MEMBER TAKEOVER
D id you choose to work in payroll, or did you fall into it?’ This question is often presented to payroll professionals and has been a topic of conversation in recent months, as the industry raises more awareness about payroll as a career choice. I’m of the ‘fell into payroll’ camp and started my journey back in 2006, when I was desperate to get out of seasonal farm work and settle down to a 9-5 job. I started working in a busy National Health Service payroll department, what better place to whet my whistle. ’
Management – my previous experience and perfect score in the Recognition of Prior Learning (RPL) assessment meant I could jump straight into year two. I was on cloud nine and so excited to get back into learning again – writing assignments, while attending study days and tutorials. But it was hard work, and juggling my day job, studying and parenting quickly brought me back down to earth. I worked hard and kept going, passed my exams and completed year two – hurrah! Becoming a mother and realising the daily commute to London was no longer feasible, I found another lone payroll opportunity just eight minutes away from home, and this time I was here to stay. I’ve been a member of the CIPP for nine years now and I continue to reap the benefits year after year. Can I quote you the current rate of statutory maternity pay off the top of my head? No, but I know exactly where to find it if I need it. On a serious note, my role doesn’t require me to know the rates just like that because the number of maternities we have are few and far between, and one brain can only take so much information. What I bring to my role is a background of solid payroll experience, being able to draw on the tendrils of knowledge that have hidden themselves away for safe keeping. Working with other teams My position is unique as I work closely with both our finance and HR departments. Balancing the two can be challenging at times, especially as I’m officially part of HR, but it allows me to see and understand the needs of both departments. In previous larger organisations, there was always a slight mistrust, dislike or rivalry between HR and payroll, and I’m happy to say that in smaller organisations, I have not seen this to be the case. Working in smaller teams (and perhaps just the specific organisation I work for) fosters an environment to work more collaboratively, particularly where some tasks overlap. As well as being a payroll coordinator, I’m also part HR coordinator, so I can often see the origin of a salary increase requiring back pay, for example. I put the letters together, so I make sure it automatically gets flagged for payroll at the same time. Sometimes, in much larger organisations this could be missed if employee changes don’t filter to payroll in a timely manner. Although we use a bureau for payroll, I
find myself correcting its work sometimes. I have an automatic assumption that a bureau employee would know more than me, so it can be a confidence boost at times, especially as my head isn’t in the nitty gritty on a daily basis anymore. Plus, I like to ask questions when I see something that doesn’t look right, as it also expands my knowledge if it’s me that is wrong in that instance. The challenges and the resolutions So, what challenges do I face regularly? First, I’m pretty sure no-one really knows what I do, but this isn’t new information for someone working in payroll – when you do your job well, nobody knows you exist. Working closely with finance is helpful because they have some payroll knowledge, but it doesn’t beat working with a full team of payroll professionals to bounce off when required. Keeping up to date with changes within the payroll industry is really the most important thing when you’re working alone. Reading articles, papers etc., even if I can’t remember the exact details, is super useful because it acts as a check in my mind before proceeding with something, double checking a rule hasn’t changed or a rate hasn’t been increased or reduced. So, although I ‘fell into payroll’, I think I’d always actively I have found that my biggest support is the CIPP and its excellent Advisory Service. This is my first port of call for anything I’m unsure of and the team never fails to help. Having the specialist interest groups is also fantastic, to network with others and gain opinions from similar people in other organisations. When I look back and think about my career in payroll, I honestly can’t imagine myself doing anything different. I love the order of payroll because numbers make sense to me, as do the processes, the consistency and the cycles. So, although I ‘fell into payroll’, I think I’d always actively choose it now if I were to rewind the clock. n choose it now if I were to rewind the clock
After that first step into payroll, I was hooked
After that first step into payroll, I was hooked. I went on to work for
another busy payroll team within a care organisation, with lots of different payrolls and a great team of like-minded colleagues to support me. But alas, I was made redundant when the head office moved up north and I wasn’t willing to commute four hours a day. Barely one month into my ‘having a nice break from work’ plan, I couldn’t cope with being unemployed, so I took a risk and became a sole payroll professional, working in a small but busy London office. This is where I discovered payroll bureaux and all they have to offer. It became less stressful once I knew I had the bureau to lean on, however, I very quickly lost a lot of the knowledge I used to have from working in a very hands-on payroll department. Education and learning So, what was I to do?! I became aware of the CIPP through this new role, and it was mandatory for me to attend payroll update courses. I discovered I worked really close to the old CIPP office in Covent Garden, and thoroughly enjoyed my jaunts up there for a day of learning. I continue to keep up with my continuing professional development through the CIPP, which is crucial in a lone payroll role. A particular highlight for me is National Payroll Week as it’s the perfect excuse to have a little shout about how fabulous payroll is in my office – everyone thinks I’m a bit weird! My appetite for learning grew and I eventually got backing from my employer to take the Foundation Degree in Payroll
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| Professional in Payroll, Pensions and Reward |
Issue 86 | December 2022 – January 2023
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