MY CIPP
Coronavirus and payroll – past, present and future
reduction in hard skills training as robots take over complex calculations will be offset by an increase in soft skills training as payroll leaders develop employee experience and leadership skills to manage the requirements of a modern workforce. Payroll management skills in data analytics, digital transformation, global payments, reporting and data strategy will need to evolve. Use the power of payroll to shape your organisation’s success Drawing on the findings from recent research of 32,442 workers around the world, conducted by ADP prior to the pandemic, Jeff Phipps covered career opportunities, flexible working, and money matters. The survey found that 95% of workers felt confident they could acquire the skills needed to succeed in the modern workplace, but trends like digitisation and automation led 33% to predict that their current role will not exist in five years’ time. With increasing skills shortages, HR teams have an opportunity to tap into the goodwill and ambition that exists within the workforce to ensure they’re prepared for the future. On flexible working, only one in five European employees say their organisation has a formal or written flexible working policy, and even fewer (22%) say they feel empowered to take advantage of such arrangements within their company. However, 60% of workers are looking for changes to their work schedule. As regards money matters, globally, just 40% of employees say they receive their salary on time, and one in four wouldn’t notice incorrect pay. In the UK, 52% want to be paid monthly, 27% say weekly, 6% fortnightly, and 9% twice-monthly. To keep ahead of the curve, employers should change the way they work,
empower talent, keep up with digital transformation, and unify HR, talent and payroll systems. Holiday pay In this session, Mared Griffiths, Sally Isaacs, Kirsty Rogers and Jade Linton covered amongst other things the following aspects and issues: ● the latest position on what holiday pay should include ● holiday pay reform ● furlough and holiday – how does it work in practice? ● brexit and the implications for the Working Time Regulations 1998. n “The national forum events are always a good way of keeping up to date with recent and forthcoming changes … a half day well spent.” Lesley Daniel, payroll manager, Applus UK Ltd
Wondering how payroll would have coped if the pandemic had happened in 2000, Paul Gibbons commented that then payroll teams were office-based, there was no remote working, over 90% of payslips were printed, webpage updates were outsourced and slow, and there was no social media! Ten years later, there was still no social media on the scene, but smartphones were emerging, there was some usage of laptops, 60% of payslips were printed, and home internet access was not guaranteed. Fast forwarding to 2020, Paul observed that for many the March payroll could not have been completed had there not already been a digital transformation in the business. Payroll can work from home if enabled by technology, but we cannot be complacent. We need to adapt our business continuity plans, address legacy systems, reduce queries from employees/ clients, and plan ahead to minimise future workload. Looking beyond 2020, momentum towards digital is clear, there will be more prevalent use of cloud-based solutions, and payroll must be better recognised and better remunerated. The future of payroll In this session, Nick Day discussed how the payroll industry is changing: and the effect on skills and opportunities. Automation and technology will not replace the payroll professional, but tasks within the traditional role will be. History tells us that technology creates more jobs than it replaces. Looking to future skills requirements, a reduction in administrative payroll professionals recruited will be offset by an increase in payroll analyst data experts specialising in analysing robotic process automation efficiency and accuracy. A
“Great technical knowledge that it would have taken hours to extract from the
various original sources” Kathy Bryce, BeGreener
“This was the first time I had attended the national forum…I found it to be excellent” Gail Russell, payroll manager, Fosters Funeral Directors “… the information from the different sources provided additional material which will assist with the day to day payroll activities…” Sharron Johnson, payroll manager, ISS Technical Services “I have gained confidence that what I have done in certain circumstances is correct. That I have a good source of information for the future months ahead.” Ruth Evans, payroll bureau manager, Old Mill LLP
The CIPP expresses thanks to the sponsors and hosts
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| Professional in Payroll, Pensions and Reward |
Issue 63 | September 2020
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