almost two weeks early this year, a generous gesture from the company to help staff with their Christmas shopping. It felt good in the moment, watching the gratitude flood in. But she’d been around long enough to know what came next. “January is going to be interesting,” she messaged Dan in the group chat. “Let me guess,” Dan replied. “Already getting requests for advances and early payments? Happens every year when companies pay early in December. Staff stretch their pay over six weeks instead of four, and by mid- January, they’re struggling.” “Exactly that. Any advice?” “Tell your bosses this,” Dan typed. “If you’re paying early in December, pay a week early in January too. Give people two five-week pay periods instead of one massive six-week gap. It’s manageable for them, and you won’t be drowning in emergency payment requests.” Sarah sat back, impressed. Another lesson learned from the payroll community that had her back. She exhaled deeply and allowed
“We did it!” Jenny shouted. “Christmas is saved! The turkeys are funded!” It was dramatic, sure, but it was also true. Without payroll running smoothly, Christmas for hundreds of people would be very different. No bonuses for presents. No early payments for travel. No certainty that the money would be there for the Sainsbury’s delivery slot they’d booked back in October. Payroll professionals are the invisible backbone of Christmas. The Waiting Game December 23rd. Payslips would drop in the morning. Sarah’s phone sat on her desk, waiting for the inevitable queries. “There’s a strange sense of relief once all the payslips go out/payday has come and you’ve dodged enough time where the queries would have come in,” Hollie had told her. “Once you know that time has passed, you can start to relax and unwind.” The morning brought a trickle of emails, nothing major. By lunchtime, Sarah’s inbox was quiet. But Sarah knew something else was brewing. She’d paid everyone
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ISSUE 18 GLOBAL PAYROLL MAGAZINE
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