We are supporting National Payroll Week 2024 to highlight the fantastic work our payroll professionals undertake every day to ensure the workforce are paid accurately and on time.
The history of National Payroll Week
National Payroll Week was established in the UK by The Chartered Institute of Payroll Professionals (CIPP) in 1998 to celebrate the payroll profession and to give them all the recognition they deserve.
We have a fantastic payroll team who are accredited to the prestigious Chartered Institute of Payroll Professionals (CIPP) Payroll Assurance Scheme (PAS). We work hard as a team to uphold and maintain the very highest of standards within a constantly changing legislative environment.
This year we have decided to focus on payroll as a career choice. The accountancy profession is one that offers people a real choice in terms of career pathway. Some choose to start straight from school, many go on to higher education first and others join later in life. We are seeing more diverse options developing for people to study and work in payroll, including apprenticeships, attracting team members at different stages in their career. There are a growing number of payroll and pension qualifications available and plenty of scope to develop a highly rewarding career.
First we meet Gail Wilkinson – Payroll Manager
- How long have you worked for Thomson Cooper? Over 5 years.
- What were you doing before joining Thomson Cooper? I worked for 19 years at the Payroll Bureau in Glenrothes which Thomson Cooper acquired in 2019.
- Professional qualifications – MCIPP (Full Member of the Chartered Institute of Payroll Professionals.
- Why have you chosen a career in payroll? Initially, I did general office administration and payroll was only a small part of my job. I decided that payroll was interesting, varied and challenging so pursued it as my main career.
- What are your areas of expertise and interest? General payroll and day to day running of the payroll department.
- What are the main challenges you face? Managing time is something we prioritise every day. We need to be well organised and have efficient processes.
- What is the most rewarding aspect of working in payroll? There is genuine satisfaction at the end of each month knowing we have processed 450 payrolls and ensured all the staff have been paid so they can live their lives. We have a culture of continually improving our working processes and ongoing training to accomplish our goals.
- What might surprise people about payroll? The level of complexity and continually changing legislation that we need to navigate. Payrollers are professionals which requires around 3 years of training to develop the skills required.
- For those looking to move into payroll, what are the key skills that will help someone kick-start their career? I would say important skills are attention to detail, problem solving and time management.
- What advice do you have for others contemplating a career in payroll? Be prepared for a steep learning curve and take time to build relationships with colleagues and clients as it’s both rewarding and beneficial. Then enjoy a challenging career!