COMPLIANCE
What does PAS accreditation mean to you?
Samantha O’Sullivan MCIPPdip, policy lead at the CIPP discusses the Payroll Assurance Scheme (PAS) with accredited customers
Samantha spoke to: ● Dougie MacInnes , payroll manager, Midland Heart ● Ian Davis MCIPPdip , head of payroll and benefits administration, Direct Line Group ● Marilyn Summers , head of quality assurance and governance, Phase 3 ● Nicola Hirshfield MCIPPdip , human resources (HR) director, HR Connect.
If you want assurance that your payroll team are dedicated to compliance, to know their processes are robust and that lifelong learning and development is planned and encouraged, then the PAS can offer you that confidence. The PAS is the prestigious gold standard for both people and payroll processes and is the much-coveted award in the payroll industry. Developed in partnership with HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC), it’s the only voluntary accreditation on the market, and the scheme is designed to identify risks to a business arising from skills gaps or inadequate processes. It’s a huge accolade for payroll staff once accreditation has been achieved. Examining over 60 facets of the payroll operation, the scheme is consistently evolving with the help of the CIPP’s policy and research team, who are at the forefront of any changes to the payroll industry, so you can be assured you’re gaining a high quality, much sought after accreditation.
What prompted you to go through the PAS process? Dougie MacInnes: Having had a series of green (highly satisfactory) internal and external audits, we were in a positive place as a payroll team. Going through PAS, and the reaccreditation, particularly after a sizeable migration onto a new payroll system, validates the processes we have in place and demonstrates our capability to the Midland Heart governance, risk and audit committee. Ian Davis: To raise the profile of the payroll team within our organisation.
Marilyn Summers: As our managed payroll service was continuing to expand and we were taking on more clients, we felt it would be a great benefit to have an external assessment. This would give assurance to both our organisation and our clients that our payroll team are dedicated to compliance and accuracy. It also shows our processes are robust, and that we encourage continuous professional development of our growing team. Nicola Hirshfield: We wanted to be able to demonstrate that we had sturdy processes in place, we were delivering
a compliant payroll and we valued our staff and their development. We also wanted to demonstrate we valued payroll as a profession. What industry are you in? DM: Social housing. ID: Insurance. MS: Payroll, HR and finance technology. Phase 3 are leading providers of people technology, professional and managed services. NH: Public sector.
| Professional in Payroll, Pensions and Reward | November 2022 | Issue 85 28
Made with FlippingBook - Online magazine maker