distillery is deeply rooted in its environment, using local BC barley and water, while continuing to push the boundaries of innovation. That balance between tradition and experimentation defines not only the product but how the business operates.

When CEO Margaret Rygiel stepped into the role, she brought a different lens shaped by years in consumer packaged goods. Her focus wasn’t just on the product: it was on building a business that could move faster, operate smarter and connect more meaningfully with both employees and consumers.

The challenge 

Before Employment Hero, Macaloney’s internal operations were a “Frankenstein of giant Excel files” that lacked structure, consistency and visibility. HR and payroll functions weren’t centralized; they were scattered across spreadsheets, manual trackers, and disconnected systems that didn’t speak to each other.

Critical information lived in silos, often controlled by a single individual, which made it difficult for leadership to access accurate, up-to-date data. 

“We needed systems, we needed platforms in place that could take away some of the pieces of the business that were causing distraction or that were simply not efficient… Everything from vacation requests to payroll to administrative to onboarding, all of that was just eating away time that we didn’t have.”

For employees, the experience was equally frustrating. Basic questions around pay, time off or entitlements often went unanswered or required unnecessary back-and-forth.

“When employees don’t know how much vacation time they have or when they can take it, it causes undue stress. It’s unnecessary…and completely avoidable.”

The solution 

Macaloney’s implemented Employment Hero as a fully integrated, AI-powered employment operating system, bringing HR, payroll, onboarding and employee management into a single, centralized platform. From the beginning, the intent was to replace fragmentation with clarity, creating one place where both leadership and employees could access accurate, real-time information.

“I saw the power of what other systems could do. And when you have a question as an employee, and the consistent message is that Employment Hero has the answer, you’re creating trust that not only eliminates frustration but also lets you celebrate.”

The onboarding process itself became a foundational reset for the business. Rather than simply layering on new technology, it required the team to revisit and standardize years of inconsistent processes. The system also enabled faster, more confident decision-making by giving leadership immediate access to data and clear options.

The ROI

The impact of Employment Hero at Macaloney’s is best measured in time, clarity and consistency — freeing up capacity across the business while reducing risk and inefficiency. Tasks that once required manual effort, back-and-forth communication or reliance on a single individual are now streamlined and accessible in one place. New hires can be onboarded quickly, and employees have direct visibility into their own information without needing to chase it down.

“We can hire somebody and have them onboarded within one business day and then put them onto an onboarding track where they see everything: our handbook, our culture, what we’re trying to do.”

The ability to access real-time data has also transformed how the leadership team plans and communicates with employees. At a leadership level, visibility into the business has improved significantly, making it easier to spot issues early and act decisively.

“Being able to say things in a sentence is incredibly important to me and Employment Hero just gives me that data to be able to say it with conviction.”

Why it matters 

For a business operating in a fast-moving, competitive environment, removing operational friction creates space for what actually drives growth: product, people and experience. That time is now being reinvested into higher-value work, from strategy and team development to innovation and community engagement.

“I can have one-on-ones with the team. We can be in the back and play with the whisky. We can work on strategic elements or passion projects.”

Just as importantly, the system has become a trusted hub for employees, providing clarity, consistency and confidence in how the business operates.

“It has to be a source of truth and a hub for the employees. They have to trust that the information they’re getting is accurate and timely.”

With a strong operational foundation now in place, Macaloney’s is positioned to scale without adding unnecessary complexity, ensuring the team can stay focused on delivering exceptional products and experiences.

“That’s something that we’re really excited to start to do with Employment Hero is to actually use it as a space where our team can celebrate each other and to highlight the successes that we’ve had.”