This month in 04:05, we explore strategic compliance, the silent force reducing the gender pay gap, how AI is redefining payroll roles and much more…
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Payroll Is, Like, Literally Giving Love Island!
THE SILENT FORCE A Quiet Revolution is Happening in HR
WHERE DO WE GO FROM HERE? Is AI Redefining Payroll Roles?
PAYROLL HEROES The Many Voices of Payroll
04:05 FOREWORD
Falling for Payroll
that Love Island and payroll share . Plus our highly specialised and jolly talented team of contributors to this issue are revealing The Many Voices of Payroll and The Silent Force Reducing the Gender Pay Gap and exploring Strategic Compliance and The Evolution and Revolution of Payroll . A subscription to 04:05 could go a long way towards changing closed minds… Hayleigh and I will soon be circling the skies of Singapore, on our way to the first of two international symposia and starting our month in style. These events, which bring payroll professionals together across borders to share knowledge and make new connections, are another powerful reminder to the ‘civilian’ population that a career in payroll really can take you anywhere! We’re excited to see lots of you in Singapore and Kuala Lumpur and to continue to do all we can to champion our fantastic industry and the people behind the payslips.
A flurry of frustration spread through the global payroll industry at the end of last month when yet again it became evident that the wider world continues to underestimate the skilled and challenging work that payroll professionals do. This time a UK Love Island contestant (Meg) had been revealed to be a Payroll Specialist and was mocked online for daring to have an ‘elite’ job title for what commenters determined to be “...as far from a corporate girlie as is possible. Just sorting out the pay slips” and a role in which “She sends emails with payslips” . For the edification of these judgy and ill-informed souls, since the majority of the world does speak reality TV, this month we are providing a useful breakdown of the common ground
Melanie Pizzey
Melanie Pizzey GPA CEO
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62 GLOBAL PAYROLL OUTSOURCING How payroll outsourcing can save your business time and money From defensive mode to competitive advantage 74 APAC RECORD-KEEPING REQUIREMENTS The stakes get higher for payroll 66 GLOBAL STRATEGIC COMPLIANCE
18 GLOBAL BETWEEN THE LINES Global payroll advisory practice leader for the
48 AFRICA FIRING A REMOTE EMPLOYEE IN SOUTH AFRICA? Here’s what global employers must know 54 GLOBAL BEHIND THE SCENES OF THE GLOBAL PAYROLL AWARDS 2025 How the 2025 judges whittled a huge pile of worthy nominees down to a shortlist and, ultimately, chose their winners
Hackett Group, Tracee Bowles 26 GLOBAL
BEHIND THE PAYSLIP: REAL STORIES FROM PAYROLL HEROES The many voices of payroll 26 34 GLOBAL THE EVOLUTION AND REVOLUTION OF GLOBAL PAYROLL Managing payroll across multiple countries
PAYROLL IS, LIKE, LITERALLY GIVING LOVE ISLAND!
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REGULARS
07 GLOBAL NEWS Interactive global payroll news 71 GLOBAL GPA JOBS Find a payroll job you love, anywhere in the world 78 GLOBAL DIARY OF AN HR MANAGER 80 GLOBAL GPA TRAINING Join our experts through the process of running payrolls in different countries 82 APAC ASIA BRIEFING Overview on Asia news 84 GLOBAL GPA WEBINARS The latest global and in-country payroll topics and trends 86 GLOBAL FIND A VENDOR A comprehensive list of suppliers to the global payroll industry
42 AMERICAS THE HIDDEN COST OF U.S. PAYROLL COMPLIANCE U.S. payroll teams face growing complexity and risk
12 GLOBAL THE SILENT FORCE Reducing the gender pay gap
38 GLOBAL AI IS REDEFINING PAYROLL ROLES Where do we go from here?
The GPA , 49 Greek St, Soho, London W1D 4EG. Tel: +44 (0)203 871 8870 Melanie Pizzey - CEO and 04:05 Executive Editor: melanie@gpa.net Rich Robins - 04:05 Designer: hello@megandmore.co.uk Hayleigh Blinkhorne - events/vendors/advertising: hayleigh@gpa.net General enquiries/mentor scheme/training : - info@gpa.net Michael Baer - US contributor: mike@gpa.net Nilufer Gul - GM APAC/Australia: nilufer@gpa.net Tel: +61 (0)413 749 714 CONTACTS
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Global Payroll News Stay updated with news on global payroll trends, automation, compliance, AI integration, financial wellness, accurate payments, addressing wage discrepancies and more. 04:05 GLOBAL NEWS
UK
Kurdistan
Global
Nigeria
Entry level jobs have plummeted since ChatGPT Read more...
Council of Ministers calls for protection of public salaries Read more...
CloudPay launches ‘out of the box’ payroll solution Read more...
PaidHR secures $1.8m to transform payroll and HR Read more...
Japan
US
Germany
Canada
NYK acquires seafarer salary payment platform Read more...
Union alleges Google failed to give required notice Read more...
Changes to taxes and pay this month Read more...
Top public servants opposed ‘big bang’ pay switchover Read more...
