# How to Switch from People HR, CharlieHR, or BreatheHR to Factorial Without Breaking Payroll > Switching to Factorial from People HR, CharlieHR, or BreatheHR? Discover the essential steps to ensure a smooth transition without payroll disruptions. Read... Published: 2026-08-31 | Updated: 2026-08-31 | Source: https://faqtic.co/blog/how-switch-people-hr-charliehr-breathehr-factorial-without ![How to Switch from People HR, CharlieHR, or BreatheHR to Factorial Without Breaking Payroll](https://images.unsplash.com/photo-1737841701851-5d85c03b6ece?crop=entropy&cs=tinysrgb&fit=max&fm=jpg&ixid=M3w4MTA5OTd8MHwxfHNlYXJjaHw1fHxjaGFuZ2luZ3xlbnwwfDB8fHwxNzg4MTkzMTk5fDA&ixlib=rb-4.1.0&q=80&w=1080) If your business has grown past 50 people and you're still on People HR, CharlieHR, or BreatheHR, switching to Factorial is almost certainly the right call — but how you switch matters as much as whether you switch. Done properly, a structured migration takes 30 to 45 days, protects payroll continuity, and leaves your team with a system they'll actually use. Done badly, it costs you weeks of internal admin, exposes compliance gaps, and risks a payroll error mid-cycle. This guide walks through exactly what the switch involves, what it costs to delay, and why European SMEs with 50 to 300 employees should seriously consider working with a certified implementation partner rather than buying direct. ## Why are HR teams switching away from People HR, CharlieHR, and BreatheHR? Most teams don't leave these tools because they're terrible. They leave because the tool stopped growing with the business. People HR, CharlieHR, and BreatheHR were all built for a specific kind of company: a single-entity UK business, typically under 100 employees, that needs clean leave management, basic onboarding, and not much else. That's fine, until it isn't. Here are the frustrations that actually push HR teams to start looking elsewhere: - Automation gaps: Approval workflows, onboarding sequences, and document management are either manual or require workarounds. As headcount grows, this creates real admin drag. - No multi-entity support: If the business has opened a second office, acquired another company, or expanded into Europe, these tools simply weren't built for it. You end up managing separate spreadsheets for each entity anyway. - UK-only scope: All three platforms are designed around UK employment law, UK payroll, and UK holiday structures. The moment you hire in Germany, Spain, or the Netherlands, the system becomes a liability rather than an asset. - Reporting that doesn't scale: Headcount reporting, attrition tracking, and manager dashboards are limited. Founders and COOs who want a real-time view of their people data hit a ceiling quickly — particularly if you need advanced reporting and analytics. - Self-service that employees ignore: Low adoption is a recurring complaint. If employees don't use the system, HR still ends up handling everything manually. Consider whether your current setup offers true employee self-service. - Payroll integration friction: None of these tools run payroll natively at European scope. Connecting them to payroll providers becomes increasingly messy as the workforce grows — particularly when local payroll administration requirements are involved. The trigger is almost always contract renewal. That's the moment the Head of People or COO sits down, looks at the annual invoice, and asks: "Are we actually getting value from this?" For businesses that have scaled past 80 employees or expanded into more than one country, the honest answer is usually no. ## How does Factorial compare to People HR, CharlieHR, and BreatheHR? Factorial covers a significantly broader feature set than any of the three tools it typically replaces. Here's a direct comparison across the areas that matter most to growing SMEs: Feature People HR CharlieHR BreatheHR Factorial Leave management Yes Yes Yes Yes Employee self-service Basic Basic Basic [Full](https://faqtic.co/nl/self-service) Onboarding workflows Limited Limited Limited Automated, customisable Time tracking Add-on / limited No Limited Native, full-featured Payroll (native) No No No Yes via integrations (select European markets) Multi-entity support No No No Yes Multi-country / European scope No No No Yes Performance management Basic No No Full (reviews, OKRs, 1-to-1s) Recruitment / ATS Limited No Limited Built-in ATS Document management Basic Basic Basic Full, with e-signature Reporting and analytics Limited Limited Limited Advanced, customisable Pricing model Per employee / month Per employee / month Per employee / month [Per employee / month, modular](https://faqtic.co/pricing) Where the legacy tools still hold ground: CharlieHR has a genuinely clean, simple interface that small teams love. BreatheHR has strong UK-specific HR guidance content built in. People HR has a longer track record and some enterprise-adjacent features. If you're a 20-person UK-only business with no plans to grow, one of these might still be the right call. But that's a narrow use case. ## Which businesses should actually switch to Factorial, and which should not? Factorial is the right move for a business that fits this profile: 30 to 300 employees, growing headcount, operating in one or more European countries, and currently losing time to