using spreadsheets for this? Why doesn’t HR understand deadlines? Why do people think payroll is just “pressing a button”? Here’s where the mental load shifts. It’s no longer just about processing, it’s about improvement, efficiency, advocacy. You’re fighting for recognition, better systems, adequate resources. Payroll’s now renting about 70% of your brain space again, but differently. You’re strategising, planning, sometimes plotting elaborate presentations to convince leadership that yes, you do actually need that software upgrade. “I spent six months building a business case for automation,” says Emma, a senior payroll administrator. “Six months! I could have learned Mandarin in that time. But did we get it? Eventually. After three ‘let’s revisit this next quarter’ conversations.” Legislative changes like the EU Pay Transparency Directive aren’t helping either. Suddenly, you’re not just processing payroll, you’re a data analyst, an equity champion, a compliance officer, and apparently, a mind reader when it comes to interpreting vague directives.
can process a standard payroll run without breaking into a cold sweat. This is when payroll rents maybe 60% of your brain, which feels like blessed relief until you realise that remaining 40% is just waiting for the next curveball. “I thought I had it all figured out,” admits Michael, a payroll officer. “Then they introduced a new bonus structure mid- month. I genuinely considered emigration.” The toddler stage is deceptive. You’re competent enough to be trusted, but inexperienced enough that every exception feels like a personal attack on your sanity. New joiners with complicated previous employment? Company car changes? Someone being paid in three different currencies? Sure, why not, let’s throw it all in. The Teenage Years: Know-It-All With Growing Pains Ah, the awkward teenage phase. (Or “my dodgy eyeliner days” as someone said their dad described it). You’ve been doing this long enough to have opinions. Strong ones. About everything. Why are we still
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ISSUE 17 GLOBAL PAYROLL MAGAZINE
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