ArcHR
HR Software for UAE Companies with 10–25 employees.
The 10–25 employee stage is when Excel payroll breaks down and compliance exposure becomes personal for the owner. ArcHR is AED-native HR and payroll for UAE SMEs with 10–25 employees — WPS Salary Information File (SIF) export; End of service gratuity (EOSB) — Federal Decree-Law No. 33 of 2021.
· by ArcHR Compliance Team
Month in the life
On the first working day of the month, the office manager pulls last month's attendance from a shared spreadsheet and emails Finance to confirm who joined or left. Payroll cut-off is the 25th, but overtime from two site supervisors still arrives on WhatsApp the night before. The owner signs off on bank transfers manually, then generates a WPS SIF file from a template that broke when MOHRE updated its format last quarter. One employee's basic salary in the SIF does not match the labour contract — the file is rejected and salaries are delayed by four days. Leave requests live in a group chat; the GM approves without checking balances, and HR discovers a negative balance only at year-end. Visa and labour card renewals are tracked in a colour-coded Excel sheet that nobody updated after the last hire. When MOHRE requests employment records during a routine inspection, the team spends two days reconstructing contracts and payslips from email threads. At 10–25 employees, compliance is still manageable — but only if one person owns every deadline. ArcHR replaces the spreadsheet stack with a single workflow: attendance feeds payroll, payroll generates WPS SIF, and document expiry alerts fire before penalties hit.
Primary pain points
The owner still processes payroll manually — every month is a deadline risk
WPS rejection happened once — the owner fixed it manually and never wants to repeat it
No dedicated HR person — the office manager or GM handles HR alongside everything else
Compliance checklist
- Register all employees on MOHRE with accurate contract type, basic salary, and job title before first WPS cycle
- Transfer salaries through WPS-approved exchange houses and submit matching SIF files every pay period
- Maintain DHA or DoH-compliant health insurance for every employee from day one of employment
- Track annual leave accrual under Federal Decree-Law No. 33 — 30 days after one year, sick leave up to 90 days
- Calculate end-of-service gratuity on basic salary only and accrue monthly for finance visibility
- Retain employment contracts, Emirates ID copies, and payslips for at least two years for MOHRE inspections
Pricing fit
ArcHR is priced per active employee per month — no setup fees or per-branch surcharges. For a 15-person UAE company, the platform typically costs less than one MOHRE fine for a WPS rejection or a single month of outsourced payroll bureau fees. Core WPS payroll, leave management, document expiry tracking, and employee self-service are included from day one. Book a demo for a quote tailored to your headcount; most 10–25 employee SMEs see 40–60% savings versus ZenHR or Bayzat for equivalent compliance coverage.
Frequently asked questions
Do 10–25 employee companies in UAE need HR software?
Any UAE company paying staff through WPS is legally required to generate a compliant SIF file every pay period. At 10–25 employees, manual Excel payroll becomes the primary WPS rejection risk. ArcHR automates SIF generation from the first payroll run.
Can a 15-person UAE company stay compliant without dedicated HR software?
Legally yes, but practically the risk rises quickly. MOHRE requires WPS SIF submission every pay cycle regardless of company size. Manual Excel payroll is the leading cause of WPS rejection at SMEs under 25 employees. One rejected file delays salaries and triggers fines.
What is the minimum HR documentation MOHRE expects from a 20-employee company?
MOHRE expects signed employment contracts, labour cards, Emirates ID copies, WPS salary transfer records, and leave records for every employee. During inspections or labour complaints, employers must produce at least two years of documentation.
Does ArcHR handle WPS SIF generation for companies with only one legal entity?
Yes. ArcHR generates MOHRE-compliant SIF files from your payroll run, validates salary figures against employee records, and flags mismatches before submission. Single-entity SMEs are the most common ArcHR customers at the 10–25 band.
When should a 10–25 employee UAE company move from Excel to HR software?
Move when payroll takes more than half a day per month, you have had a WPS rejection, or leave disputes appear. Most owners switch after their first compliance scare — typically between employee 12 and 20.
Ready to replace spreadsheets?
Join teams running people operations on ArcHR. Start your 30-day free trial today.