1. Your recruiters refer the contractor
You send the placement details to Sapphire and we take it from there.
Umbrella payroll for recruitment agencies
Protect your business. Look after your contractors.
Your umbrella partner is an extension of your recruitment agency. Sapphire combines compliant PAYE payroll, independently verified auditing and responsive contractor support to protect your supply chain and give your contractors an experience you can confidently put your name behind.
Trusted by 500+ recruitment agencies, with eight consecutive years of FCSA accreditation.
Umbrella payroll built around recruitment agencies and contractors
Accurate, reliable contractor payroll
Contractors are paid accurately and on time, with clear pre-payment communication and itemised payslips so they know what they’re being paid and why.
Independently verified compliance
Eight consecutive years of FCSA accreditation, SafeRec real-time payroll auditing and APSCo Trusted Partner status give your business independent assurance behind our processes.
Direct contractor support
Contractors can contact Sapphire directly by phone, email or WhatsApp, helping resolve payroll queries quickly without pulling your consultants into the middle.
Clear payroll transparency
Through our Payroll Transparency Portal, you have direct access to payroll records, RTI submission evidence and HMRC payment confirmations, giving you a clear audit trail.
Dedicated agency support
You work with people who know your business, contractor population and processes, giving you continuity rather than starting again every time you need support.
Payroll infrastructure built to scale
From your first contractor to an established contractor book, Sapphire has the people, technology and financial infrastructure to support your business as volumes grow.
An award winning partner
Named Best Umbrella Company (Over 3,000 clients) at The Contracting Awards 2025, and shortlisted for Best Contractor Services at The Recruiter Awards.
Valued by contractors
Supporting over 100,000+ contractors and rated Excellent on Trustpilot from over 5,000+ reviews, you can have confidence when recommending Sapphire to your contractors.
Your umbrella partner reflects directly on your business
Contractors expect accurate pay, clear communication and fast answers. Your recruitment agency needs independently verified compliance, transparent processes and confidence that payroll obligations are being met.
Sapphire gives you both.
Protect your business
Verified compliance, real-time payroll auditing, financial stability and transparent payroll processes help you manage supply chain risk.
Support your contractors
Accurate payments, straightforward onboarding and responsive support create a contractor experience that reflects well on your business.
How our umbrella payroll service works
Getting up and running with Sapphire is straightforward. Here’s what to expect.
2. We onboard and employ them
Sapphire manages the employment contract, right-to-work checks and payroll setup directly with the contractor.
3. Assignment information is processed
Timesheet and assignment information flows through the agreed process, with Quartz available to automate more of the workflow.
4. We run PAYE payroll
We calculate umbrella PAYE and statutory deductions and issue the contractor with a clear, itemised payslip.
5. The contractor gets paid and supported
Sapphire manages payment and ongoing payroll queries directly, while keeping your business informed where needed.
An umbrella experience your contractors can trust
Your contractors associate the payroll provider you recommend with your recruitment agency. When they’re paid correctly, kept informed and supported quickly, it strengthens the relationship you’ve built with them. They can access Sapphire directly via phone, email or WhatsApp.
98%Of emails answered the same day
ExcellentTrustpilot rating from 5,000+ reviews*
We've shared more than £1m with our contractors
Sapphire has been employee-owned since 2021. As part of that model, qualifying longstanding umbrella contractors can share directly in our success through our contractor bonus programme.
More than £1m has already been shared with contractors.
It’s another reason for contractors to choose Sapphire, and another reason for agencies to feel confident recommending us.
£1m+
paid directly to contractors since 2021
12+Years supporting recruitment businesses
500+Agencies across the UK
£700m+Annual turnover
10,000+Contractor payments processed each week
100,000+Contractors supported
102+Countries supported
£1m+Paid in contractor bonuses since 2024
20%Year-on-year contractor growth
Top 5UK Umbrella/CIS market share
Sapphire is a trusted, compliance-first partner. Alex is always on hand, respectful of our preferred ways of working and quick to resolve queries and payment issues. As umbrella legislation changes, their audit-ready approach and clear, timely communication give us and our contractors real confidence.
Sophie Anderson, Associate Director, Venn Group
I have worked with Sapphire for a number of years and have consistently found their service and attention to detail in account management to be exceptional. Marcus, in particular, stands out — he resolves any issues quickly and, no matter how busy he is, always takes the time to personally speak with customers and clients. That level of dedication goes a long way. I would highly recommend Sapphire.
Jim Fleming, Director, Buildforce Solutions
I’ve worked with Sapphire for years and brought the relationship over to my own agency. They register temps quickly, keep us updated throughout and make sure they’re paid reliably each week. Any issues are resolved swiftly, allowing me to focus on placing temps with complete confidence. Jake’s guidance was also invaluable when launching my business, and the whole team consistently goes the extra mile. I see Sapphire as an extension of my accounts department and couldn’t recommend them highly enough.