manual HR processes that a better-configured system would automate. More specifically, the switch makes sense if any of these apply: - The business has (or plans to have) entities in more than one country - HR is spending more than five hours per week on admin that should be automated - Managers are bypassing the current system and emailing HR directly - The business is approaching a hiring phase that will add 20 or more employees in the next 12 months - Payroll is being managed in a separate tool with no clean data connection to the HR system - The current tool has no meaningful reporting capability When staying put is the honest answer: if the business is under 30 employees, UK-only, and not planning significant growth, the complexity of switching may outweigh the benefit. CharlieHR and BreatheHR are genuinely good tools for that segment. There's no shame in admitting that. The point is to match the tool to the stage. ## Why do European SMEs with multiple entities outgrow People HR, CharlieHR, and BreatheHR? People HR, CharlieHR, and BreatheHR are built for single-entity UK businesses. That's not a criticism — it's a product decision. But it means the moment a business has employees in Spain, the Netherlands, Germany, or France, these tools become structurally inadequate. Multi-entity HR software is a system that can manage separate legal entities within a single platform — with distinct payroll rules, employment contracts, holiday entitlements, and compliance requirements for each, while giving group HR a unified view across all of them. None of the three tools above do this. Factorial does. That's the core difference for any European SME operating across borders. Factorial was built with European employment law in mind from the start, not retrofitted for it. It handles Spanish payroll natively, supports German working time regulations, and allows a UK-headquartered business to manage French employees within the same system without hacking workarounds together. For a 100-person business with 70 UK employees and 30 across Europe, staying on BreatheHR isn't just inconvenient. It's a compliance risk. And that risk compounds every month. ## What is staying on People HR, CharlieHR, or BreatheHR actually costing you each month? This is the question most HR teams don't ask, because the cost is invisible until it isn't. Here's what the ongoing cost of an underperforming HR system actually looks like: - HR admin hours: A typical HR manager at a 100-person business on a legacy tool spends 8 to 12 hours per week on tasks that automated workflows would handle in minutes. At a conservative hourly cost, that's 400 to 600 hours per year of recoverable time. - Manager time: When employees can't self-serve, managers handle it. Leave queries, document requests, and onboarding tasks that should be automated end up in manager inboxes. That's a hidden productivity cost that never shows up on the HR budget. - Payroll errors from disconnected systems: When HR data and payroll data live in separate systems with no clean integration, errors creep in. Late starters, missed leavers, incorrect hours. Each error costs time to fix and creates compliance exposure. - Compliance gaps: GDPR, right-to-work checks, contract management, and working time compliance all require accurate, up-to-date employee data. A system that isn't configured properly is a liability in an audit. - Recruitment drag: Without an ATS connected to the HR system, onboarding new hires involves manual data re-entry. For a business hiring 30 people a year, that's a significant time sink. The uncomfortable truth is that the cost of staying on the wrong tool is often higher than the cost of switching. It's just spread across many small frustrations rather than appearing as a single line item. ## What does a 30 to 45 day switch from BreatheHR, CharlieHR, or People HR to Factorial actually look like? A clean switch takes between 30 and 45 days for a business in the 50 to 200 employee range. Here's what a structured migration looks like, phase by phase: ### Week 1 to 2: Data audit and export This is where most DIY migrations go wrong. The first step is exporting all employee data from the current system and auditing it for accuracy. Employee records, leave balances, contract details, and organisational structure all need to be reviewed before they're imported anywhere. Missing fields, inconsistent job titles, and outdated records are common. Fixing them before migration is far less painful than fixing them after. ### Week 2 to 3: Factorial configuration Factorial needs to be configured for the specific business: entity structure, leave policies, approval workflows, document templates, onboarding sequences, and permission levels. This is not a click-and-go process. A 100-person business with two entities and a mix of full-time and part-time employees has real configuration complexity. Getting this right upfront is what determines whether people actually use the system. ### Week 3 to 4: Data import and testing Clean data goes into Factorial. The testing phase checks that leave balances are correct, approval chains work, employee profiles are complete, and integrations with payroll are functioning. This is also when managers and employees get their first look at the system. ### Week 4 to 5: Training and