Algeria
Global
VIEW OTHER NEWS FROM AROUND THE WORLD EMEA APAC AFRICA AMERICAS MIDDLE EAST GLOBAL
New Zealand
57% of workforce lives paycheque to paycheque Read more...
HR-tech startup Talenteo raises six- figure funding Read more...
Proposal to make sick pay and holiday
pay equitable Read more...
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Payroll Is, Like, Literally Giving Love Island! It’s that time of year again when the reality TV gods gift us with weeks of trashy goodness to pass judgment over from the far less beachy (but just as bitchy) location of our living room sofas. And it’s while we’re watching oiled-up himbos and ambitious influencers frolic for the cameras that it occurs to us how much your average payroll department and Love Island actually have in common. W hen someone asks a civilian to think of a payroll
picture someone slowly losing their marbles as last-minute leave changes wreak havoc on an approaching pay cycle. By contrast, when we all think of Love Island, we envision pouting pretties (of both sexes), sculpted abs, barely there bathing suits, immaculate brows and herds of flouncing drama llamas.
The two scenarios are miles away and worlds apart, right? Right??? Wrong. The reality is that your average payroll department is basically
professional, they probably imagine someone quietly inputting data, sipping coffee, and making sure their wages hit the bank in time for their weekend plans. Those of us more familiar with payroll might
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Someone else flashes a cheeky grin at the object of your affection, and before you can say Turkey teeth, you’re stuck as a single Pringle. Disaster!
Staying Under the Radar In payroll and on Love Island, it’s all about knowing how to keep things on a level. When you’re reality show dating, timing is everything. Make
Love Island with fewer bikinis and a bit more office furniture. No, seriously, we swear! Payroll is chocka with drama, secrets, and last-minute plot twists. Literally everyone seems to have an opinion on what you’re
doing, and don’t even get us started on what happens when someone messes up a challenge. And that one guy who, no matter how many newer models are introduced to him, is just not ready to let go of his Ex(cel).
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disappeared? Overtime calculations have gone awry? Emotions will be running platform-stiletto- high. While Love Islanders are sobbing over a bitchy spat, payroll pros COMMISSION CALL ME NOW!!!” or “WHERE IS MY MONEY???” A single payroll error can throw as big a spanner in the works as Casa Amor, only it’s P60s and pension contributions doing their heads in rather than Zac or Zak. However, payroll pros are a delightful lot, and a simple conversation can smooth out the very worst of are fielding urgent emails with subject lines like: “MISSING snafus. Ask them nicely and they’ll go above and In the villa, cameras are inescapable, buzzing like mosquitoes as they twist and zoom to catch every flirtation and resentment. Payroll professionals might not have surveillance on them 24/7, but they’re beyond every time. In the Know
your move too soon, and you could be branded thirsty, so it can seem like the best thing is to hang back. But weigh up your options for that little bit too long, and it’s game over. Someone else flashes a cheeky grin at the object of your affection, and before you can say Turkey teeth, you’re stuck as a single Pringle. Disaster! Payroll is no different. Deadlines loom like an elimination ceremony. Payroll is an information- hungry process; you need to wait until all the relevant data has been submitted before you can hit send. But you can’t wait too long or you’ll miss the cut-off date, and chaos ensues. People’s pay is late, angry emails descend, managers panic, and, just like on the island, one wrong move has put you on everyone’s radar. And not in a good way. In the same way some Islanders can stay under the radar until they hook up with the wrong person or cock up a challenge,
payroll professionals can happily operate in the background until something goes wrong and they are thrust into the spotlight. Suddenly, everyone knows your name; it’s the professional equivalent of being trashed on TikTok. Luckily, no one is calmer in a crisis than someone who paid an entire company through the shifting sands of lockdown. Drama Llamas We may like to think that the supercharged atmosphere of the villa is the only place where people could be provoked to showers of tears, stampy feet and shouting, yet the reality is that drama llamas take the odd gallop through payroll departments too. Payroll might seem chill on the surface (we’re notoriously good at paddling like mad while remaining serene), but the drama is real. Someone’s tax code changed, and they’ve been underpaid this month? A promised bonus has mysteriously
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no strangers to being watched. Every decision, every calculation, every payslip is scrutinised. And if something goes wrong, people notice. Suddenly, everyone and their nan is a forensic accountant with a calculator and an attitude. And rightly so, because timely, accurate pay matters. That doesn’t stop it feeling every bit as dramatic as a firepit confrontation. Fortunately, mistakes are (in the main) few and far between. Islanders are notorious for wielding knowledge as power; scheming in corners, hiding crushes, and stirring mischief behind each other’s backs. They’ve got nothing on people who work in payroll. Payroll professionals might as well be MI5 agents. They. Know. Everything. Who got a raise, who’s on garden leave, who’s pregnant, who’s being discreetly let go. Do they spill that tea? Hell no. While Islanders would splash the tea about like the Mad Hatter, payroll pros guard secrets with the fierceness of
A single payroll error can throw as big a spanner in the works as Casa Amor, only it’s P60s and pension contributions doing their heads in rather than Zac or Zak.
