MY CIPP
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profession I love, able to study and impart my knowledge to members – and my working hours suit my lifestyle perfectly. It’s a win-win situation, and I am fortunate to have been given the opportunity. Being promoted to advisory team leader has given me a big sense of achievement. How do you feel when you have made a positive difference to someone through your advice? It’s a fantastic feeling knowing that you have answered and helped solve a member’s query. The relief in their voice or that ‘thank you so much for your help’ in a return email gives immense satisfaction knowing I have helped a fellow payroller resolve an issue. The additional stress placed upon payrollers this year has been incomparable to anything I can remember in 36 years. If our team has been able to relieve their worries in any way, that gives immense satisfaction and pride in the jobs we do. The role of advisory team member requires a good understanding of payroll legislation, a clear head, an excellent sense of humour, and being both a good listener and a good speaker. Tell us about a typical week as an advisory teammember? It is a nonstop treadmill from 9 to 5. We have regular team chats to discuss any unusual queries that come in as each of us have areas of expertise in different fields of payroll legislation. The policy team provide updates on any forthcoming changes, enabling us to study the material and prepare for any queries we receive. Furlough however has been an enormous challenge for us as the rules have changed with such pace. We have depended upon each other and the policy team for guidance and support dealing with the queries. We wouldn’t have got through
these past months without the support of one another and I cannot thank the team and the policy team enough, as it has been one crazy year. The number of queries we have dealt with have increased by 54% from April to November compared to the same period in 2019, which indicates the pace at which we have been working. 2020 is a year every payroller will never forget. If payroll does not get acknowledged as a recognised profession after all our members have achieved with great sacrifices at times, then I think a government petition will be the next step. What techniques and sources do you use to provide detailed accurate answers? Referring to legislation and translating that into layman terms. Understanding why you have to carry out a certain task to remain compliant is beneficial to all payrollers. Better understanding leads to less confusion and improved processes within a payroll team. To keep up to date with general legislation requires reading, writing guidance notes for myself and my team, regular meetings with policy, and directing queries to HMRC for clarification. I am constantly studying and learning even after all these years in the profession. I maintain my own payroll compendium with links to all payroll legislation for ease of access. What’s the most interesting fact you have ever heard about payroll? Recovery of an overpayment of wages; section 14 of the Employment Rights Act 1996 means an employer has the right to deduct an overpayment even if there is no agreed deduction clause in the employee’s contract. Considerations have to be made of course, but this was a very interesting topic. n
Lorna Nicholls ACIPP CIPP’s payroll advisory team leader
How did you start your payroll career? After leaving school I decided to go into nursing. The careers advisor had recommended a career as a speech therapist so I thought, if nursing didn’t work out, I could attempt that; but I didn’t know what to do whilst waiting for the next year’s intake of student nurses. After replying “maths” to my careers advisor asking what I liked doing, next thing I was working in the local hospital as a wages clerk collecting and totalling hours on the nurses’ timesheets. I enjoyed ‘wages’ so much I forfeited my nursing career and stayed – 36 years later I am still working in ‘wages’. I fell into payroll, fell in love with it, and stayed. To get the job I sat a maths and English test and that was it. I learned my skills on the job as many older payrollers will be familiar with. I have attended so many courses over the years, I have lost count. How did you move into policy and advisory? I was working incredibly long hours, my work-life balance was non-existent, and I wanted to spend time with my loved ones and enjoy other interests. A job in the CIPP’s Advisory team came up; I applied, and here I am. I am still part of the
| Professional in Payroll, Pensions and Reward | March 2021 | Issue 68 12
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