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threatening to “revolutionise” your role. “AI is apparently coming for our jobs,” quips David, a payroll manager. “I’d love to see an algorithm explain to the MD why his bonus calculation is queried by Revenue. Some conversations require human diplomacy and several cups of strong coffee.” At this stage, if you work for a company that values payroll, you’ve got support structures. You’re consulted on decisions. You have a voice. If you don’t? You’re fighting fires daily, whilst someone in the C-suite casually mentions they’re “thinking about changing the pay frequency” without understanding the implications. The squeezed middle is real. You’re sandwiched between operational demands and strategic aspirations, between legacy systems and promised innovations, between being seen as essential and being treated as administrative. The Retirement Years: Wisdom and War Stories
It’s the mental Tetris of juggling year-end, pension auto-enrolment, GDPR compliance, and now AI threatening to “revolutionise” your role.
Mid-Twenties to Squeezed Middle: The Reality Check You’re established now. Possibly managing a team. Definitely managing expectations, legislation, systems, and the constant underlying anxiety that comes with being responsible for everyone’s financial wellbeing. You could also be the go-to person for all queries big and small, and the constant pressure to know the answer from employees, less experienced colleagues and management. The mental load here is complex. It’s not just your own processing stress; it’s carrying your team’s concerns too. It’s navigating organisational politics. It’s explaining (again) why payroll needs advance notice. It’s the mental Tetris of juggling year- end, pension auto-enrolment, GDPR compliance, and now AI
The veterans. Those who’ve survived multiple system
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GLOBAL PAYROLL MAGAZINE ISSUE 17
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