a contestant guarding their spot in the final. Loyalty Island, indeed. Plot Twist! And just like the best Love Island plot twists, sometimes payroll can bring a surprise romance as episodes progress. You take a role in a payroll department, assuming it’s just another day job for someone like you who’s good with numbers or prides themself on their attention to detail. Annnd then you discover the satisfaction of balancing a payroll run to the penny, the thrill of decoding a missive from HMRC on the first try, the unexplainable high of solving a payslip discrepancy from a single clue like you’re Benedict flipping Cumberbatch’s
Sherlock; all wise frowns and genius. Suddenly, that job has morphed into a career, into progression up an actual ladder. You’re hooked on payroll! Just like viewers who swore they’d never watch another season of Love Island yet find themselves on X at 2am, moaning that Coco deserved to be in the main cast, not wasted on Casa Amor. Working in payroll might not net you a Boohoo sponsorship or send your follower count stratospheric. But by charting your own career path, you can make it every bit as memorable, life-altering and iconic an experience. And just like the Islanders, there’s a chance you’ll fall in love.
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The Silent Force Reducing the Gender Pay Gap For many years, human resources was seen as a function that remained in the background of the business world. While companies’ strategic decisions were typically shaped by finance, sales, and operations, HR was positioned as a “support unit.” But that picture is changing. HR has become a force at the centre of organizational transformation—managing culture, talent, and, more importantly, pay.
Ayşe Nazmiye Uça is the Founder and Chairman of the Turkish Payroll Association and established Turkey’s first payroll outsourcing company 26 years ago. Her company, Datassist, leads the market in technology-centered payroll services, catering to Fortune 500 companies and major Turkish corporations. Datassist excels in Regulation Technologies (RegTech) and continues to expand through strategic investments and business partnerships, aiming to offer comprehensive services in an evolving market. In 2024, Ayşe ranked 20th among Turkey’s top 100 female founders by Fast Company magazine, based on company turnover. Her life purpose is to shape organizations, create new opportunities, and guide her employees toward achieving their career goals. 12 I 04:05
T here is another Much like Erin Brockovich —who, without formal authority, challenged a powerful system—women in HR are leading a quiet revolution. silent but effective factor in this change: women.
They’re not just supporting change; they are driving it from the inside out. A Silent Shift: HR Leadership in the Hands of Women As a department that
took its place in the business world at a
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later stage, Human Resources became a female-dominated field. Positioned a level below senior management, their voices were not always heard. In recent years, this has changed. Today, in many companies, the CHRO
The increasing number of women in these leadership positions is a turning point—not only in terms of diversity, but also in the structural transformation of internal pay policies.
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Just as Erin Brockovich gathered water samples and legal files to expose injustice, many female HR leaders are reviewing payroll data and pay bands, turning hidden inequalities into reform. They may not be marching in with lawsuits, but they are reshaping compensation practices with the same quiet, relentless drive for fairness. The UK Example: The Silent Force Reflected in the Statistics Since 2017, the United Kingdom has required companies with 250+ employees to disclose gender-based pay gaps annually. The 2025 data shows the lowest pay gap measured to date.³ One reason is that the profile of those preparing and reviewing these reports has changed. More and more female professionals are not only analysing these tables but turning them into action- driven insights.
That’s why women are making a difference not just through numbers, but with their silent power. They’re conquering the castle from within.
What Changes When Women Are at the Table? Female CHROs assess compensation decisions not only through the lens of competitiveness or cost-effectiveness but also through human values such as fairness, transparency, and inclusion. McKinsey’s 2022 research reveals that female leaders value pay transparency 35% more than their male counterparts. ² This different perspective turns the principle of “equal pay for equal work” from a mere ideal into an actionable system.
(Chief Human Resources Officer) position reports directly to the CEO and is represented on the board, making it a strategic role. Since the proportion of women in these positions is significantly higher than in other senior roles, this has become a silent revolution. According to LinkedIn’s 2024 report, the percentage of women in CHRO positions at Fortune 500 companies exceeds 55%.¹ The increasing number of women in these leadership positions is a turning point—not only in terms of diversity, but also in the structural transformation of internal pay policies.
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Pour homme. Pour femme. Pour Pay Day.
Discover the allure of global payroll and mobility at www.activpayroll.com/love
“When the person writing the numbers is a woman, what’s being written is not just data, but experience and justice.” According to analysis by WeAreTheCity, companies with female CHROs see an average 8% decrease in gender-based pay gaps within 2 years.⁴ The Silent Force Conquering the Castle from Within Women did not suddenly rise to the top of the business world. But by gradually entering core areas like human resources, they rebuilt organizational fairness from within. Maybe they didn’t speak loudly, but they made the decisions. And now, those decisions are reflected in pay tables. That’s why women are making a difference not just through numbers, but with their silent power.
