REWARD
The career opportunities The diversity of payroll also means opportunities to gain a wealth of
We also have a need for specific information technology (IT) support for payroll system infrastructure. All of this has led to an expanding wealth of opportunities for experienced payroll people. Managing compliance From a legal perspective, payroll people also have a duty to ensure: l compliance with complex legislation l employees are paid correctly l employers are operating within government requirements. Once again, experience gained in understanding and then implementing legislation is vital and is acquired through training, education and self-learning. Sophisticated and modern payroll systems may have removed the burden of manual calculations and pay tables, but no payroll system can replace truly understanding the complexities of statutory legislation in addition to an employer’s own rules surrounding things such as sickness, maternity and benefits. Over the years, successive governments have added additional requirements to payroll’s remit. Real time information (RTI) is a great example of this, as is the future payrolling of all benefits due to be implemented in 2026. Knowledge of this can be gained via education. However, this tends to be based on a ‘perfect world’ learning scenario which is no substitute for on-the-job realism, particularly when things go wrong!
access to specialised training for specific topics such as year end, statutory payments and holiday pay, which can supplement self-learning. Although in the past, promotion was largely based on knowledge and experience, we can now support our payroll recruitment and retention with specific qualifications and certificates to complement the skills needed to fill specific positions. Various certificates and degrees on offer, for example, give payrollers a structured path of educational progression while also showing prospective employers that these individuals are dedicated and committed to learning. We have moved from a purely desk- based learning approach to include learning via education, giving those that complete formal training courses a tangible qualification. We have increased opportunities for payroll-related roles which can give those with payroll knowledge an opportunity to launch into other areas of a business with the expertise and knowledge they have gained. Payroll doesn’t need to be a narrow career path for those who want to broaden their horizons. In 2024, in a profession that never stands still, there are opportunities aplenty. Whatever changes there may be in the payroll world, one thing is for certain – as payrollers, we will continue to take it in our stride and pay our people! n
knowledge which can be used to move between public and private sectors, bureau services, internal payroll, external payroll providing services to a client, global payroll and umbrella companies. All these areas, along with the varied types of roles now available, provide an exciting and varied career path for those who want to use their payroll knowledge and experience to stray from more traditional payroll roles. “Experience gained in understanding and then implementing legislation is vital and is acquired through training,
education and self-learning”
The crucial factor in support of dedicated education is that it gives payroll people formal recognition of their level of learning and skill which exists within other professions, plus there’s a mechanism for continued support and development. Today, we also have
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| Professional in Payroll, Pensions and Reward |
Issue 101 | June 2024
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