REWARD
The ever-changing profession
Karen Beckett BA(Hons) ChFCIPP, head of payroll and benefits at Dorset HealthCare University NHS Foundation Trust, discusses how the role of payroll has changed dramatically and considers the direct impacts of this on the education versus experience debate we’re exploring this issue
P eople find their way into the payroll profession in various ways. Some may choose payroll, pensions or reward as a career, while others will fall unintentionally into the profession. Some will have qualifications, some will have experience and others will have neither. To understand if the payroll profession requires education or experience, we need to understand how far the profession has come and what it involves. When I started out in payroll nearly 40 years ago, it wasn’t seen as a career. You didn’t choose to work in the payroll office. There were no qualifications needed and if you wanted a qualification, you would train to become an accountant or choose a different career.
Payroll didn’t have the complexities it has today, and the benefits were limited compared to now. Working in payroll, a limited knowledge of pensions was required. Starting out in local government, the extent of my pension knowledge was how to notify the pension scheme of the member’s start date, contributions and leaving date – on paper forms. It was only when I started working for the payroll team in the NHS that I spent two years in the pension team and learned that there was so much more to pensions. Today, things have changed and moved on. Working as a payroll professional, there are many strands to the industry. Someone can work within payroll processing pay. They could diversify to
being a pension professional or become an expert on staff benefits. Alternatively, they may wish to diversify into the world of payroll software or be involved with payroll projects. Whatever area you work in within the profession, it’s fair to say that the complexities around payroll, pensions and reward have grown. As payroll professionals, we’re required to understand hundreds of pieces of legislation. Our knowledge must also cover the organisation’s terms and conditions of service. As a pension professional, we have to grapple with many changes to pensions rules. This has included the different schemes available, changing rules for part-time workers, various retirement options, automatic enrolment and the ‘McCloud’ case and remedy. As staff benefits experts, we must understand the legislation around the many types of benefits and reward, as well as looking for ways to support staff during the cost-of- living crisis. The only way to learn payroll used to be to sit with another member
“Whatever area you work in within the profession, it’s fair to say that the complexities around payroll, pensions and reward have grown”
| Professional in Payroll, Pensions and Reward | June 2024 | Issue 101 36
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