They’re conquering the castle from within. And pay equity is no longer just a goal—it’s a result being realised. Like Erin Brockovich , who wasn’t part of the legal system but changed it anyway, women in HR didn’t start at the strategy table—but they’ve reshaped what fairness
looks like across entire organizations. The strategic leadership of women in human resources is transforming not only corporate culture but also one of the business world’s key dynamics: the understanding of compensation. A fairer future is being built, quietly but decisively.
Sources 1 - LinkedIn Talent Solutions (2024). Global Talent Trends: Diversity in Leadership 2 - McKinsey & Company (2022). Women in the Workplace 3 - UK Government Equalities Office (2025). Gender Pay Gap Service – Annual Summary 4 - WeAreTheCity (2025). Gender Pay Gap Report: Ticking Boxes or Changing Systems?
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04:05 INTERVIEW
As Global Payroll Advisory Practice Leader for The Hackett Group, Tracee Bowles is responsible for providing thought leadership, best practice insights and direction to clients about world-class performance in the areas of payroll and time and attendance. Tracee spent the first 14 years of her career in Payroll and HR Outsourcing. Prior to joining The Hackett Group, she led global payroll and compensation in the sales and marketing industry before taking on a lead role in her firm’s HR transformation. Tracee studied HR at the University of South Florida and Cornell University and holds senior certifications in both payroll (CPP) and Human Resources (SHRM-SCP). Between the L Tracee Bowles
This interview has been edited for clarity.
GPA: What got you into payroll and HR services? Tracee Bowles: I initially got my start in temporary staffing. It was a small office. So we were tasked with not only filling the requisitions but also payroll, time capture and sales.
We had to go out and sell the business as well, which really gave me the opportunity to understand how those positions were fitting into their company’s larger business objectives. Those skills were really critical for me in my next roles.
Later, in the PEO roles I had, I started to identify how payroll really fit into that strategic piece that moved the dial for the company. When I moved to HR outsourcing, I got to experience how each client approached
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payroll, how they operate, what they prioritized. I learned from their successes and their failures; it’s almost like attaining experience in dog years when you work in outsourcing. In the back of my mind, I was creating lists of what I would do and what I would not do with my own payroll organization based on those experiences. Then, I took the opportunity to work for a company and run their payroll organization. I spent six years as a global payroll director, focusing on evaluating technology and implementations coupled with integrating past and active acquisition activity.
This company had not integrated their
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One client was planning to move forward with a lift and shift approach to the same vendor’s newer software offering. I could see by doing that, they were about to let a really strategic opportunity pass them by. I was able to build kind of a short business case to say in 20 years, the way a company works changes so drastically. And even though this company and their payroll team is always pushing for continuous improvement, their technology stack for the system wasn’t fundamentally changing with them. I got them to consider: what’s the new process for doing this function? What’s the better way? And that’s really where we have to fill those gaps for them. Just helping these leaders down the path of evaluation was fulfilling. And then another one was being able to step back and critically evaluate the work that my teams do.
There’s an intersection of business strategy, payroll technology, and compliance that I help clients navigate through. Those are like the three components of the secret sauce, in my opinion.
payroll with some of the best payroll leaders in the industry is very
acquisitions fully, and they were actively acquiring new companies, so we were always gaining new technology--whether it was old or new--and had to make that work. It’s there that I really gained a deep understanding of the technology landscape across all the HR-related systems. Now, as a global advisory practice leader, I see companies needing someone to translate the complexity of payroll into practical business solutions. I witnessed it from both sides--if it was the client or if it was my employer, there was always the same gap. I’m in a client-facing role with my current position, and strategizing
energizing. There’s an intersection of business strategy,
payroll technology, and compliance that I help clients navigate through. Those are like the three components of the secret sauce, in my opinion. GPA: What have been some of your most fulfilling accomplishments? Tracee Bowles: As part of the strategic advising, it’s also my job to challenge my clients. I also find that payroll teams often are so heads down getting people paid timely and accurately, they fail to see what’s available.
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I was able to build a strong business case to completely stop one of the streams of work altogether. I recognized with a legislative change, requirements were eased, so, it didn’t make sense for us to continue doing it to such a degree. The removal of that set of tasks allowed us to create a whole lot more capacity in our team, so we could focus on the more important work and scale with the business. Sometimes you have to look at the work and say how much of this should we continue to do? How much of this should we stop doing and how much of this needs to be done by a different team? GPA: How are you helping your clients leverage the new payroll technologies that are being introduced? Tracee Bowles: When we talk about technology with our clients, we evaluate based on business
alignment first. Does this technology solve for the business itself? Not every company works the same way. Not every software is suited for every type of business. I get them to think long- term. If you’re going to outgrow a system with your five-or 10-year expectations, it may not be for you. More tactically, I ask: Is it up to the company to keep the system compliant, or does the vendor keep it compliant in all areas that they will be using the technology? And then, there’s consideration of the employee and administrator experience.
I find that, in the absence of new core technology for a company, automation is the strongest lever to efficiency. Whether it’s robotics, integrations, what have you, anything that gets the manual work off the team, reduces risk, and creates efficiencies. Of course, the buzz now is around generative AI, and it’s really moving the needle because it’s far more accessible to us nontechnical people. Say you have an AI that can have a meaningful conversation with your employees to help
I find that, in the absence of new core technology for a company, automation is the strongest lever to efficiency. Whether it’s robotics, integrations, what have you, anything that gets the manual work off the team, reduces risk, and creates efficiencies.