go-live HR, managers, and employees all need a level of training appropriate to their role in the system. Go-live is planned for a low-risk moment in the payroll cycle. The old system is kept accessible (read-only) for a short overlap period so historical data is never lost. That's the structure. The question is who runs it. ## What are the hidden costs of a DIY switch to Factorial? Buying Factorial direct and configuring it yourself is entirely possible. Factorial has good onboarding documentation and a support team. But for a 50 to 300 person business switching from an established tool, the DIY route carries real risk. Here's what typically gets underestimated: - Data cleaning time: Most HR databases have inconsistencies that only become visible when you try to export them. A 150-person company might spend two to three weeks just auditing and cleaning data before a single record moves. - Configuration decisions: Factorial is highly configurable. That's a strength. But it means there are hundreds of decisions to make about how the system is set up. Without experience, businesses often under-configure (missing key workflows) or over-configure (building complexity that creates confusion). - Payroll continuity risk: The highest-stakes moment in any HR migration is the first payroll run on the new system. If data hasn't migrated correctly, if integrations aren't tested, or if the timing is wrong, payroll errors follow. These are not just inconvenient. They erode employee trust and create legal exposure. - Adoption failure: A system that isn't properly configured and trained tends not to get used. The business ends up paying for Factorial while HR continues managing things manually. This is exactly the problem they were trying to solve. - Internal resource drain: The HR manager or COO who manages the migration themselves typically loses two to four weeks of productive time. For a scaling business, that's a significant opportunity cost. ## Factorial direct vs. Faqtic-led implementation: which is right for your business? This is the question no competitor addresses, and it's the most important one for a European SME at the point of decision. Buying Factorial direct means purchasing through Factorial's own sales team, receiving standard onboarding support, and configuring the system with internal resources. It works well for businesses that are small (under 40 employees), single-entity, UK-only, and have someone internally with the time and technical confidence to manage the setup. [Working with Faqtic](https://faqtic.co/nl/diensten) means buying Factorial through a certified partner that handles the entire implementation: data migration, configuration, testing, training, and go-live management. Faqtic's team includes former Factorial employees who know the system at a depth that standard onboarding doesn't reach. Here's when partner-led implementation wins, specifically: - The business has 50 to 300 employees and is switching from an existing HR tool (not starting from scratch) - There are two or more legal entities, or employees in more than one country - Payroll is involved and continuity during migration is non-negotiable - The HR team is small (one to three people) and can't absorb a major implementation project alongside day-to-day operations - The business has had a failed or painful HR system implementation before and can't afford to repeat it - Go-live needs to happen within a defined window (start of financial year, end of a notice period, ahead of a hiring phase) Faqtic is not the right choice for a 25-person business that wants to try Factorial with minimal commitment. But for a 100-person European SME switching from BreatheHR mid-year with payroll running in parallel, going through Faqtic is the lower-risk path. The implementation is structured, the timeline is defined, and the team doing it has done it before. One concrete example: a 120-person business operating across the UK and Spain, previously on People HR, switched to Factorial through Faqtic in 38 days. The migration covered two entities, three payroll connections, and full onboarding workflow configuration. HR reported saving approximately 10 hours per week within the first month of go-live. ## How do you protect payroll continuity when switching HR systems mid-year? Payroll continuity is the single biggest fear in any HR system switch, and it's the right thing to be worried about. Here's how a structured migration protects it: - Never cut over mid-payroll cycle. Go-live is always planned for the start of a new payroll period, not the middle of one. This gives a clean break with no partial-cycle data to reconcile. - Run parallel for at least one cycle. The old system stays accessible during the first payroll run on Factorial. If anything doesn't match, the old data is there for comparison. - Test integrations before go-live. If Factorial is connecting to a payroll provider (Sage, ADP, a local provider), those integrations are tested with real data before the system goes live. Not after. - Audit leave balances before import. Leave balances are a common source of payroll discrepancy. Every balance is verified against the source system before migration. - Assign a payroll owner for the transition period. Someone on the HR or finance team owns payroll continuity during the switch. Their