Leeds United has officially announced a high-impact partnership with Employment Hero, the global leader in HR and payroll software, for the remainder of the 2025/26 Premier League season.
Moving beyond traditional stadium branding, this collaboration is designed as a “community-first” initiative to empower small-to-medium enterprises (SMEs) across Yorkshire & the Humber during a period of significant regulatory shifts.
Navigating the 2026 Employment Rights Act
The centerpiece of the partnership is helping local employers adapt to the Employment Rights Act of 2026. To facilitate this transition, Employment Hero and Leeds United will launch:
- Compliance Seminars: Professional workshops at Elland Road to help business leaders navigate new legal requirements.
- Free Payroll Initiative: Employment Hero will offer regional businesses free access to its payroll services to ease the administrative burden of new regulations.
- Elite Leadership Insights: Curated experiences for local CEOs to learn high-performance management strategies from the club’s technical and executive staff.
Regional Resilience: The Data Behind the Deal
Proprietary data from Employment Hero underscores why Yorkshire was chosen as the primary focus for this campaign. Despite a volatile national economy, the local business landscape remains remarkably robust:
- Local Loyalty: 80% of Yorkshire business leaders prioritize local suppliers over cheaper national or international alternatives.
- Hiring Surge: In Leeds specifically, hiring saw a sharp 9% month-on-month increase in January 2026.
- Talent Retention: 77% of regional SMEs successfully fill their staffing needs using local talent, surpassing the UK national average of 73%.
Kevin Fitzgerald, UK Managing Director at Employment Hero, emphasized the deeper mission: “This partnership is about far more than matchday visibility. It’s about working with a brand at the heart of the community to deliver practical, meaningful support for local employers.”
Phil Hardman, Partnerships Director at Leeds United, added: “We are excited to have Employment Hero present at all upcoming fixtures at Elland Road as we develop this relationship over the final months of the Premier League campaign.”