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GPA: How do you recommend companies set their priorities when they have a global employment presence? Tracee Bowles: I’m for compliance first. Global payroll leaders must understand the tax and reporting requirements of the certain areas, they have to ensure proper benefits and labor law compliance. They have to establish legal employment status which comes with its own sticky wicket of requirements that not every leadership team is willing to sign off on, depending on the size of the population that is going to be supported there. Secondly, I would say risk assessment. You want to evaluate permanent establishment risks, data privacy and security requirements, currency, and economic stability. If you’re letting people work from anywhere, whether it’s as a digital nomad or you’re going to actually allow them to relocate, those are areas of concern.
functionality of AI to really elevate how they engage with the factors of being employed? It’s huge when you look at employee experience. Anomaly detection, real- time compliance, fraud detection, predictive analytics, there’s just so much that AI will be able to do for us in a relatively short period. But AI isn’t the only thing out there.
them understand the complexities of payroll and how it impacts them. Many people in payroll can’t successfully have those conversations simply because they lack the broader viewpoint that’s needed to bring it all together for the employee. Right? So, how can we properly tap into the
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Tracee Bowles: I think we’re really shifting our mindset in payroll. We’re moving from: “Did we pay everyone correctly?” to: “What will our payroll costs and risks look like next quarter?” With the right technology, payroll is really going to shift to become increasingly predictive rather than reactive. The future payroll professional is going to be part data scientist, part compliance expert and part business strategist. For us to really be a strategic partner, however, it is on us to build that profile within our organizations. Payroll professionals should dig in and see technology as enabler, not a threat. And those who start building their analytical and strategic capabilities now, they will be able to own the future of payroll and turn payroll data into business insights. Look farther than your current horizon. Look across the business and stay curious.
Next would be administrative
aren’t as successful as they should be because the data was inconsistent. Next, overlooking the critical change management piece is a big problem. If you don’t have rock-solid change management across your enterprise, you are not going to get your return on investment. Another issue companies overlook: integration architecture that includes payroll. Payroll doesn’t exist in isolation. With clean data, clear processes, and full documentation, everything else becomes easier. You’re not spending your time chasing data, trying to train people without proper documentation. That really frees you up to be more strategic when you have that foundation built within your team. GPA: What do you think is next for the payroll role in organizations?
infrastructure. Are they going to set up payroll processing capabilities locally? Established banking relationships are a must as are developing reporting and audit trails. GPA: What do you see clients misunderstand when it comes to global payroll issues? Tracee Bowles: I see a lot of company CHROs and CFOs with a very large blind spot. They treat payroll as tactical function rather than strategic enabler. It’s not something that they were trained on in their education. When they do that, it becomes a hidden cost of poor payroll planning. They are missing the bigger picture, which involves data quality. That is the foundation of all your accurate and timely payroll. I’ve seen companies spend untold dollars and time implementing new systems that ultimately
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Behind the Payslip: Real Stories from Payroll Heroes The Many Voices of Payroll
Author: Helen Dooley Helen Dooley is the Chief Commercial Officer at CR Payroll. Through her experience in multiple disciplines and verticals, she brings decades of experience and a genuine passion for client support and problem-solving. Helen believes in the power of listening and the value of gaining different perspectives. The CR Payroll team are the emergency responders of payroll, spotting issues before they snowball. With years of expertise and a sixth (payroll) sense, they create bulletproof contingency plans to keep payroll running smoothly. From last-minute curveballs to system meltdowns, they’ve seen it all, and fixed it. Their proactive approach ensures businesses can rest easy knowing payroll is in expert hands.
Every payroll department hums
with a unique chorus of voices, each telling a different story of dedication, weariness, ambition, and adaptation in this ever-evolving profession.
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S tep into any payroll office and you’ll hear them: the eager questions of newcomers, the steady confidence of veterans, the frustrated sighs of the overwhelmed, and the (sometimes) excited chatter about new technologies. This profession isn’t just about numbers and compliance; it’s about people, each bringing their own perspective, energy, and voice to the collective chorus that keeps organisations running smoothly. The Fresh Voices: Learning and Leaping Meet Sarah, a payroll assistant who started six months ago. “Every day feels like solving a puzzle,” she says with genuine enthusiasm. “There’s so much to learn, but when you finally crack (aka understand!) a complex calculation or help someone understand their payslip, it’s brilliant.”
payroll: curiosity without cynicism. They ask “why” when the rest of us have long accepted “because that’s how it’s done.” They spot inefficiencies we’ve become blind to and suggest solutions we’d known about years ago (just never got the time to do it!). Their voices ring with possibility, reminding us that payroll isn’t just about processing; it’s about people’s livelihoods, dreams, and security. These fresh voices often embrace new technologies with open arms. They’re the ones experimenting with AI tools to draft emails, automate routine tasks, or maybe even analyse patterns in employee data. Where some see a threat, they see an
opportunity to eliminate the mundane and focus on the meaningful. The Weathered Voices: Experience and Exhaustion Then there’s David, a payroll manager with 30 years under his belt. “Some days I feel like I’m drowning in compliance changes,” he admits quietly. “Just when you think you’ve mastered something, the regulations shift again.” These weathered voices carry the weight of experience, and sometimes, the burden of it too. They’ve seen
countless software implementations,
These fresh voices often embrace new technologies with open arms. They’re the ones experimenting with AI tools to draft emails, automate routine tasks, or maybe even analyse patterns in employee data.
