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dependency is how it spreads across organisations. IT has the person who’s the only one who understands the server configuration. Marketing has the person who knows how to access the social media accounts. HR has the person who remembers which forms need signing in what order. But payroll dependency feels different because the stakes are higher. Miss a marketing deadline, and you reschedule the campaign. Miss payroll, and you will have countless angry employees demanding answers. The Documentation Dilemma “We’ve tried to document everything,” sighs Emma,
security, but it’s actually a career prison. Janet can’t take time off, can’t be promoted, and certainly can’t leave without causing organisational chaos. “I thought I was being admits Rachel, a payroll manager who recently started documenting her processes. “Turns out I was creating a monster.” The irony is that these knowledge silos helpful by handling everything myself,” often develop with the best intentions. Someone capable steps up during a crisis, gradually accumulates responsibility, and before you know it, they’re the only person who understands how anything works. The Ripple Effect of Dependency When Janet finally does take that overdue holiday, the panic begins. Suddenly, senior management discovers that nobody else knows:
How to process the monthly pension contributions Where the backup tax codes are stored Why the system needs that specific workaround for directors’ expenses How to generate the reports that the board expects every month weeks,” recalls Simon, an operations director. “They spent the first week just trying to figure everything out, including just getting access!” Beyond Payroll: The Bigger Picture The fascinating thing about key person “We had someone cover payroll for two
But payroll dependency feels different because the stakes are higher.
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GLOBAL PAYROLL MAGAZINE ISSUE 15
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