COMPLIANCE
increased. Although many still think payroll consists of ‘pushing a button’ just before pay day, finding people to embark on a career in payroll is increasingly difficult. Being classed as a key worker during the pandemic may have changed people’s perception of payroll but has it changed that much? Promoting careers in the payroll world Being in payroll has never really been seen as a career. You didn’t need a payroll qualification and there was no need to be a member of a professional body. Things have changed and are continuing to change. We can now promote a career in the payroll world; to find the payroll managers of the future. We owe the development and promotion of payroll to date to those who had the foresight to be our founder members of the CIPP – ‘the early group of payroll pioneers’. Sadly, two of our founder members passed away last year (Peter Blackhurst FCIPP and George Powell FCIPP). However, they’ve left us a lasting legacy. It’s now time for us to take on the baton and take the payroll profession to the next level. There are now payroll qualifications. When I first started out in payroll, I was taught by someone sitting next to me and guiding me as to where I could find the information I needed to calculate someone’s pay. We had to use manual tax and National Insurance (NI) tables to calculate income tax and NI deductions, as opposed to the systems of today that calculate them for us, or the HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) online calculators. The payroll apprenticeship now allows people to learn about payroll, from what’s required when someone starts with the organisation to statutory payments, from General Data Protection Regulation to how pensions link with payroll. The apprentice learns through the dedicated apprenticeship course while learning alongside the experienced payroll professionals they work with. Once the apprenticeship is complete, the new payroll professional can develop their knowledge further through various courses, up to degree and Masters levels. The CIPP is the industry’s professional body. It provides up to date information on legislation, as well as providing support through its Advisory Service. Membership with the CIPP is at various levels depending on individual requirements. It’s
recognised by HMRC and qualifies for tax relief on its membership fees. Payroll professionals can now obtain individual Chartered status, which recognises the expertise and knowledge required to be a payroll professional at the highest level. So, now feels like it’s time to take the payroll career to the next level. Now feels like it’s time to take the payroll career to the next level We need to see further change While there have been significant changes in the payroll industry, more is needed. The industry needs to be able to recruit and retain payroll professionals. As individuals, we now need to actively promote the work we do, both within our own organisations and to the wider community. Generally, payroll professionals tend to get on with the job and it’s not in our genetic makeup to actively shout about the work we do. However, we need to get our voices heard and promote the importance of the work we do. Within our own organisations, we need to highlight the positives of payroll, as it only usually comes to attention when someone’s pay is incorrect. We may not have a seat at the board, but we can provide updates on the work payroll is involved with, including: l key performance indicators l project work l year-end / start of year work l pensions work (e.g., re-enrolment) l staff benefits activities l and much more. We should all be celebrating payroll, pensions, staff benefits and rewards, and National Payroll Week (NPW) provides us with that opportunity. What did you do this year to promote the important work your payroll professionals do? And if you didn’t recognise NPW this year, what will you do next year? When recruiting for new employees within the payroll team, we can promote the career prospects, including training and qualifications. We should encourage existing team members to embark on a career, and we shouldn’t be afraid they may leave to take the next step in their career as a payroll professional. In fact, we should be proud that we gave them the opportunity to start
and develop in their payroll career and that we’ve helped them on to the next step of their payroll career ladder. There are so many aspects to payroll now and there are many more career options available from being involved with payroll processing, understanding the complex world of pensions and having an in-depth knowledge of reward, salary sacrifice and staff benefits. There are options to be involved with projects, including new system implementations and new client business being integrated into the team. Someone could also choose a career in payroll audit. The list continues. Recognising payroll Payroll is now being recognised for the important work that it does. We’re working in exciting times as the next stage of the evolution of the payroll professional is upon us. Surely that next stage should include all those involved with payroll, pension and reward being a member of our professional body. As with those working in finance and human resources, why would we not want all payroll managers of the future to attain individual Chartered status and be required to be registered to practise as a payroll manager? After all, we’re responsible for the biggest financial asset of any company – paying employees – and it’s highlighted that payroll fraud is one of the most common types of fraud. We may not know what the future evolution stage of the payroll professional is, or will, be. However, we can help shape what that future may be. Payroll
professionals have had to adapt to technology and a world beyond just payroll. They must usually adapt to
change enforced on them; whether that be changes to technology or legislation. Now is the time for payroll professionals to change how others see the profession. It’s time to develop the profession’s profile to a place where its complexities are fully recognised, and it’s a standard requirement for qualifications and individual Chartered status to be held by the practising payroll professional. LinkedIn has recognised that payroll is an industry. It feels that it’s time to take the evolution of the payroll profession to the next stage. Will you be like those payroll pioneers with their vision and drive that created the first professional body for the payroll industry? And will you take a leading role in the next evolution stage of the payroll profession? n
27
| Professional in Payroll, Pensions and Reward |
Issue 84 | October 2022
Made with FlippingBook - Online magazine maker