The newcomers bring something magical to
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survived multiple Audits or Revenue/ HMRC updates, and processed payroll through recessions, pandemics, and periods of unprecedented change. Their knowledge runs deep, but their enthusiasm may have dimmed under years of firefighting and crisis management. Yet these voices are invaluable. They’re the ones who remember why certain processes exist, who can spot trouble before it starts, and who provide the stability that keeps departments functioning when everything else is in flux. Their weariness isn’t weakness; it’s the natural result of carrying responsibility for so long. For these experienced professionals, AI represents both promise and concern. They appreciate tools that can handle routine queries or flag potential errors, but they understand that human judgment remains irreplaceable when dealing with
Some days, you might wake up feeling like a chameleon, ready to tackle anything. By lunchtime, you’re channelling your inner newcomer, excited about a new process you’ve discovered.
These adaptable voices are payroll’s secret weapons. They thrive on variety, embrace change, and seem to effortlessly shift between different roles, technologies, and challenges. They’re equally comfortable training newcomers and consulting with senior management, troubleshooting software glitches and explaining complex tax implications to confused employees. Chameleons see AI as another tool in their ever- expanding toolkit. They’re experimenting with chatbots for employee queries, using machine learning to predict payroll trends, and finding creative ways to blend human insight with artificial intelligence capabilities.
complex employee situations or interpreting ambiguous regulations. The Chameleon Voices: Adapting and Thriving Somewhere between fresh-faced enthusiasm find the chameleons. Like Emma, a payroll specialist who’s constantly reinventing her approach: “I love that payroll never stays still. One day I’m learning about new shift patterns and the associated pay codes, the next I’m figuring out how to process payments for employees in three different countries.” and battle-tested experience, you’ll
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The Network Effect: Stronger Together What makes payroll truly powerful isn’t any single voice, but the network they create together. Fresh voices energise weathered ones. Experienced voices guide enthusiastic ones. Adaptable voices bridge different perspectives and approaches. This theme has been bubbling up at recent GPA events, where healthy conversations about our diverse professional experiences have become a regular feature. It’s refreshing to hear colleagues openly discussing their career journeys, challenges, and the different phases they’ve navigated in payroll. This network becomes even more valuable when enhanced by thoughtful AI integration. Instead of replacing human judgment, artificial intelligence can help different voices connect more effectively, translating
The Twist: We’re All Just Voices in Time Here’s the thing about payroll voices: they’re not fixed categories. Sarah, the enthusiastic newcomer, might become David, the weary veteran, who could transform into Emma, the adaptable chameleon, who might circle back to rediscover Sarah’s curiosity. We move between these voices depending on our circumstances, challenges, and energy levels. Some days, you might wake up feeling like a chameleon, ready to tackle anything. By lunchtime, you’re channelling your inner newcomer, excited about a new process you’ve discovered. Come Friday afternoon, you might find yourself speaking with the weathered wisdom of someone who’s seen it all before. The AI Amplifier: Choosing Your Enhancement The rapid advancement
of artificial intelligence has added a new dimension to these payroll voices. As the UN Development Programme’s 2025 Human Development Report observes, we face “choices we can make to ensure that it enhances human capabilities.” This perspective challenges us to think beyond simply replacing human tasks with AI and instead consider how technology can amplify what makes each payroll voice unique. For fresh voices, AI can accelerate learning by providing instant access to basic information or examples of scenarios. For weathered voices, it can handle routine tasks, freeing up mental space for strategic thinking and mentoring. For chameleons, AI becomes another adaptation tool, enabling them to tackle even more diverse challenges. The key lies in choice, how we decide to integrate AI into our professional identities rather than letting it define them.
