During the events of National Payroll Week hosted by the CIPP, our team received a range of questions across speaking panels, networking sessions, and follow-ups. We want to address them collectively, provide support where these are areas of concern, and ensure those who could not attend still have access to the discussions

Maintaining payroll compliance requires organisations to adapt to constantly changing regulations. Challenges such as outdated processes, software limitations, and gaps in internal knowledge can increase the risk of errors and non-compliance. By combining these effective strategies, businesses can reduce risk, improve accuracy, and ensure payroll remains compliant even as legislation and reporting requirements evolve.

For many years payroll was treated as an operational cost centre: essential, tightly controlled, and largely invisible when it worked well. That posture is no longer adequate. In a tight and transparent labour market, that is a strategic advantage hiding in plain sight.

Seasonal and operational pressures are not limited to front-line staff. Head office functions, including payroll, face equally significant challenges during periods of skeleton coverage, summer holidays, night shifts, and weekend backlogs. Existing approaches offer partial solutions but do not fully address the structural risks amd can leave organisations vulnerable to unexpected incidents.

The EU Pay Transparency Directive will reshape payroll operations across Europe, requiring greater openness in pay structures and detailed gender pay gap reporting. Payroll professionals will be central to ensuring compliance, from data accuracy and system readiness to advising leadership on fair and transparent pay practices. With implementation set for June 2026, early preparation is key to turning compliance into a strategic advantage.

Clean data is essential in any payroll transformation, but can be deceptive in its conclusiveness. Without the legacy logic, operational exceptions, and undocumented behaviours that define payroll history, a system may appear technically sound while producing incorrect results.

The handover phase in payroll transformation is often rushed or overlooked, yet it is a critical juncture that determines whether a project delivers lasting value. When knowledge transfer is superficial or stakeholders are under-informed, inefficiencies, misunderstandings, and additional costs follow.

Examine the importance of strong client-vendor relationships in payroll transformation projects, the role of mediation in resolving conflict, and how third-party involvement can prevent delays and cost overruns. Explores a real-world case where mediation services made the critical difference.

Seasonal absences can severely impact payroll continuity and accuracy, especially during the summer months. This article explores how reduced staffing, delayed approvals, and unplanned gaps in oversight can lead to payroll errors, compliance issues, and team stress.

When selecting a new payroll or HRIS system, many organisations underestimate the complexity of the task. Payroll is a critical business function with no margin for error, governed by legal obligations and relied upon by every employee. Specialist guidancecan help to help ensure successful delivery.

During payroll system transitions, parallel runs often reveal differences in pro-rata salary calculations between the legacy and new platforms. These are frequently misinterpreted as system errors, when in fact they reflect legitimate differences in how each system calculates daily rates for part-period pay. Although unlikely to impact tax band placement, variations in reported gross pay may trigger HMRC attention if they resemble pay irregularities.

the payroll profession in the United Kingdom has experienced a marked evolution. Three major studies - Dayforce & PayrollOrg's Payroll Complexity Survey, PwC’s Global Payroll Complexity Survey, and the CloudPay Payroll Efficiency Index (PEI) - collectively capture the evolving landscape from complementary perspectives.

Discover how identifying and empowering change champions can transform your payroll team. The role of change champions as initiators, facilitators and implementers of new ideas can help implement lasting meaningful change. With emphasis on selecting passionate, trusted staff and, by providing clear role definitions, training and support, organisations can embed lasting improvements in payroll culture and practice.

Explore how behavioural science and change management principles can improve the success of payroll transformation projects. Learn why stakeholder engagement, the IKEA effect, and internal champions are critical to system adoption, risk reduction, and long-term efficiency. Essential reading for payroll professionals leading digital change.

Payroll systems constitute one of the most attractive and vulnerable targets in today’s cyber threat landscape. They are at the intersection of financial operations and personal data, yet are frequently excluded from core cybersecurity strategies. Organisations are not only safeguarding data and systems, but also the trust and well-being of their workforce.

From April 2027, mandatory payrolling of Benefits in Kind (BiKs) via Real Time Information (RTI) will replace P11D reporting. Here, we explore what it is, what it does, and what it means for you.

While it may seem straightforward to measure, payroll errors often go unnoticed due to time pressures, inconsistent checks, and data entry issues. This article explores the challenges in identifying payroll errors, the limitations of error rate metrics, and how systems and governance must work together to improve accuracy.

We analysed guidance from Tier 1 payroll providers such as SAP, Oracle, and Workday to establish a practical rule of thumb for evaluating payroll team structures. Before committing to a new system, it's crucial to first understand whether your challenges are rooted in staffing, processes, or technology.

Legacy payroll systems, once considered stable and reliable, are increasingly becoming liabilities in the modern business environment. These outdated systems often lack the flexibility, security, and efficiency required to meet current business demands, leading to several critical issues.

HMRC have announced that the implementation of mandatory payrolling of benefits has been delayed until 2027. The recurring postponements of payroll legislation raise questions about the readiness of software vendors.