COMPLIANCE
A trip down payroll memory lane
Glenn Jones MSc ChFCIPP, global people freelance consultant, GGJ Global Consulting Limited, discusses how he entered into payroll and what has changed over the last 40 years
P lease let me start by saying I’m super passionate about all things payroll, human resources (HR) and technology, and if you check my LinkedIn profile, this should be evident in leaps and bounds. What I’m about to write comes from my heart and has the intention of moving the profession forward. How did I get into payroll? After leaving school at 16 with one O’ level in commerce at grade C and failing the medical for the Royal Air Force (two stories for another day), I signed up to a youth training scheme. This series of events kickstarted my payroll / HR career. Initially, I was reconditioning engines, but very quickly, I was headhunted by the office manager, who offered me a change in direction. This was back in 1983, and computers weren’t accessible to people like me. Everything was either knowledge held in your head or information located in manuals and books. Everything we did before then was by hand. Two years later, I joined Mid Glamorgan Health Authority, where time information was received on A3 cards filled out by the
nurses or clerical team, which you then interpreted in your head. Reflecting on my early career, it was the best training I could have ever had. Calculating payroll manually was an art form then and it still is now. How the payroll industry has changed Over the last 40 years, payroll has evolved in many ways. The political, economic, social, technological, legal and environmental (PESTLE) factors provide us with an insight into the payroll world in 2022, and how different it is now, when compared to 1983. (Please see the PESTLE table below, and try considering your own challenges.) The below is just my view on the last 40 years. I expect some people will disagree, and that’s fine. The table demonstrates how external factors impact the payroll profession, which was once viewed as a non-value-added department. Back in 1992, when I joined the British Payroll Managers Association, as it was back then, I disagreed with the statement ‘non-value added’ and sought to change that narrative.
Payroll is conceivably more complicated now than finance and HR. It must service many requirements that didn’t exist once upon a time, while also reacting to ever-changing legislation and shifting environmental impacts, such as Covid. The way payroll adapted throughout the pandemic was terrific and should be celebrated. In contrast, you could argue that finance and HR haven’t changed all that much. Globalisation has also had an impact. Mobility and cross-border taxes and social security are gaining more attention, and payroll professionals must be aware of any changes. How can payroll continue to grow? An excellent example of where payroll unfortunately hasn’t evolved is technology. I think payroll professionals worldwide could (and should) be doing more in this space. I still sense the reluctance to change is because individuals think technology will replace them in their roles. I get it, as it’s a human instinct to be fearful of change. However, if you’ve ever read the book titled
CHALLENGES
PESTLE
2022
1983
Political Economic
Traditional parties / Falklands War in 1982
Political instability
Stable
Unstable
Diversity / engagement / inclusion (DEI) didn’t exist. The UK was internally centric on mobility
Complicated multi-generational and ever-changing societal factors. Global mobility / pandemics / financial well-being
Technological Social Legal Environment
Didn’t exist in the public domain
Everywhere
Relatively simple
Complicated – inter-UK countries have differing legislation / globalisation
Not considered
Critical, changing all the time
| Professional in Payroll, Pensions and Reward | October 2022 | Issue 84 24
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