Breathe (also known as Breathe HR/BreatheHR) is a UK HR platform, founded in 2012, for small and medium-sized businesses. It brings people records, leave, documents, performance, reporting and compliance into one place, replacing scattered spreadsheets and disconnected tools.
What's included
Core HR: secure central employee records and documents, holiday and leave requests, sickness and absence tracking, self-service, e-signatures, performance management (goals, feedback, one-to-ones, reviews), reporting and analytics.
Optional modules:
- e-Learning: training management, UK-specific courses, completion tracking
- Health and Safety: risk assessments, incident reports, certifications, compliance evidence
- Recruitment: hiring workflows, job ads, candidate tracking - Expenses: claims, receipts, manager approval, spend tracking
- Rota, Time and Attendance: shifts, availability, hours, attendance
In development: an AI Assistant answering HR and policy questions from company information. Payroll planned for late 2026.
Problems solved
- Scattered data → one accurate central record
- Chasing approvals → self-service, e-signatures, shared workflows
- Lean HR teams → start with Core HR, add modules as needs grow
Result: less duplicate entry and chasing, clearer visibility, more manager and employee involvement.
Who it's for
Best fit: UK SMEs with up to 200 employees moving HR off spreadsheets, e.g. start-ups, charities, healthcare, retail, education and professional services, especially with lean or shared HR roles.
Evaluate carefully: 200+ employees, or needs for multinational payroll, complex global compliance, extensive custom workflows or enterprise workforce planning. Not a global enterprise HCM suite.
Why Breathe
- 17,000+ businesses; 1,000+ UK HR consultancies
- From £24/month per organisation, no long-term contracts or hidden fees
- Free 14-day trial, no obligation
- UK-based support from setup onwards
- ISO 27001 and ISO 42001 accredited; GDPR-conscious; UK data centres, encryption, access controls
Bottom line: a flexible, self-service way for UK SMEs to organise HR and cut admin, with room to grow into recruitment, learning, safety, expenses, rotas and payroll (late 2026).
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