How to Switch from BrightHR: Migration Guide for UK Businesses (2026)

BrightHR is one of the most recognisable HR software brands in the UK, but recognisable doesn't always mean right. If you're reading this, you've probably already decided that BrightHR isn't working for your business — and you're looking for a way out. This guide walks you through the entire process: why businesses are leaving, what to check before you switch, and a step-by-step migration plan that gets you live on a new platform in a single afternoon.

Why businesses are switching from BrightHR

We speak to businesses every week who are looking for a BrightHR alternative. The reasons fall into a few consistent patterns:

1. Cost creep

BrightHR's pricing has increased significantly over the past few years. What started as a reasonable per-user cost has grown — especially once you factor in add-ons. Features like document storage, e-signatures, and shift scheduling are often locked behind higher tiers or sold as extras. For a 20-person business, the bill can easily reach £300–400/month when you add up the modules you actually need.

2. Features locked behind tiers

BrightHR uses a tiered pricing model where core features are gatekept. Need Bradford Factor tracking? That's a higher plan. Want to send documents for e-signature? Upgrade again. Many businesses sign up for the base plan, only to discover that the features they assumed were included require a more expensive subscription.

3. Slow or unhelpful support

A recurring complaint from BrightHR customers is the difficulty of getting timely support. Phone queues, chatbot runarounds, and delayed email responses are common frustrations — especially when you're dealing with something time-sensitive like a payroll deadline or a compliance question.

4. Clunky interface

While BrightHR has improved its UI over the years, many users still find it cluttered and unintuitive. Common tasks like approving leave, running reports, or finding an employee's remaining balance take more clicks than they should. For a tool that's supposed to save time, a clunky interface defeats the purpose.

5. Contract lock-in

Some BrightHR plans come with annual contracts that auto-renew. If you miss the cancellation window, you're locked in for another 12 months. This is a particularly sore point for small businesses that need flexibility.

What to consider before switching

Before you cancel anything, take a step back and plan. A smooth switch comes down to three things:

Data export

Your employee records, leave balances, absence history, and documents all live inside BrightHR. You need to get that data out before you leave. BrightHR allows you to export employee data as CSV files from the admin panel. Do this first — and save multiple copies.

Key data to export:

• Employee directory — names, email addresses, start dates, job titles, departments
• Leave balances — current remaining allowance per employee, per leave type
• Absence history — sickness records and Bradford Factor scores (if you use them)
• Documents — download any contracts, policies, or signed documents stored in BrightHR

Contract terms

Check your BrightHR contract for:

• Notice period — most plans require 30 days' written notice before renewal
• Renewal date — if you're on an annual plan, note when it renews so you don't get charged for another year
• Cancellation method — some plans require cancellation by email or phone, not just clicking a button

Employee communication

Give your team advance notice. Nobody likes logging in on Monday to find a completely different system with no warning. A simple email or team message works: "We're switching our leave management system next week. Here's your login link. It takes 2 minutes to get set up."

Step-by-step migration guide

Here's how to switch from BrightHR to Leavely in seven steps. The whole process takes 1–2 hours for most businesses.

Step 1: Export your data from BrightHR

Log into BrightHR as an admin. Navigate to the employee list and export all employee data as a CSV file. Then go to the leave section and export current leave balances. If you use document storage, download all files. Save everything to a folder on your computer — you'll need it in step 3.

Step 2: Set up your Leavely account

Go to leavely.online/register and create your account. The 14-day free trial starts immediately — no credit card required. Enter your company name, pick a URL slug, and you're in. Setup takes under 2 minutes.

Step 3: Import employees

Add your employees to Leavely. For small teams (under 20), you can add them manually — it takes about 30 seconds per person. Enter their name, email, start date, department, and role. For larger teams, contact our support team and we'll help you with a bulk CSV import.

Step 4: Configure leave policies & public holidays

Leavely comes with UK bank holidays pre-loaded for England & Wales, Scotland, and Northern Ireland — just pick your region. Then set up your leave policies: annual leave allowance, sick leave, TOIL, compassionate leave, and any custom types your business uses. Set the current year's starting balances to match what employees have remaining in BrightHR.

Step 5: Set up rotas & shifts

If you use BrightHR's rota feature, recreate your shift patterns in Leavely. Define your shift types, assign employees, and set the schedule. Leavely's rota view shows the whole team at a glance, making it easy to spot coverage gaps.

Step 6: Train your team (takes 5 minutes)

Send invite emails to your employees. When they log in, they'll see their leave balance, team calendar, and a button to request time off. There's no training manual needed — the interface is self-explanatory. Most teams are fully up and running within 5 minutes of receiving their invite.

Step 7: Cancel BrightHR

Once you're confident everything is working in Leavely (we recommend running both systems for a week as a safety net), cancel your BrightHR subscription. Send written notice according to your contract terms. Keep your exported data backups for at least 6 months.

Feature comparison: BrightHR vs Leavely

Here's what you get with each platform. Everything listed under Leavely is included at £8/user/month — no tiers, no add-ons, no surprises.

Cost savings: real examples

Let's look at what switching from BrightHR to Leavely actually saves. These examples assume you need leave management, Bradford Factor, document storage, and absence reporting — features BrightHR charges extra for.

10 employees

25 employees

50 employees

Your switching checklist

Use this checklist to make sure you don't miss anything. Print it out or save it — tick off each item as you go.

Frequently asked questions

Can I export my data from BrightHR?

Yes. BrightHR allows admins to export employee data, leave records, and absence history as CSV files. Log into the admin panel, go to the relevant section, and use the export/download option. We recommend exporting everything before you cancel — once your account is closed, you may lose access to historical data.

How long does migration take?

For most businesses with 10–50 employees, the entire migration takes 1–2 hours. The bulk of the time is spent adding employees and configuring leave policies. If you have a large team (50+), allow half a day and contact our support team for help with bulk import.

Do I lose my employee records?

Not if you export them first. BrightHR lets you download employee data as CSV, and any documents you've uploaded can be downloaded individually. Once you've imported your team into Leavely, all records are stored securely in your new account. We recommend keeping your BrightHR exports as a backup for at least 6 months.

What about leave requests that are already approved?

When you set up Leavely, you enter each employee's current remaining balance. This automatically accounts for any leave already taken or approved. For future-dated approved requests, simply re-enter them in Leavely — it takes a few seconds each.

Can I switch mid-year?

Absolutely. You can switch at any point in the leave year. Just make sure you export accurate current balances from BrightHR and enter them as starting balances in Leavely. The system will track everything from that point forward.

Is Leavely really £8/user/month for everything?

Yes. One plan, one price. Leave management, absence tracking, Bradford Factor, document storage, onboarding checklists, team calendar, reporting, and audit trail — all included. No tiers, no add-ons, no hidden fees. See our pricing page for full details.

What if I'm still in a BrightHR contract?

You can set up Leavely and run it alongside BrightHR during your remaining contract period. This gives you time to test everything and train your team before you fully switch. Since Leavely's free trial is 14 days and there's no annual lock-in, you can start whenever you're ready.