No experience needed: JD Security’s 30-minute payroll win with Employment Hero’s Free Payroll
< 30 minutes
weekly payroll processing time
£1,500+
Saved annually from reduced payroll admin costs
Zero
prior payroll experience required
Company
JD Security
Industry
Business Services
Employees
40
Location
UK
Favourite Features
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.
JD Security chose Employment Hero to take control of their payroll, save time and cut unnecessary costs. With no prior payroll experience, Employment Hero’s Free Payroll provided David with an easy-to-use system that ensures he stays compliant, all whilst saving him money. Now, David runs payroll with full confidence, in under 30 minutes a week.
Yes! Employment Hero’s Free Payroll software provides small businesses with a full-featured payroll solution at no cost, including automated RTI submissions, pension syncing, payslip generation and compliance checks. It’s designed to save time and reduce administrative overhead without any hidden fees.
Integration is fast and straightforward. Most small businesses can set up and run their first payroll within a few hours, with clear prompts, error-checking and support from the Employment Hero team. Even business owners with no prior payroll experience can get started quickly and confidently.
Employment Hero Free Payroll is perfect for SMEs, startups and small teams across all industries. It works for businesses with fixed or fluctuating teams, offering flexibility to manage payroll anywhere, anytime, while keeping costs down.
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Frequently Asked Questions
SMD needed a smarter way to manage weekly payroll, track timesheets and stay compliant without relying on clunky workarounds or costly outsourcing. With site operatives spread across locations and multiple pay types to manage, the finance and HR teams needed more visibility, control and flexibility. Employment Hero offered a single, integrated platform that could connect their internal systems, automate payroll and reduce risk, saving them time, money and manual effort every week.
While SMD operates in construction, their challenges, like manual timesheet tracking, complex payroll and compliance risk, are common across industries with field-based teams. Employment Hero helped them connect existing systems, automate weekly payroll and stay compliant with evolving regulations, including minimum wage changes. For construction businesses juggling site staff, shifting rosters and multiple pay types, the platform offers real control, visibility and flexibility. All without the admin overload.
For SMD, the return on investment came in both time and control. By automating weekly payroll and integrating timesheet data via API, they reduced a 4–8 hour process to under two hour, saving up to 65% of their time. Financially, they saved £5,000 a year by bringing payroll in-house and eliminating third-party costs. Plus, with clearer processes and built-in compliance tools, they’ve reduced risk and improved accuracy across every pay run.
SMD’s Financial and Technical Director described Employment Hero as “a relief” when it came to staying compliant. With automatic updates for statutory changes, like minimum wage increases, and built-in audit trails, the platform ensures every pay run meets HMRC standards. Features like attachment of earnings, backdated pay and benefit reporting are handled with ease, reducing risk and giving the finance team confidence that nothing will fall through the cracks.
Yes. SMD has around 50 staff split across office and site teams and Employment Hero has helped them streamline both. For their Financial and Technical Director, the platform delivered serious ROI at this size, saving time on weekly pay runs, improving payroll accuracy and bringing outsourced processes in-house. With features like timesheet integration, compliance alerts and mobile self-service, it’s ideal for businesses balancing operational complexity with lean teams.
