NATIONAL PAYROLL WEEK
Helen Livesey, national channel lead, Hays Payroll Management , reveals the lessons realised in this year’s NPW What did we learn?
E arlier in September we celebrated National Payroll Week (NPW), where each year we get together to raise the profile of payrollers and awareness of the profession. There’s much to celebrate each year but particularly this time around, as we’ve seen payroll professionals pushed to their extremes in recent months. The impacts of the coronavirus pandemic underpinned all of the activity throughout the week and certainly gave me a different experience compared to previous years. Reflecting on the week, here are some of the lessons – some of them unexpected – that I learned about our profession. ● Our work is vital – Granted, this one shouldn’t come as a surprise. Most of you reading this will already know that payroll is a critical business function. But it’s all- too-often overlooked. For me, recognising the vital nature of the work of payroll professionals is one of the biggest lessons of NPW every year. A punchy statistic I came across recently is that the work payroll professionals do through collecting income tax and National Insurance is expected to contribute around £325.7 billion to the UK economy in 2020/21. That’s a huge number which I think cuts through the noise and shows just how vital our contribution is. Numbers aside, NPW brings us back to the core job of a payroll professional – making sure staff at their organisation are paid. The significance of this isn’t to be underestimated, nor is its connection to driving employee trust and engagement. Put simply, getting paid on time, receiving
accurate pay slips and being well- supported by a payroll team leads to greater employee trust and engagement, without which a business can’t function – let alone flourish. ● Payroll is integral to change – Connected to this is the integral role payroll plays in times of change. Since the coronavirus lockdown commenced in March, we’ve seen huge decisions being made at the drop of a hat, new systems and processes put in place practically overnight and roles and responsibilities subject to dramatic shifts. These times of change have put employee morale to the test and employers have found themselves faced with the challenge of keeping employees engaged in order to keep their organisation running smoothly. If basic functions like payroll don’t run smoothly during times of change, organisations risk losing the trust of their workforce which has consequences on their ability to run smoothly. This NPW we got the chance to truly celebrate the exceptional efforts of payroll teams to ensure staff are paid, which has gone a long way to stabilising organisations during what has been a tumultuous time to say the least. ● It’s becoming increasingly diverse – Payroll week isn’t just celebrated in the UK – it’s recognised worldwide having begun in America in 1996. The celebrations across the globe during NPW reminds us of just how diverse our work is and how increased globalisation is leading to greater complexity and variety in how payroll professionals need to work.
In payroll we need to be increasingly aware of the variety of employment laws governing different parts of the world. It’s our responsibility to be on top of these differences and ensure our organisation is compliant. Not only that, there are different social norms to consider when it comes to expectations of pay and emerging trends such as customised payment options. This year more than ever, I found it inspiring to feel the global presence of NPW and I genuinely appreciated how diverse our profession is and is becoming. ● We reveal the true colours of our employer – One of the more unexpected lessons I learned during NPW is that payroll really shines a light on the true value and ethics of an organisation. Our work provides a unique glimpse into a critical aspect of the culture of an organisation – namely the process of payment. If staff aren’t being paid properly and the payroll team aren’t effective at handling issues when they arise, the reputation of that organisation will suffer. This was really brought to light for me during NPW and gave me a newfound appreciation for the weight of this responsibility we hold. Our work helps businesses put their best foot forward while maintaining one of the core business functions – and it’s this that I think makes payroll unique. From the myriad of celebrations throughout NPW (most of which are happening virtually this year), there are so many more lessons we can learn about the profession. Everyone’s experience will be different, but I for one relish the opportunity each year to celebrate the hard-working individuals behind the strategy and success of payroll – particularly during challenging times like the one we’re facing. n
...cuts through the noise and shows just how vital our contribution is.
| Professional in Payroll, Pensions and Reward | October 2020 | Issue 64 16
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