In anticipation of National Payroll Week, IRIS Software Group (IRIS) is issuing a call for action, urging payroll professionals to be equipped with modern tools that ensure accurate and timely payment for every employee.
Startling findings from the latest IRIS research have underscored the urgency of this call, revealing that a staggering 35 percent of UK workers have experienced late or incorrect salary payments.
In a bid to address this issue, one in five (20%) payroll professionals are advocating for improved integration with payroll software, pointing to a pressing need for greater technological adoption within the industry.
An alarming statistic indicates that nearly half (46%) of payroll professionals continue to rekey individual payee details from their payroll solution into payment providers or online banking platforms.
This manual and error-prone practice not only consumes valuable time but also exposes organisations to inefficiencies and inaccuracies, potentially resulting in non-compliance and costly penalties, especially in heavily regulated sectors.
Outdated methods
Furthermore, IRIS’ research highlights a reliance on outdated methods within the payroll landscape. One in five (20%) payroll teams still resort to utilising spreadsheets or CSV files to transfer payee information to payment providers, while an additional one in ten (10%) employ txt files for the same purpose. These archaic approaches lead to time wastage and increase the susceptibility to human errors.
By embracing software integration between HR and payroll systems, businesses can effectively eliminate single points of failure within their operations. Any changes made by employees to their personal information, such as bank details or home addresses, can be automatically reflected in both systems, substantially mitigating the risk of errors. Furthermore, integrated workflows streamline administrative tasks and facilitate automated reminders that prompt managers to input pay adjustments like overtime or expenses, thus ensuring that crucial deadlines are met.
More progress is needed
Commenting on these findings, Fran Williams, Payroll and Managed Services Director at IRIS Software Group, emphasised the need for progress in this area. “Despite the crucial role that payroll professionals play in recent times, many are still hindered by manual, outdated, and error-prone software processes. These processes not only add stress but also squander precious time,” he stated.
Williams continued, “Payroll teams require access to automated, up-to-date software tools that eliminate the need for redundant data copies, safeguard sensitive information, and maintain compliance with the latest tax and national insurance regulations. With the exhaustive efforts involved in managing complex end-to-end payroll processes within tight deadlines, it is unjust that this hard work is compromised by error-prone manual practices when facilitating payroll payments. Payroll professionals deserve seamless integrations with payment and banking platforms. During this National Payroll Week, let’s celebrate our payroll professionals by empowering them with the tools they need to excel, enabling them to focus on what truly matters: your people.”
Amelia Brand is the Editor for HRreview, and host of the HR in Review podcast series. With a Master’s degree in Legal and Political Theory, her particular interests within HR include employment law, DE&I, and wellbeing within the workplace. Prior to working with HRreview, Amelia was Sub-Editor of a magazine, and Editor of the Environmental Justice Project at University College London, writing and overseeing articles into UCL’s weekly newsletter. Her previous academic work has focused on philosophy, politics and law, with a special focus on how artificial intelligence will feature in the future.
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