Unleashing the power of the Employment Operating System with Purple Dragon

About the business 

For a business built around child wellbeing and exploration, safety and compliance are critical. At Purple Dragon, a family-friendly members’ club with 50 staff across a variety of roles, delivering great experiences means having the right people, systems and safeguards in place.

The challenge

At Purple Dragon, HR Manager Hannah Weaver-Lyon was doing it all. She recruited and onboarded all new employees, created and updated all policies, and ensured a vibrant culture. But with manual processes and an underpowered HR system, her role felt like a never-ending treadmill of paperwork and admin.

Key challenges include:

• Lack of visibility over expired certifications and compliance documentation.
• Slow, manual new starter onboarding.
• Inaccurate employee records due to fragmented data.
• Difficulty tracking timekeeping and staff movements.
• A manual, time-consuming process for verifying candidates’ credentials and right to work status.

The solution:

 A streamlined Employment Operating System 

After just a few months of using Employment Hero’s Employment Operating System, Purple Dragon saw a transformative shift. The platform’s Core HR tools replaced manual processes with automation, helping the team get ahead of compliance gaps.

“I no longer worry about right-to-work checks. The platform flags when they need reviewing and there’s no chasing for paperwork. Manager access is also incredibly helpful and allows them to self-serve.”

Staying ahead of changing legislation 

With the Employment Rights Bill and other legislative shifts on the horizon, Hannah uses the system to stay proactive.

“I’ve focused very much on the new introductions of the new laws coming in. Right now, I’m reviewing all of our records for upcoming changes, like neonatal care, and using the system to help ensure compliant policies are implemented properly.”

Running background checks with confidence

For a childcare business, verifying the credentials and right to work status of every new hire isn’t optional, it’s essential. Hannah now runs background checks directly through Employment Hero, powered by Zinc, replacing what was previously a manual and time-consuming process.

“Running background checks through Employment Hero is super easy. It’s one click in the system, which saves time and there is no excuse not to check people’s credentials.” 

Once initiated, new starters receive a guided email from Zinc walking them through the steps to upload their details. Right to Work check results come back almost straight away, with everything stored directly on the employee’s profile in Employment Hero.

The ROI

Employment Hero has given Hannah back the time and clarity she needs to focus on supporting Purple Dragon’s culture, compliance and growth.

• 75% reduction in time spent on reporting, document tracking and compliance.
• Two days saved on onboarding alone within just a few months.
• Real-time visibility over HR data and compliance checks.
• Zero duplication with everything managed in one centralised place.
• Background checks automated, with candidate credentials verified via Zinc.

Why it matters 

Hannah now has the breathing room to lead HR with confidence. By automating the mundane, she can focus on the high-stakes legislative changes that keep the business safe and successful.