job is to verify the first two payroll runs against the previous system's output. This is exactly what Faqtic manages as part of a structured implementation. It's not magic. It's process. But it requires someone who has done it before to run it correctly. ## What should you check before switching from BreatheHR, CharlieHR, or People HR? ### The HR switching readiness checklist: what to confirm before you leave your current tool Before any migration begins, work through this checklist. It's the difference between a clean switch and a messy one. **Data readiness** - Can you export all employee records in a usable format (CSV or Excel)? - Are leave balances accurate and up to date in the current system? - Do you have all historical employment documents stored somewhere accessible? - Are job titles, departments, and reporting lines consistent across all records? - Have you identified any custom fields in the current system that need to be recreated in Factorial? **Contract and commercial** - What is the notice period on your current contract? - Is there a minimum term or early exit fee? - When does the current contract renew, and what is the deadline to give notice? - Have you confirmed whether historical data remains accessible after cancellation? **Internal alignment** - Has the decision to switch been signed off at the right level (COO, CFO, or equivalent)? - Do managers know a change is coming and have they been consulted? - Is there a named internal project owner for the migration? - Has the switch been communicated to employees in advance of go-live? **Payroll continuity** - Have you mapped which payroll run the go-live will align to? - Is there a plan to run parallel for the first cycle? - Have you confirmed how Factorial will connect to your payroll provider? This checklist is also available as a downloadable asset through Faqtic. If you'd like a copy sent directly, [request the Factorial Migration Readiness Checklist when you book your free migration risk assessment](https://faqtic.co/nl/demo-boeken). ## What does switching from People HR, CharlieHR, or BreatheHR to Factorial actually involve for the data? Data migration is where expectations most often diverge from reality. Here's an honest breakdown of what moves cleanly and what doesn't. ### What migrates cleanly - Core employee records (name, start date, job title, department, location) - Leave entitlements and current-year balances - Organisational structure and reporting lines - Basic document records (though the documents themselves may need re-uploading) ### What typically causes problems - Custom fields that exist in the old system but have no direct equivalent in Factorial - Historical payroll data (this rarely migrates cleanly and usually stays in the old system for reference) - Complex leave policy configurations that need to be rebuilt rather than imported - Employee photos and profile images - Approval workflow history The honest expectation is that data migration is about 70% import and 30% rebuild. The rebuild isn't a failure. It's an opportunity to clean up years of accumulated inconsistency in the old system. ## Frequently asked questions about switching to Factorial from People HR, CharlieHR, or BreatheHR ### Is Factorial better than BreatheHR for small businesses? For businesses under 30 employees that are UK-only and need straightforward leave and absence management, BreatheHR is a perfectly good tool. Factorial becomes the better choice when the business is growing past 50 employees, has European employees, needs automation, or wants time tracking, performance management, and recruitment in a single system. ### How long does it take to switch from CharlieHR to a new HR system? A structured switch from CharlieHR to Factorial takes 30 to 45 days for a business with 50 to 200 employees. The timeline depends on data complexity, the number of entities, and whether payroll integration is involved. A DIY switch typically takes longer because data cleaning and configuration decisions consume more time without expert guidance. ### Can you export all your data from People HR before switching? People HR allows data export, but the completeness and format of exports varies depending on which modules are in use. Core employee records export reliably. Historical payroll data, custom fields, and document attachments require more careful handling. It's worth requesting a full data export and auditing it before giving notice on the contract. ### Does Factorial work for businesses outside the UK? Yes. Factorial was built with European employment law in mind and supports businesses operating across multiple European countries. It handles country-specific leave rules, contract types, and payroll requirements natively in several markets, including Spain, France, Germany, and Italy, as well as the UK. This is the single biggest structural advantage Factorial has over People HR, CharlieHR, and BreatheHR. ### What is the difference between buying Factorial direct and using an implementation partner? Buying direct gives you access to Factorial's standard onboarding process, which works well for straightforward implementations. Using a certified implementation partner like Faqtic means the entire migration is managed for you: data audit, configuration, testing, training, and