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Payroll is at the heart of every organisation – it’s time for our industry to feel the love
Melanie Pizzey, chief executive officer at the Global Payroll Association (GPA), thinks it’s time to embrace the importance of the profession
M oney has been a facet of was thought to be paid during the Neolithic Revolution. Western working classes were more often compensated with necessities like food, clothing and shelter until the Commercial Revolution introduced economies based on trade. This evolved pay into something more recognisable – wages based on time worked or output. Over 3.3 billion people around the world are paid wages and the payroll industry is responsible for this. The beating heart Payroll is the beating heart of every organisation, delivering wages, its lifeblood, to every employee accurately and on time. Strong, steadfast and human existence since around 5,000 BC and the first wage never missing a beat, our industry kept the global economy moving when the pandemic hit. We are, however, an industry whose reliability can be to our own detriment. When things are running smoothly, we often go unnoticed, yet research highlights that workers rapidly
lose faith in their employers when something goes wrong. People paid incorrectly only twice may start the process of looking for a new job. For this reason, we need to raise our profile and promote our worth. To do so effectively, we need, and deserve, a seat at the table. We need to raise our profile and Payroll in the spotlight Covid-19 put payroll in the spotlight. You will have heard many anecdotes about how the position of the payroll industry in every organisation has recently promote our worth. To do so effectively, we need, and deserve, a seat at the table
been elevated. At the beginning of the pandemic, payroll leaders became more involved in key decisions. The C-suite requested reports and information which helped to establish how long a company could continue to function, or whether it could survive at all. Globally, hundreds, if not thousands, of legislative changes happened during this time. Payrollers had to keep on top of them all, while continuing their business-as-usual roles. Despite this, a recent GPA survey revealed that 66 percent of payroll leaders felt there was no change to their place in the company hierarchy. Just 14 percent confirmed they had increased access to the C-suite. Through members of the GPA, we have heard multiple examples of companies implementing new human capital management providers but neglecting to keep payroll in the loop. This has led to the predictable and avoidable issue of crisis management to assess and action what must be done to make it all work smoothly. In the payroll department, it is essential for things to be correct. Shouldn’t
| Professional in Payroll, Pensions and Reward | February 2022 | Issue 77 46
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