HOT TOPIC
Why not communicate the existence of the PTA to your employees? It might save them some frustration and discourage them from trying to get their queries answered by payroll as an alternative to listening to HMRC’s hold music! As a bonus, the more the pressure on the HMRC helpline can be reduced, the more resource they’ll have available to help employers.
payroll system is being considered. This is something most people only get involved with occasionally so it can seem daunting, but it needn’t be. The key is preparation. Be clear about why you want a new system and what you’re looking for that’s different to what you currently have. “So, you see, technology really isn’t something to fear. It’s just a tool, and one which you can use to make things better for everyone” When you’re putting together a list of required features to send to prospective suppliers, be general and describe the challenges you have, rather than concentrating on how you deal with them in the current system. Prospective suppliers then have a chance to show how their system will address those challenges. For example, if you ask whether the system can deal with complex timesheets, all suppliers will say ‘yes’ and maybe go on to describe how complex they can be. It may be that your timesheets are complex because you have a multiplicity of pay enhancements for working at different times of day, on certain days of the week, on bank holidays etc., which the employees currently have to claim on the timesheet. If so, describe that specific scenario to suppliers. You may find their systems can automatically apply the rules to determine when enhancements apply, and all the employee needs to do is give the dates and times the shift started and
ended, eliminating the complex timesheet and also making the whole process less error prone. Another aspect to consider is any manual tasks you’re currently doing. If someone spends hours putting together an interface file to your pension scheme provider, ask if it can be produced automatically. If you have challenges manually uplifting salaries to implement a pay increase, ask how the prospective system could handle this better. If distributing payslips and P60s is difficult, ask about facilities to make them available electronically. Look at everything you do on a spreadsheet and ask if there’s a better way. Of course, you also need to cover the basics such as: l how many employees, pay items, pension schemes etc. you can have l how Bacs is handled l whether there are interfaces to other systems such as finance, human resources and rostering you aren’t changing l a multitude of other things, so you’re comfortable the new system won’t introduce new headaches. Don’t labour the point when asking about statutory deductions, though. All payroll systems handle these and asking about every individual NI table letter, format of tax code and student loan plan type really isn’t necessary. The same goes for real time information: you can assume that every established UK payroll system deals with it. If you’re unsure about procuring a system, especially if your needs are complex, consider getting help. There are consultants out there who are experienced in doing this and can really add value to the process. So, you see, technology really isn’t something to fear. It’s just a tool, and one which you can use to make things better for everyone. n
The future of occupational health (OH) Another government initiative to keep an eye on is OH. There’s a consultation currently ongoing into ways of encouraging employers to access OH advice to assist getting long-term sick employees back to work. It’s in its early stages, but one possibility being considered is providing access via online systems in order to make the advice more cost-effective. If it happens, this could be a boon for both employers and employees.
New payroll systems A scenario where payroll professionals will inevitably come up against new technologies is when a move to a new
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| Professional in Payroll, Pensions and Reward |
Issue 94 | October 2023
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