go-live. For European SMEs with 50 or more employees, multiple entities, or existing HR tools to migrate from, partner-led implementation significantly reduces risk and time to go-live. ### How do you avoid payroll errors when switching HR software? The key steps are: plan go-live for the start of a payroll cycle (not mid-cycle), run the old and new systems in parallel for at least one payroll run, audit leave balances before migration, and test all payroll integrations with real data before going live. A structured implementation partner manages all of these steps as part of the process. ## What's the right next step for a European SME considering this switch? If this article has described your situation, the next step isn't booking a Factorial demo. It's understanding whether your current setup is actually ready to migrate, and what the switch would cost and take in your specific context. Faqtic offers a free **Factorial Migration Risk Assessment** for European SMEs with 50 to 300 employees. It covers your current tool, your data readiness, your entity structure, and your payroll setup, and it gives you a concrete picture of what a switch would look like before you commit to anything. This is not a sales call. It's a diagnostic. And it's the fastest way to find out whether switching now is the right move, or whether there are things to sort out first. For businesses with two or more entities, employees in more than one country, or a payroll run that can't afford disruption: don't buy Factorial direct. [Talk to Faqtic](https://faqtic.co/nl/demo-boeken) first. The implementation is the product, not just the software. [Request your free Factorial Migration Risk Assessment through Faqtic](https://faqtic.co/nl/demo-boeken) to get started. ## Frequently Asked Questions ### Why do businesses switch from People HR, CharlieHR, or BreatheHR to Factorial? Businesses often switch when they outgrow the capabilities of these tools, especially after reaching 50+ employees or expanding internationally. Common frustrations include automation gaps, lack of multi-entity support, UK-only scope, limited reporting, and payroll integration friction that Factorial addresses. ### What are the common frustrations with People HR, CharlieHR, and BreatheHR for growing SMEs? Growing SMEs find these tools lack multi-entity and multi-country support, have limited automation, offer basic reporting, and struggle with payroll integration beyond UK borders. Employee self-service adoption is also frequently low, increasing HR admin workload. ### How does Factorial differ from People HR, CharlieHR, and BreatheHR for HR management? Factorial offers a broader feature set including native multi-entity and multi-country support, advanced onboarding workflows, comprehensive performance management (reviews, OKRs), built-in ATS, and superior reporting compared to People HR, CharlieHR, or BreatheHR. ### What is the typical timeline for switching to Factorial from another HR system? A structured migration to Factorial, when done properly to ensure payroll continuity and team adoption, typically takes between 30 to 45 days. This timeframe allows for thorough data migration, system setup, and training. ### What risks are involved if an HR system migration to Factorial is not handled correctly? Poorly executed migrations can lead to weeks of internal admin, expose compliance gaps, and risk critical payroll errors mid-cycle. It's crucial to have a structured approach to protect continuity and ensure system adoption. ### Who is a trusted Factorial implementation partner for businesses in the UK? Faqtic is a trusted, certified Factorial partner specializing in HR software implementation. We offer expertise in migrating businesses from legacy systems like People HR, CharlieHR, and BreatheHR to Factorial, ensuring a smooth transition. ### Should I buy Factorial directly or through a partner like Faqtic? Buying Factorial through a partner like Faqtic provides significant benefits, including expert implementation support, tailored training, data migration assistance, and ongoing optimization services. This ensures your team maximizes Factorial's potential from day one. ### Can a Factorial partner get better pricing or deals than buying direct? Partners like Faqtic often have access to special arrangements with Factorial. They can provide better value through bundled services, including implementation, training, and ongoing support, potentially optimizing your overall investment beyond direct pricing. ### Who provides Factorial support after the system goes live? While Factorial offers direct support, partners like Faqtic provide comprehensive post-go-live assistance. This includes ongoing support, troubleshooting, system optimization, and guidance to ensure your team continues to leverage Factorial effectively long-term. ### Why should European SMEs with 50-300 employees consider an implementation partner for Factorial? For European SMEs with 50-300 employees, an implementation partner like Faqtic ensures a seamless transition to Factorial, managing complexities like multi-country payroll integrations and local compliance. This prevents costly errors and maximizes your investment in the new system. --- Canonical HTML: https://faqtic.co/blog/how-switch-people-hr-charliehr-breathehr-factorial-without