IPSWICH, UK — Small business HR platform CitoHR has rolled out support for the Model Context Protocol (MCP), enabling AI assistants like OpenAI’s ChatGPT and Anthropic’s Claude to interact directly with live workplace HR records.
The update, announced by Ipswich-based developer Citosoft Ltd, allows employees and managers to handle common administrative tasks—such as checking remaining holiday allowance, tracking pending requests, and booking time off—directly inside conversational AI interfaces they already use daily.
Bringing HR Records into the Chat Window
The integration is built on the Model Context Protocol, an emerging open standard designed to connect large language model assistants directly to external software systems without requiring bespoke, proprietary plugins for every individual tool.
By exposing a standardized MCP endpoint, CitoHR allows compatible assistants to act as clients that can securely query and update records in real time. Beyond basic holiday management, connected assistants can:
- Check live annual leave balances for the active leave year.
- Submit formal leave requests conversationally without navigating to a separate portal.
- Display who is scheduled off on specific dates.
- Review upcoming shifts, request shift swaps, and submit expense claims.
- Surface internal company documents, training modules, and notifications.
- Allow managers and administrators to quickly look up employee directory details.
Security, Approvals, and Permissions
To address data governance and security concerns, the integration relies on CitoHR’s existing authentication framework. Users must sign in via their CitoHR credentials, select their organization, and approve permissions on an explicit consent screen—which includes the option to restrict the assistant to read-only access.
Actions performed through an AI assistant inherit the user’s specific account permissions and remain bound by existing company policies. For example, when an employee requests time off in a chat, the system automatically checks rules regarding minimum notice periods and maximum consecutive days. The request is then logged as pending and routed through standard management approval chains within CitoHR rather than being approved autonomously by the AI.
Practical AI for Lean Teams
For small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) that lack dedicated human resources departments, the integration aims to eliminate repetitive administrative friction while grounding AI responses in verified company data.
Rather than relying on generic guesses from LLMs or manually retyping requests into a standalone dashboard, staff can handle everyday logistics where they already draft emails and organize tasks. Crucially, CitoHR emphasized that decision-making authority remains with human managers, who retain final say over all approvals.
The MCP integration is available immediately to subscribers on CitoHR’s Pro and Pro Plus tiers, including active trial accounts.