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complex regulations for newcomers, flagging potential issues for experienced professionals, or suggesting new approaches for adaptable team members. The Human Constant Regardless of which voice dominates your payroll personality today, one thing remains constant: payroll is fundamentally about people. Behind every calculation is someone’s ability to pay their mortgage, take their family on holiday, or save for their children’s education. No amount of artificial intelligence can replicate the empathy, required to handle these responsibilities with care. As the UN report wisely notes, the focus should be on “making bold decisions so that AI augments what people can do.” Rather than simply replacing human involvement. In payroll, this means using technology to enhance our ability to understanding, and human judgment
matters. Together, you create a chorus that keeps the working world turning, one payslip, one query, and one human interaction at a time. After all, payroll isn’t just about processing payments. It’s about people, and that’s a voice that will never be automated away.
serve employees, not to eliminate the human touch that makes our profession meaningful. The voices in payroll are as diverse as the people we serve. Whether you’re asking your first question about statutory payments or celebrating your thousandth successful payroll run, your voice
Share Your Story If you have a story, whether it’s a disaster narrowly averted or a triumph no one celebrated, please send it through. A one-liner or a few paragraphs, we’d love to hear from you. And remember, don’t assume others’ stories are more interesting than yours. Every payroll professional has unique experiences worth sharing. If you prefer talking through your experiences, we’re happy to arrange a quick call. When was the last time your payroll team saved the day? We’re waiting to hear your story. Send your stories confidentially to: helen.dooley@crpayrollsolutions.com Let’s shine a light on the people who keep the wheels turning and the payslips rolling. Because payroll is never just numbers - it’s the people behind them who make it work.
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Payroll’s come a long way - but managing it across multiple countries, especially in smaller markets, still brings hidden headaches. A smarter mix of strategy, tech and people can help you tackle long-tail complexity without losing sight of control, compliance or cost. Revolution of Global Payroll The Evolution and
Author: Jo Funnell Jo Funnell is Payroll and HR Transformation Manager at LACE Partners. She joined in 2022 after working at Barclays Bank for over 16 years, specialising in delivering Payroll, HR and operational transformation. Her passions are global payroll, enabling HR programmes delivering major people, process and technology implementations. She has worked with payroll solutions and providers, setting up and maturing of HR Shared Services and on many HR transformation programmes covering the wider HR landscape. technologies and HR transformation
Optimising Payroll - Strategy, Tech and People I n today’s global business landscape, managing payroll across multiple countries isn’t just about paying people on time - it’s about
more evident than in the “long-tail”: those smaller, often overlooked entities that still carry the same compliance responsibilities as their larger counterparts. As a Payroll Transformation Manager, I’ve seen how the right mix of strategy, technology, and people can turn
navigating a maze of local rules, systems, and expectations. And nowhere is this
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the silver bullet. “
The knee-jerk reaction is often to roll out a single global payroll platform. But that’s rarely
this complexity into a real opportunity. But it takes a shift in mindset, a smarter approach to tech, and a team with the skills to flex and adapt. The Hidden Cost of the Long-Tail On the surface, running payroll for a handful of employees in one location might seem straightforward. But dig
a little deeper and you’ll find a tangle of local tax laws, reporting quirks, and compliance risks. Many organisations end up with a patchwork of local vendors, internal teams, and global platforms. The result? Costs that feel disproportionate for smaller teams Limited visibility across systems and regions
Compliance headaches due to inconsistent processes Difficulty pulling together meaningful, consolidated reports The knee-jerk reaction is often to roll out a single global payroll platform. But that’s rarely the silver bullet. These systems are built for scale, not subtlety - and when applied to smaller
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markets, they can be too pricey, too complex, and too rigid. Why Tech Alone Won’t Cut It There’s no doubt that technology is a game changer, but only when it’s used wisely. Most global payroll platforms are designed for high- volume operations, where automation and integration deliver big wins. But in smaller entities, those same features can become blockers. If a system assumes deep payroll knowledge or requires heavy configuration, it can overwhelm local teams.
choosing between global or local - it’s about blending both. A dual or hybrid model gives you the best of both worlds: global oversight with local know-how. To make it work, think about how you can: Use a centralised platform to keep things visible and under control Partner with local providers who understand the rules on the ground Automate where it makes sense, but keep it simple where it doesn’t Set clear roles and responsibilities so everyone knows who’s doing what This approach helps simplify your tech stack, standardise where you can, and tailor where you need to. It also makes it easier to bring your data together - something that’s essential for good reporting and smart decision-making.
If it’s priced per head, the cost can quickly outweigh the benefit. And if it can’t flex to local compliance needs, it adds risk rather than reducing it. The takeaway? Payroll tech needs to be fit for purpose. It should be part of a broader strategy that considers the size, maturity, and needs of each location, and it should be supported by the right internal structure to make it work. Finding the Balance Between Flexibility and Control The future of long- tail payroll isn’t about
Many smaller entities don’t have dedicated payroll staff, so outsourcing is often the way to go. But without proper oversight, that can lead to even more fragmentation.
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Rethinking Payroll for a Global Future There’s no magic fix for long-tail payroll complexity. But there is a better way. It starts with building a flexible, scalable model that brings together the right tech, the right people, and the right strategy. By embracing a hybrid approach, investing in your data, and giving payroll a seat at the strategy table, you can finally get a handle on the long-tail without sacrificing compliance, visibility, or cost control. The future of payroll isn’t one size fits all. It’s smart, adaptable, and people- focused, and it’s high time we started treating it that way. Payroll should be more than just a back-office task. With the right foundations in place, it can become a strategic enabler, driving efficiency, supporting compliance, and delivering real business insights. The future of payroll is agile, data-driven, and people-powered. Now is the perfect time to start building towards it.
