Duty first, cost second

Must you enrol them — and what does it cost?

Auto-enrolment has three worker categories and only one of them is automatic. Get the category, then the contributions on qualifying earnings, then what salary sacrifice would save you. 2026/27 thresholds throughout.

The worker

Gross pay this period

Before any deductions.

Pay frequency

Thresholds are pro-rated to the period.

Age

22 to State Pension age is the automatic band.

Employer contribution

Statutory minimum 3%. Raise it to model a better scheme.

Employee contribution

Statutory minimum 5%. Total must reach 8%.

One free assessment per company. Company number and a work email, and the worker is assessed on the same engine we use in payroll — category, duty and what salary sacrifice would save you.

The working LIVE

Assessment is every period, not once.

A worker who was entitled last month becomes eligible the month they get overtime. The duty is to assess every single pay run, enrol within the joining window, handle opt-outs inside a month, and re-enrol everyone every three years. That is a calendar, not a calculation.

Run it yourself → We Switch Payroll Have someone run it → We Switch Payroll

Free either way: the calculators stay free and stay in your browser.

The other calculators

Take-home payTax, NI and student loan on a wage Employer costWhat a hire really costs you Holiday pay12.07%, 5.6 weeks, or the 52-week average Minimum wageAre you actually compliant? Statutory paySSP, SMP, SPP and the rest CIS deductions20%, 30% or gross

The bit that catches people out. Contributions are not charged on all pay — only on qualifying earnings, the slice between £6,240 and £50,270. A worker on £7,000 has £760 of qualifying earnings, so 8% of that is £60.80 a year, not £560. Calculators that apply 8% to gross pay overstate the cost of a scheme substantially. This tool computes; it does not advise, and it does not recommend a provider — scheme selection is a decision for you, with TPR guidance.