From Zero HR to Fully
Compliant in Weeks
How a 30-year-old wholesale business in Bolton went from no HR function to full ERA 2025 compliance, before the deadline hit.
Bolton, North West
ERA 2025 Compliant
Wholesale Distribution
30 EmployeesThe Situation
A 30-year-old wholesale distribution business in Bolton with 30 staff. No HR function. No employment contracts worth the paper they were printed on. No employee handbook. No policies.
The owners had been running things the way they always had, until they realised the Employment Rights Act 2025 was about to change everything. April 2026 was weeks away and they weren't ready.
To make matters worse, they'd discovered an employee was misusing expenses. But with nothing documented, no expenses policy, no clear boundaries, they had no grounds to act.
What DaisyHR Did
We started with an HR health check, a full audit of what existed (very little) and what was missing (almost everything). Then we got to work:
Updated all 30 employment contracts to be ERA 2025 compliant
Built a complete policy suite from scratch: disciplinary, grievance, absence, expenses, the lot
Set up Breathe HR so they had a proper system to manage it all
Issued a staff communication explaining the legislative changes and what they meant
Created an expenses policy with clear boundaries, solving the immediate problem and preventing future ones
The Outcome
Fully Protected
The business went from zero HR infrastructure to fully compliant and protected, before the April 2026 deadline.
Peace of Mind
The owners aren't worrying about employment law anymore. They're not lying awake wondering if they're exposed.
Expenses Sorted
The expenses problem? Sorted. Clear policy in place, boundaries set, no ambiguity.
Back to Business
They can focus on running the business instead of firefighting HR issues they don't understand.
What the Client Said
"We'd been running for 30 years without any of this. Sam made the whole process painless. She understood what we needed and just got on with it. We're now fully compliant and actually feel confident about where we stand."
Services Used
This project combined several of our core services to deliver a complete HR transformation.
Is Your Business in a Similar Situation?
If you've got outdated contracts, no policies, or you're not sure whether you're compliant with the Employment Rights Act 2025, we can help. Book a free HR health check and find out where you stand.
Bolton, Manchester & Lancashire · Last reviewed: April 2026