Overview

Squires Fish & Chip Restaurant in Braunton, North Devon, is a third-generation family business that has been serving the community since 1969. Now led by owner Jane Squire, the restaurant has grown into a busy, high-volume hospitality operation with a large and diverse team.

But as the business expanded, so did the operational challenges. Manual time tracking, paper timesheets, phone-based shift coordination, and fragmented payroll processes were consuming hours each week. With rising labour pressures and increasing compliance requirements, the old system could no longer keep up.

Squire needed an all-in-one platform that could centralise scheduling, streamline payroll, and give both management and staff clearer visibility, all while reducing admin workload.

Challenge

Before Workforce.com, Squires relied on an old punch-card clock-in machine. Staff used individual cards to record their hours, but missed punches couldn’t be corrected, creating inaccuracies and unnecessary stress for managers.

Scheduling and shift coverage were also handled manually, often requiring Jane to text every employee to find a replacement. Timesheets were printed out and reviewed by hand, leaving staff unable to see their own recorded hours and putting pressure on trust between employees and management.

“If someone missed a punch or was late, I couldn’t amend any of it. And for shift changes, I had to text every single member of staff. Everything was manual.” - Jane Squire, Owner, Squires Fish & Chips

As labour costs increased and compliance with HMRC requirements became more complex, Squires needed a platform that could manage hours accurately, streamline payroll, and give staff a simpler, more transparent experience.

Solution

Workforce.com replaced outdated manual tools with a single digital platform that connects scheduling, shift swapping, time tracking, and payroll, all in real time.

Shift replacement became effortless. Staff could request cover directly in the app, colleagues could volunteer instantly, and Jane could approve changes with one tap. Approved shifts flowed automatically into the timesheet, eliminating errors and reducing back-and-forth communication.

“My favourite thing is the shift replacement. Workforce.com just makes it seamless, they request the swap, someone volunteers, I approve it, and it goes straight to their timesheet.” - Jane Squire

Workforce.com also enabled complete visibility over staff hours, start and finish times, and attendance patterns. For the first time, employees could see their own hours too, creating transparency and strengthening trust.

HMRC integration further streamlined payroll by syncing tax codes automatically. Staff self-service features, like updating bank details in the app, removed manual handovers and improved accuracy.

Implementation was quick and supported end-to-end, allowing Squires to adopt the system without disruption.

Results

Squires Fish & Chips experienced immediate improvements in efficiency, visibility, and payroll consistency.

Quantifiable outcomes:

• 6–10 hours saved every week
  
• Significant reduction in manual admin
  
• Instant visibility of staff hours
  
• Automatic HMRC tax code syncing
  
• Self-service updates for staff bank details
  
• Seamless shift replacement and accurate timesheets
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By moving to Workforce.com, Squire transformed their operations from manual and inconsistent to streamlined, transparent, and far more efficient. Staff get paid accurately, managers get clarity, and the business enjoys stronger, smoother workflows.

Future

As Squires continues to operate in a fast-changing hospitality environment, Workforce.com provides the structure, automation, and visibility needed to stay efficient and compliant. With everything centralised and easy to use, Jane and her team can focus less on admin and more on delivering the great customer experience they’re known for.

Whether you manage a small family venue or a multi-site hospitality group, Workforce.com helps you reduce admin, improve accuracy, and build happier, better-supported teams.