Is Zellis HR and Payroll easy for council staff to access and use?

Absolutely. Colleagues can securely access payslips, benefits and HR policies anytime, anywhere, through a user-friendly, mobile app designed for all council employees.

How quickly can a local authority implement the system?

All customers are unique but we enabled one London borough to be live on our payroll solution in just a few weeks.

Does Zellis help standardise HR processes across councils?

HR processes can be standardised so all employees receive consistant support throughout their time at the organisation.

Does Zellis support central oversight of all teams?

HR teams have access to dashboards providing key insights across the organisation.

Can the platform handle diverse workforce groups?

The Zellis platform easily handles various working groups, department structures and TUPE employees.

Can HR manage complex contract types?

The Zellis platform easily handles various working groups, department structures and TUPE employees.

Is the platform suitable for large, multi-department public sector organisations?

Yes, the Zellis platform is designed for the unique challenges of local government, including multiple roles, pay spines and the Local Government Pension Scheme.

Does the Zellis solution help reduce payroll errors and overpayments for councils?

Yes, real-time payroll processing and AI-enabled anomaly detection help councils spot and resolve errors instantly, reducing the risk of overpayments and costly mistakes.

How does Zellis track safeguarding and compliance checks?

Zellis Background Checking is integrated with Zellis HR and manages the employee compliance checks when new starters join and during their time with the organisation.

What support does Zellis offer for councils during busy periods or restructures?

Zellis provides managed services and expert assistance to ensure payroll continuity and HR resilience, stepping in whenever extra capacity or cover is needed.

Does Zellis support unionised public sector pay structures?

Zellis handles various pay spines and other pay structures, including agreements reached with various unions.

Does Zellis integrate with existing council finance and service systems?

Zellis seamlessly connects with leading finance and service-management platforms, providing an accurate view of your workforce and simplifying data management.

Local Government

Helping people across local government do their best work

Councils are under pressure from rising demand, workforce shortages and budget constraints. Zellis redesigns how work gets done by reducing administrative burden and applying AI to practical workforce challenges, giving time back to focus on the outcomes that matter most for communities.

Book a demo

Trusted by leading local authorities

Why local authorities trust Zellis

Real work happens where citizens rely on services every day: in social care visits, waste collection rounds, housing repairs, planning inspections, schools, libraries, highways maintenance and customer service centres. Councils up and down the country trust Zellis to reinvent worklife so stretched teams can deliver better outcomes despite rising demand, workforce shortages and financial pressure.

Real-time budget visibility

Instantly monitor workforce costs, spot pay anomalies and identify compliance risks before they disrupt services or finances, supported by applied AI.

Payroll for accuracy and control

Instantly process pay to reduce anomalies, queries and the risk of overpayments – giving payroll teams more capacity to support employees and drive strategic priorities.

Financial wellbeing and retention built in

Support your employees with integrated earned wage access, recognition programmes and wellbeing resources, helping colleagues feel valued, financially confident and better able to focus on the work they do every day.

Automation that saves time and reduces risk

Free HR, Payroll and Finance teams from repetitive admin and manual checks, enabling them to focus on strategic priorities instead of spreadsheets.

The Zellis difference for local government

For more than 60 years, Zellis has partnered with the UK and Ireland’s most forward-thinking local authorities, helping them stay compliant, efficient and ready to redesign how real work gets done.

Confidence through compliance
Zellis solutions keeps councils audit-ready with automated checks for National Minimum Wage, pensions, right-to-work and all contract types – supporting compliance across permanent, casual, agency and sessional staff.
Built-in financial control
Real-time anomaly detection, supported by applied AI, instantly flags budget leaks, duplicate payments and payroll errors before month-end, helping organisations resolve issues faster and focus resources where they can make the greatest impact.
Seamless integration with your ecosystem
Zellis connects with finance and service-management systems, providing an accurate view of your workforce – no matter how many contracts or departments you manage.
Accessible for everyone
From HR and payroll administrators to frontline teams, all colleagues can securely access payslips, benefits and policies through a mobile-friendly app, making HR and payroll information available anytime, anywhere.

