“Implementation is the sincerest form of flattery.” L Peter Deutsch (1946–)
Editor’s comment
Do you vividly recall your first time implementing a payroll system,
requirement from this month to report on payslips hours worked has meant new systems, software, policies and procedures being introduced? For some employers and, of course, payroll service/product suppliers this will have been – and perhaps continues to be – a significant concern and challenge. Quite what will be the outcome for employers of this new reporting requirement is uncertain. I am pleased that a new regular column on pensions, supplied by Aries Insight, starts this issue (page 31). The first topic is about the law on individuals who have gone missing.
and the accompanying excitement, uncertainties, and concerns? My first time occurred in the early 1970s when British Rail rolled out its national payroll
I hope you all enjoyed the winning the war for talent article in last month’s edition. This month’s feature is on systems rather than people. Many of you may be thinking about systems at this time of year. Is there need for a review of how inter-connected your systems are and whether the current system will be fit for future years considering the demands of the business plan? Key aspects of any system implementation being successful, just like most projects in life, are that planning and preparation make all the difference. Setting out early what your requirements are for going live with the new system, what tolerances you are prepared to accept and what you will not, are key to avoiding unnecessary conflict when the pressure builds for agreeing to move systems. If you routinely collect or verify data from employees to ensure what you hold is both relevant and necessary, that will also help ensure data exchanged between systems is accurate and up to date. An exciting opportunity when it comes to change is harnessing the benefits that the new system is expected to bring. Often this is compromised by stakeholders holding onto the past and not system across the southern region. An account of my first payroll software implementation project can be found in the online version. It would be good to receive a report of your first payroll software implementation project. Relevant articles about this issue’s feature topic of payroll software implementation can be found on pages 39–42. But payroll software implementation can occur on a much smaller scale, too. Surely, implementing the statutory Chair’s message
Mike Nicholas MCIPP AMBCS (editor@cipp.org.uk) Editor
embracing what change will bring. Remember the reasons for change may also bring change in approach and who does what in terms of the new processes. Making the new system reflect the old system is a failure of many projects where the change is attempted to not impact current approach. This should be challenged throughout to ensure the best process is achieved and where possible an agreed best practice standard is the one adopted. If you are undertaking a new payroll and pensions system implementation do let us know about its successes and importantly failures (if that is not confidential information). If we can collectively all learn from each other, then lessons shared become lessons learned. I do hope you enjoy this month’s issue and all the information shared.
Jason Davenport MCIPP MIoD (jason.davenport3@cipp.org.uk) Chair, CIPP
CEO’s message
Is your tax year end going well? Takes me back many moons (assuming I’d reconciled each month correctly) to find the final P35 failed our internal validation checks. Head scratching, analysis and investigation ensued to find out why. I don’t
The titles of new articles added since the last publication are highlighted in blue to ensure that they will be clearly visible in the index. The guide is produced on a tax year basis. By the end of each tax year it is closed off and restarted with any significant live news items being carried forward to the following year’s edition and then added to on a fortnightly basis from each edition of News Online . In addition, for earlier year queries all previous annual editions (2011–12 through to 2018–19) and the current latest edition are always available to view and download in the dedicated area of the CIPP website: cipp.org.uk/payrollguide. The policy unit of the CIPP produce this painstaking document for your benefit so please follow the link and avail yourself of it.
yearn after those days. Sometimes progress does benefit us. So, I hope there are no glitches or reconciliation issues for you, and that all goes smoothly. So, into the next financial year and changes to enact, as normal. It’s also an appropriate time to remind you of an invaluable key member benefit, namely our Payroll: need to know – your guide to UK payroll legislation and reporting for 2019–2020 . This resource, which was previously known as the Policy News Journal , contains all relevant UK payroll, pensions and general employment items, and is indexed and categorised for easy reference. Each category is in date order (the most recent entry being at the bottom) to ensure you know you have the latest updates on any given subject.
Ken Pullar FCIPP (ken.pullar@cipp.org.uk) Chief executive officer, CIPP
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| Professional in Payroll, Pensions and Reward |
Issue 49 | April 2019
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