How long is an HR software contract?
Often longer than people expect. Where a long fixed term applies, HR platforms are commonly sold on 24, 36 or 60-month terms, with written notice required to stop the agreement renewing into another full term. Here’s what those terms mean, what to check in yours, and how Leavely’s 12-month term, billed monthly, compares.
24 / 36 / 60 months
The fixed-term lengths most commonly offered. 36 months is often the default presented at the point of sale.
Written notice
Fixed-term agreements typically require notice in writing, three to six months before the end of the current term, to stop the agreement continuing.
Automatic renewal
Where a renewal clause applies, missing the notice window can mean the agreement continues for the same period again, another full term.
Renewal uplift
Many agreements allow the fee to be reviewed at the end of the initial term and each renewal period. Check whether yours caps the increase.
General guidance describing patterns common across the UK HR software market, not a statement about any particular supplier. Individual contracts differ considerably, so always check your own agreement.
Why the notice window matters
On a 36-month term with a six-month notice requirement, your real decision point arrives six months before the term ends, two and a half years into a three-year contract. Miss it, and an agreement with a renewal clause continues automatically for the same period again, often at a reviewed price.
Leaving mid-term is usually worse, because many fixed-term agreements attach a charge to early exit. The cheapest way out of any of them is simply to not miss the window.
So before you sign, check five things: the term length, how you are billed (monthly or up front), the notice period, what happens at renewal including any price review, and how you get your data out.
Leavely’s contract length
A 12-month term, billed monthly at £8 per user. No multi-year terms, no big upfront annual payment, no setup fee and no minimum seats. You can export your data any time, and you can try it free first with no card needed, so you know it fits before you commit.
The 12-month term applies to new customers who sign up from 23 September 2026. Existing customers keep their current terms.
HR software contract FAQs
How long is a typical HR software contract?
It varies by supplier and by how you buy. Some products are sold with no fixed term, some on a 12-month term, and some on multi-year terms. Where a longer fixed term applies, 24, 36 or 60 months are the lengths most commonly offered across the UK market, with 36 months often presented as the standard option.
What notice period do HR software contracts require?
Fixed-term agreements commonly require written notice three to six months before the end of the term, from either party, expiring at the end of the current period rather than whenever it is sent. Your own agreement is the authority on this.
Do HR software contracts renew automatically?
Many fixed-term agreements do. Where an automatic renewal clause applies, the contract typically continues for the same period again unless notice is given in time, so a 36-month term can renew into another 36 months. Look for the words "shall continue" or "shall automatically renew" in your termination clause.
Can the price go up at renewal?
Often, yes. Fixed-term agreements frequently include a clause allowing the fee to be reviewed or increased for the following contract period. Check whether yours caps the increase, and whether the cap is a fixed percentage or linked to an index.
What contract length does Leavely use?
New customers sign up to a 12-month minimum term, billed monthly at £8 per user. There are no multi-year terms, no big upfront annual payment and no setup fee, and you can export your data any time. The 12-month term applies to new customers who sign up from 23 September 2026. Existing customers keep their current terms.
What happens if I cancel an HR software contract early?
That depends on your termination clause. Early-exit terms vary a great deal between suppliers and between contracts with the same supplier, and many attach a charge for the remaining commitment. Read the clause and take your own advice if the sums are significant.
Short, clear terms from day one
£8 per user per month on a 12-month term, billed monthly. No setup fee, and you can try it free first with no card needed.