PAYROLL INSIGHTS SURVEY 2026 IN-HOUSE
Payroll queries
Overpayments
What is your most frequent payroll-related query?
Just over half of respondents stated that they review on a case-by-case basis before proceeding to chase an overpayment from an employee. Only 40% said that all overpayments are chased. When asked about what monetary threshold they used before proceeding to chase, responses varied from £50 to £500. By comparison, when asked if there is a time limit used with regards to chase overpayments, again the majority (69%) of respondents said this would be conducted on a case-by-case basis, followed by 27% saying that all overpayments were chased regardless of a time limit, whilst others gave varying time frames between seven weeks to three months. Some said there were no limits for active employees, whilst others put a limit on the number of contact attempts, presumably to limit the administrative burden. The results suggest most organisations do not operate a rigid overpayment recovery policy. Instead, monetary value, employee circumstances and the age of the debt appear to influence recovery decisions.
Underpayments (late data) 32%
16%
28%
Access to payslips
Tax code queries
Overpayments (late data) 3%
Support understanding payslips 15%
3%
Other
Do you have a monetary threshold for chasing overpayments?
1%
Underpayments (payroll error) 1%
Requesting payment advance 1%
40% All overpayments are chased
51% Reviewed on case-by-case basis
9% Yes or other
Non-payment
Top three payroll queries 1. Underpayment (late data received) (32%) 2. Tax code query (28%) 3. Access to payslips (16%)
Do you have a time limit for chasing overpayments before they are written off?
Two of the three most common payroll queries relate either to employee understanding of pay or the timely receipt of payroll information. This suggests that communication and data quality remain key drivers of payroll workload. Whether payroll is delivered in-house or through an outsourced provider, the most common employee queries relate to understanding pay, accessing payroll information and resolving issues caused by late or incomplete data. Improving employee self-service capabilities, payroll communication and data quality may therefore represent one of the largest opportunities to reduce avoidable payroll administration.
27% All overpayments are chased
4% Yes or other
69% Reviewed on case-by-case basis
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In most cases percentages have been rounded to two decimal places for clarity and may not add up to 100%. Graphics may have been rounded to whole percentages.
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