Why People and Process Matter Too Let’s be honest, tech is only part of the puzzle. People and process matter just as much. Many smaller entities don’t have dedicated payroll staff, so outsourcing is often the way to go. But without proper oversight, that can lead to even more fragmentation. To keep things on track, it’s worth investing in: 1. Clear governance and escalation routes 2. Documented processes that are easy to follow 3. Training and support for local teams 4. Strong relationships with your external providers And let’s not forget the bigger picture. Payroll is often seen as a back-office function, but it holds a goldmine of data on workforce trends, costs, and compliance. When it’s connected to HR and finance, it becomes a strategic asset, not just a transactional one.
Data is Your Secret Weapon Clean, consistent payroll data is the foundation for everything— from automation to compliance to insight. But in long-tail markets, data is often scattered and inconsistent. At a recent roundtable event, one organisation we spoke to completed a systems. The result? A clean and consistent 22-month dataset that unlocked predictive analytics, improved audit readiness, and laid the groundwork for AI-driven automation. To get there, you need to prioritise data governance, cut down on manual processes and integrate payroll with your HR and finance systems. It’s not just about efficiency - it’s about enabling smarter, more strategic decisions. full data cleanse across its payroll
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The payroll industry is undergoing rapid change. As AI shifts from concept to concrete practice, traditional roles are being redefined, not eliminated. This shift challenges professionals to adapt, rethink their value, and embrace a more strategic role in the payroll ecosystem. AI is Redefining Payroll Roles: Where Do We Go From Here?
Author: Zennie Sjölund Zennie Sjölund is a well-known and highly respected figure in Global based Divisional Director Payroll of Srf konsulterna - the association of Swedish Accounting and Payroll - and has 20 years of payroll industry experience with a special Payroll. She is the Sweden- focus on payroll intelligence and trendspotting.
Payroll in Transformation P as now. Over the past 25 years, the combined force of digital technology and ever-increasing legislative complexity has reshaped the way we work. No longer a back-office function, payroll is a global and strategic discipline. What happens in one jurisdiction ayroll has always been in a state of evolution, but never as rapidly
can ripple across continents. Today, artificial intelligence is no longer just a buzzword, it is having a real and measurable impact on payroll systems. AI is not replacing payroll professionals but redefining how payroll is managed, delivered, and understood. The Rise of AI in Payroll AI is enabling centralized, automated platforms
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Payroll has undergone seismic shifts before; from paper-based ledgers to spreadsheets to fully integrated HRM platforms. And each time, human
expertise evolved alongside the tools. “
that operate seamlessly across multiple countries and jurisdictions. These systems leverage machine learning and real-time data to: Ensure up-to-date compliance with local
duplicate payments This isn’t tomorrow’s vision, it’s happening now. Major providers like ADP, Deel, and Paylocity are integrating AI to reduce processing time, minimize errors, and enhance client reporting in real time. The market reflects this shift. The global market for AI-driven payroll solutions is projected to nearly double; from
USD 13 billion in 2024 to approximately USD 25 billion by 2030. Drivers include automation, cloud-based platforms, and growing demand for real-time compliance and personalization. Is Human Expertise Still Needed? With such a level of automation, it’s fair to ask: is there still a role for payroll professionals?
tax and labor laws Eliminate manual data entry through “touchless payroll” Provide predictive
analytics for cost control and workforce planning Identify anomalies, such as incorrect tax rates or
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To answer that, we must look at the past. Payroll has undergone seismic shifts before; from paper-based ledgers to spreadsheets to fully integrated HRM platforms. And each time, human expertise evolved alongside the tools. According to a 2025 Gartner survey, 78% of payroll professionals were reassigned to higher- value roles after the implementation of AI- powered systems. Rather than being displaced, they transitioned into roles involving data interpretation, compliance oversight, advisory services, and strategic workforce planning.
For payroll professionals, the challenge is not to defend traditional tasks but to embrace new ones, ones that technology alone cannot fulfil.
AI can detect an error, but it can’t assess its legal or ethical implications. It can suggest cost optimizations, but only a human can weigh the business consequences of those decisions. In a regulatory environment that grows more complex each year, human judgment remains irreplaceable. Looking Ahead We are standing at the intersection of technology and trust. AI is accelerating payroll’s transformation from transactional to strategic. For payroll professionals, the challenge is not to defend traditional tasks but to embrace new ones, ones that technology alone cannot fulfil.
In a world where you might wonder whether things are truly improving, one thing remains certain: payroll must be run. We Move Forward by Evolving The future of payroll is not about replacement, it’s about reinvention. As AI transforms processes, payroll professionals are shifting from task execution to strategic enablement. Our roles will focus more on interpretation, compliance, advisory, and cross-functional insight. The path forward is one of adaptation, where human expertise and machine intelligence work in tandem to deliver smarter, faster, and more resilient payroll solutions.
A Shift, Not a Replacement The key point is this: AI does not eliminate the need for payroll
expertise; it transforms it. Professionals are spending less time on repetitive tasks and more time on
high-impact analysis and cross-functional collaboration.
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