No experience needed: JD Security’s 30-minute payroll win with Employment Hero’s Free Payroll

About the business

JD Security provides professional event and venue security across the UK. With fluctuating staff numbers and a fast-paced operating environment, founder David needed a payroll solution that was simple, flexible and capable of supporting a growing small business. Having never run payroll before, he turned to Employment Hero’s Free Payroll software to take control.

The challenge

After receiving a notice from HMRC recommending the use of recognised payroll software for subcontractor tax compliance, David began exploring new payroll options. As a first-time business owner with no prior payroll experience, he found his existing setup costly and inflexible, especially for a workforce of ad hoc and short-term staff. Paying monthly fees for inactive workers simply didn’t add up.

Key challenges included:

• Paying for inactive staff on third-party payroll systems.
• No internal payroll experience.
• Complex invoicing and manual tracking.
• Poor visibility and slow processing times.

‘We were paying £30–£35 a month plus £5 per person, even if they didn’t work. It just didn’t make sense. We needed something more flexible.”

The solution

David discovered Employment Hero’s Free Payroll software online and within a day, was up and running with his first in-house pay run. Despite never running payroll before, David found the platform intuitive and straightforward. The guided setup tools helped answer key questions and with HMRC integration, everything synced quickly.

“I’ve never processed payroll before but with Employment Hero, I managed to run it smoothly. It’s an easy software to use so it takes up much less time and it’s saved us lots of money as well.”

JD Security works with a rotating team of casual and ad hoc workers. Employment Hero allows David to easily add and remove staff, input hours directly from his scheduling software and run weekly pay runs on his own schedule.

“Employment Hero’s Free Payroll software is really efficient for what we do. Ad hoc shifts, rotating people, one-off work… it just fits our model.”

Payslips are sent automatically and integration with HMRC ensures tax codes and employer allowance settings stay up to date.

“I linked it to our HMRC portal so that we get P6 notifications and everything updates automatically. It’s reassuring to know it’s all logged correctly.”

The ROI

• Payroll run time reduced from hours to under 30 minutes.
• Over £1,500 saved annually from reduced admin costs.
• Simplified data entry using existing scheduling software.
• Zero experience required and full payroll confidence from day one.
• Flexibility for ad hoc, part-time and temp team structures.

“It’s a system you’d expect to pay for. That it’s free? Honestly, it was refreshing. I’d recommend it 100% to any new business.”

Why it matters

Employment Hero’s Free Payroll software gave JD Security the tools to run payroll in-house, without specialist knowledge or budget strain. It’s enabled David to ensure compliance, build internal capability and save both time and money in the process.

“For someone like me with no payroll background, it’s been fantastic. I can complete a pay run in under 30 minutes. It just works and it fits our business perfectly.”

Ditch the fees, not the features, with Employment Hero’s Free Payroll software

Employment Hero’s Free Payroll Software is a powerful, no-cost solution designed to help UK small businesses manage payroll with confidence and ease. Fully HMRC-compliant, the platform automates pay runs, generates BACS files, submits RTI, manages pensions via PensionSync and provides employee self-service through the EH Work app—all at zero cost. With built-in compliance checks, automated payslips and insightful reporting tools, businesses can streamline their payroll processes while remaining accurate and up to date. It’s the perfect starting point for SMEs looking to simplify payroll without compromising on functionality.