Luke Lysandrou, Director, LLC Recruitment
We’ve worked with Sapphire for over a year and have found them an excellent company to deal with. The Quartz system is easy to use, but what really stands out is their proactive customer support and willingness to listen, adapt and accommodate the specific requirements of our business. Ray, Shauna and the wider team are responsive, practical and genuinely great people to work with. I’d have no hesitation in recommending them.
Steve Gearing, Managing Director, Gearing Recruitment Solutions
Umbrella payroll and compliance insights for recruitment agencies
Stay ahead of the legislation, compliance requirements and contractor trends affecting your business and its payroll supply chain.
Q&A with Paul Bygraves, Sales Director: What the umbrella legislation means for healthcare recruitment
Financial stability: a critical element of compliance
Navigating what’s next: what today’s compliance panel means for agencies and MSPs
How to switch umbrella providers without risking payday
Five questions to ask before switching umbrella
Why Umbrella Payroll Doesn’t Work Everywhere
Key Indicators of Transparency
The PSL checklist: governing umbrella partners under JSL
More than an umbrella partner
Sapphire supports the wider infrastructure behind your recruitment business, so as your needs grow, you don’t have to build another network of disconnected providers.
Global Workforce
EOR, AOR and international workforce solutions to support overseas placements.
Operational Technology
Quartz technology to connect timesheets, Pay & Bill, invoicing and contractor workflows.
Accounting & Intelligence
Recruitment accounting, financial intelligence, benchmarking, tax and advisory support.
Trusted by agencies
Trusted by 500+ recruitment agencies, with eight years of FCSA accreditation and an Excellent Trustpilot rating from 5,000+ reviews.
Accreditations
Frequently asked questions
What is an umbrella company and how does it work?
An umbrella company employs contractors on behalf of recruitment agencies, handling all PAYE tax, National Insurance contributions, payroll processing and employment administration. The recruitment agency places the contractor with the end client, the end client pays the agency, the agency pays the umbrella, and the umbrella pays the contractor as an employee.
This removes the burden of directly employing temporary workers on you, while giving contractors full employment status, statutory rights and compliant pay.
How does an umbrella company work with a recruitment agency?
The recruitment agency and umbrella company operate as connected parts of the same supply chain. Once a contractor is placed, the umbrella company takes on the employment relationship: managing contracts, processing timesheets, calculating deductions and paying the contractor accurately and on time.
Sapphire works directly with over 500 recruitment agencies across the UK, integrating into their existing processes through our Quartz tool where required, which combines timesheets, umbrella services and payroll in one connected system. That means less manual work for your team and a faster, cleaner experience for your contractors.
What should recruiters look for in an umbrella company?
Look for independently verified compliance credentials, reliable payroll processes and responsive support. Sapphire’s Contractor Census often finds that trusted accreditations, responsive support and reliable contractor payments rank as some of the most important factors to contractors.
Sapphire holds eight consecutive years of FCSA accreditation and SafeRec real-time auditing accreditation, and is an APSCo Trusted Partner. Its Excellent Trustpilot rating from more than 5,000 verified reviews reflects consistent delivery against all three.
How can recruitment agencies check whether an umbrella company is compliant?
Start with accreditation. FCSA membership and SafeRec accreditation are the two most widely required credentials among recruitment agencies managing a PSL, according to Sapphire’s 2025 Contractor Census.
Beyond accreditation, look for:
- Real-time payroll auditing that gives you visibility of what contractors are actually being paid
- A tailored CRM with embedded compliance checks and audit trails
- Clear, itemised payslips that contractors can verify themselves
- Transparency around how the margin is structured and applied
- Financial stability, to sustain compliant delivery at scale and over time
From April 2026, Joint and Several Liability legislation means recruitment agencies can be held directly liable for unpaid PAYE and NICs if an umbrella partner fails to operate compliantly. Choosing a provider with independently verified processes isn’t optional, it’s a direct commercial protection.
How are contractors onboarded when they join an umbrella through Sapphire?
Onboarding is handled directly by Sapphire, with minimal administrative burden on your business. Once a contractor is referred, Sapphire manages the full process: employment contracts, right-to-work checks, payroll setup and pre-payment communications.
How are payroll queries handled, and how quickly does Sapphire respond?
Sapphire offers support to contractors via phone, email and WhatsApp, with 96% of emails responded to by close of play.
Agency support, compliance and global support operate as one integrated team, which means contractors aren’t passed between departments and queries are resolved faster. For your business, that means fewer escalations landing on your desk and contractors who stay informed and supported throughout their assignment.
Why do recruitment agencies add Sapphire to their PSL?
Because Sapphire combines compliance credibility with contractor experience in a way that protects your business’s reputation on both sides.
Sapphire holds eight consecutive years of FCSA accreditation, SafeRec real-time auditing accreditation and APSCo Trusted Partner status. It’s trusted by more than 500 recruitment agencies, including a significant percentage of the UK’s top 100 recruiters. Its employee-owned model means contractors who’ve worked with Sapphire for over a year receive a share of company profits through EOT bonuses. Over £1m has been distributed in contractor profit-share bonuses since 2024. That’s the kind of retention-driving detail that makes your contractors easier to keep.