Navigating the Local Government Worklife Squeeze

From housing to highways, every public service depends on dedicated people, whether they’re supporting vulnerable residents, maintaining local infrastructure or delivering frontline services. Every employee depends on accurate, timely pay and the tools they need to do their jobs effectively.

Yet, councils face mounting pressures: tight budgets, outdated systems and a patchwork of employment contracts. Even minor inefficiencies can quickly escalate, impacting both service delivery and employee morale.

Zellis empowers local authorities to overcome these challenges and take control.

Book a demo

Download the Local Authority brochure

Today’s local authorities must balance tight budgets, growing demand and detailed regulatory oversight while keeping vital services running. This creates significant challenges for HR and payroll teams who need to provide an excellent employee experience while enabling accuracy, compliance and workforce visibility across thousands of employees.

Legacy systems were never built for this level of complexity. That is why councils everywhere are turning to modern HR and pay solutions that provide clarity, control and confidence across every part of their organisation.

Download the brochure

Expert Services That Deliver for Councils

Supporting local government to simplify complexity, build resilience and create more capacity for the work that matters.

Find out more about our services

Managed HR and payroll services

Outsource complex HR and payroll tasks to Zellis experts for accurate, compliant processing, freeing teams to focus on service delivery.

Hands-on

Expect close collaboration, proactive guidance, and ongoing support.

Payroll resilience and assistance

Ensure payroll continuity during busy periods, restructures, or employee shortages, with Zellis specialists providing seamless support whenever needed.

Trust

Rely on dedicated experts who safeguard your most critical operations.

Don’t just take our word for it

London Borough of Harrow

We've seen a 50% reduction in payroll processing time, reducing the pressure on us as a team. That’s a very noticeable benefit that we’re seeing already.

London Borough of Hillingdon

Our error rate on our payroll is now 0.01%. Every payroll manager who has come to us since has praised that, and we're proud of it.

St Helens Metropolitan Borough Council

We‘re looking forward to intelligent payslips so that our employees have the knowledge and the ability to better understand their payslips. We can use these to better support our employees across the council.

Zellis in numbers

200+

public sector customers across the UK and Ireland.

1m+

public sector employees paid through our solutions.

30%

of London boroughs use Zellis

60+

colleges and universities.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is Zellis HR and Payroll easy for council staff to access and use?
Absolutely. Colleagues can securely access payslips, benefits and HR policies anytime, anywhere, through a user-friendly, mobile app designed for all council employees.
How quickly can a local authority implement the system?
All customers are unique but we enabled one London borough to be live on our payroll solution in just a few weeks.
Does Zellis help standardise HR processes across councils?
HR processes can be standardised so all employees receive consistant support throughout their time at the organisation.
Does Zellis support central oversight of all teams?
HR teams have access to dashboards providing key insights across the organisation.
Can the platform handle diverse workforce groups?
The Zellis platform easily handles various working groups, department structures and TUPE employees.
Can HR manage complex contract types?
The Zellis platform easily handles various working groups, department structures and TUPE employees.
Is the platform suitable for large, multi-department public sector organisations?
Yes, the Zellis platform is designed for the unique challenges of local government, including multiple roles, pay spines and the Local Government Pension Scheme.
Does the Zellis solution help reduce payroll errors and overpayments for councils?
Yes, real-time payroll processing and AI-enabled anomaly detection help councils spot and resolve errors instantly, reducing the risk of overpayments and costly mistakes.
How does Zellis track safeguarding and compliance checks?
Zellis Background Checking is integrated with Zellis HR and manages the employee compliance checks when new starters join and during their time with the organisation.
What support does Zellis offer for councils during busy periods or restructures?
Zellis provides managed services and expert assistance to ensure payroll continuity and HR resilience, stepping in whenever extra capacity or cover is needed.
Does Zellis support unionised public sector pay structures?
Zellis handles various pay spines and other pay structures, including agreements reached with various unions.
Does Zellis integrate with existing council finance and service systems?
Zellis seamlessly connects with leading finance and service-management platforms, providing an accurate view of your workforce and simplifying data management.

Ready to unlimit what’s next for your council?

Discover how Zellis HR and Pay solutions empowers local authorities to work smarter, not harder, giving every team the confidence to focus on what matters most: their citizens.

Book a demo