Capture 99% of payroll errors with three key controls: Master Data vs Payroll to ensure accurate data alignment, Input vs Output to validate payroll changes, and Variance Analysis to identify unexpected anomalies. Regular implementation, automation, and team training make payroll processes reliable, efficient, and error-free, building trust and confidence.

It all started on December 1^st, when SSC Director Alistair Preensworth called an emergency meeting. The email subject had read: “URGENT: Let's make this Christmas EXTRA special!”

The Phoenix payroll project aimed to modernise Canada's federal payroll system but quickly became a disaster. Launched in 2016, it resulted in incorrect pay, no pay, and tax issues for thousands of employees. Mismanagement, complexity, and cost-cutting led to escalating costs, totaling 3.6 billion CAD by 2024.

Here is a riff of a popular TV series from the UK. Let’s see if you can guess the name of the original!

Turn your payroll operations around in 90 days with this structured guide. From assessing current practices to building strong stakeholder relationships, optimising team management, and executing critical improvements, each phase prepares you for sustainable success.

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Friday. The day I live for, and also the day I dread. Everyone across Europe suddenly remembers they had payroll issues that "need to be fixed before the weekend". Sure, let me just wave my magic wand.

Today’s drama came courtesy of the British Sales team. They "forgot" to submit their timesheets, as if this is some sort of optional activity. HR is now chasing them down, which is like watching a slow-motion car crash.

Ah, direct deposits. The thing that should make life easier but instead manages to ruin it spectacularly. The U.S. bank we work with decided to "upgrade" their system, which apparently is American English for "let’s mess with payroll."

Today’s crisis? The overtime apocalypse. Apparently, the Spanish team decided to work extra hours last week — except for Miguel, who worked zero overtime but somehow billed for 20 hours. I’m beginning to think Miguel believes in time travel.

Another Monday in the SSC, where I manage a payroll team for Europe and question my life choices. If you’ve ever wondered what it’s like to handle payroll for multiple countries, imagine juggling flaming torches while riding a unicycle — over a pit of hungry alligators.

"If there are payroll errors, employees will riot." Which payroll professional has not heard this sentence from a panicked stakeholder before?

Teacher protesting over poor salaries is not unheard of. However, rarely do these protests lead to the storm of city offices… unless poor pay is due to a payroll fail.

Centralising payroll offers significant benefits, including cost efficiency, improved compliance, accuracy, scalability, and streamlined reporting. Despite initial resistance due to concerns about disruptions and loss of control, careful planning, phased implementation, and leveraging technology can ease the transition. Ultimately, centralisation is a critical strategic move for businesses.

A clear definition of payroll is essential to distinguish its core responsibilities from adjacent tasks, avoid misunderstandings with stakeholders, and ensure accurate allocation of duties. How to approach payroll if its boundaries are so fuzzy?

Like many concepts, payroll is often a case of “I know it when I see it”. However, a clear definition of payroll is essential to distinguish its core responsibilities from adjacent tasks, avoid misunderstandings with stakeholders, and ensure accurate allocation of duties. It helps clarify payroll's role in the broader business context, improving efficiency, compliance, and communication within organisations.

As incredible as it sounds, Britain's 3rd largest supermarket and petrol station chain went live with a new payroll software knowing it was not ready.

The growing complexity of global payroll, combined with shrinking resources due to cost-cutting, leaves minimal time for optimizing payroll processes. It’s time for the payroll industry to establish its own standards. These standards would offer essential guidance and greatly enhance the ability of payroll teams worldwide to reach best-in-class performance.

For nearly a year, US State Department staffers were stuck in a payroll nightmare. In 2021, a glitch in the new payroll system turned payday into a headache for employees worldwide.

In today's fast-paced business environment, continuous improvement is key to maintaining efficiency, especially in payroll management. Data analytics transforms payroll into a strategic asset, enabling real-time performance assessment, reporting, and predictive analytics.

In most countries outside the UK, it's rare for job ads to include salary ranges, and many employers even prohibit employees from sharing pay information. However, with the EU’s 2023/970 directive on pay transparency, by June 2026, employers across the EU will be required to disclose salary brackets during recruitment. This directive also aims to reduce the gender pay gap and mandates greater transparency, reporting, and employee representation, significantly impacting Poland's SSC sector, where women are often overrepresented.