PERSONAL DEVELOPMENT
# Be Payroll Jessica Ferris ACIPP, payroll, benefits and human resources information system officer at ARRKEurope Ltd discusses why she became amember of the CIPP
Why did you choose to become a CIPP member? Being a member of the CIPP allows me to to prove my payroll knowledge to my current and any future employers, and ensures I’m kept up-to-date with ever-changing legislation. Being a member of a recognised institute installs confidence and pride in my abilities. How has your membership helped in your career? I’ve been able to gain a Level 4 Payroll Qualification and to keep my payroll knowledge current with various courses. It’s also shown my employer I’m getting the latest updates, as I need them to ensure the payroll is compliant. Which membership benefits have you used or enjoyed the most? Can you provide some relevant examples? Since joining the CIPP, I’ve ensured that I attend both the Payroll Update and the BeConnected: National Forums on an annual basis. I find them both very informative and would recommend that, if you do nothing else, you attend both of these. I‘ve also used the Advisory Service, and the team are quick and knowledgeable in their responses. Can you describe your payroll journey to us so far? I, like many others, ‘fell’ into payroll. This happened when my human resource (HR) apprenticeship was disrupted, as the HR department relocated to Hungary, and I had to find a department in which to finish my apprenticeship. That was in 2004, and I haven’t looked back since. I’ve processed large payrolls for the International Business Machines Corporation and the National Health Service, and smaller payrolls for Kraft. My current employer has the smallest payroll I’ve worked on. Each type of payroll has its merits – working in a team means you can bounce off one another and use each other’s knowledge to learn. With a larger payroll, however, the employees you pay can become just a number. With a smaller payroll, you could be working as a sole payroll professional, but you get to know the employees and build a better relationship with them. The part I enjoy most about payroll is checking that calculations generated by the system are correct. I really enjoy administering payrolls and have worn this hat in many guises, but have always kept to the core of payroll processing, rather than payroll
management. I really enjoy the fact that no payroll month is ever the same. I have processed payroll for pay as you earn and for contractors. I’ve also had experience of the Transfer of Undertakings (Protection of Employment) regulations and redundancies, which always makes for complicated payroll processing. What are your hopes for your future career? I’m hoping to gain a Level 5 Payroll Qualification via an apprenticeship programme. Due to a re-structure within my current organisation, I’m also going to be more involved in the benefits side of things. This will give me further understanding of the full process, rather than just the administration of benefits. I’ll be able to gauge which benefits employees want and hopefully get them implemented. Do you have plans to study any CIPP qualifications or training courses? I attend the Payroll Update course and a payroll forum every year. The Payroll Update course gives a high-level overview of upcoming legislative changes and highlights everything you need to know for the current and upcoming tax year, and also things to look out for which could happen in the future. The BeConnected: National Forums provide a great service update and, like the Payroll Update course, offer an insight into upcoming changes that will affect payroll. I keep an eye on courses as they’re announced and look into any which will enhance my skills, and would be beneficial to me and my employer. What advice would you give to anyone new to the payroll profession, just starting out in their career? Never forget how important you are to your organisation. More often than not, payroll is the forgotten element of an organisation, which is only considered when someone’s pay is wrong. Many people think we just press a button (I’m yet to find this elusive button!), but we are much more than that. It’s important to remind yourself that you’re enabling the employees on your payroll to live every day. You are the most important member of your organisation that you pay. n
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| Professional in Payroll, Pensions and Reward | April 2022 | Issue 79 10
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