As payroll professionals prepare for the largest overhaul of the tax system since its introduction, Stephen Banyard says data quality is key to the smooth implementation of Real-Time Information.
Real-Time Information (RTI) are words occupying the thoughts of payroll professionals, their software developers and HM Revenue & Customs (HMRC) as it prepares to bring Pay As You Earn (PAYE) into the 21st century.
For anyone not aware of it, the introduction of RTI involves...
Lesley Fidler and Callum Richards consider the VAT issues surrounding salary sacrifice schemes.
From 1 January 2012, employers that are both VAT registered and operate salary sacrifice schemes need to make sure that they are following the provisions of the Revenue & Customs Brief 28/11. This Brief sets out changes in the VAT consequences of salary sacrifice agreements as a result of a...
Charles Cotton summarises the latest research surrounding employee attitudes to pay and urges employers to up the ante when it comes to communicating their decisions.
Each year, many UK employers enlarge the size of their payroll when they give some, or all, of their employees a wage increase, but how do those workers respond to being given more money? For that matter, how do staff react when their organisation freezes or cuts their salary?
To help...
Edmund Tirbutt provides some valuable insights into dealing with private sector unions and warns that the pressure they exert on pay and benefits could significantly increase.
Recent media publicity about trade unions has been so heavily skewed towards the public sector that a casual observer could be forgiven for assuming that the private sector had become virtually union-free. Nevertheless, those working for privatised utilities or in sectors such as manufacturing,...
Liz Hughes considers how and why payroll performance should be evaluated.
Performance appraisal is a fact of life for an ever increasing proportion of us. It tends to be met with varying degrees of scepticism or enthusiasm. However, what cannot be disputed is that a well-designed appraisal system, used by appropriately trained staff, can be one of the most effective...
Reward is now a boardroom issue and as such needs to be linked to business strategy, advises Mark Thompson.
Whether we like it or not, we’re living in interesting times. Everything from the weather to Downton Abbey is breaking records. Even reward is going through unprecedented change.
We are now into a third year of declining living standards in the UK, with prices rising at around...
Jackie Cosh explains the different types of payroll fraud and what companies can do to detect and ultimately prevent it.
When the University of Leicester conducted research in 2003 it found that 70 per cent of the 2,000 people questioned admitted that they would commit fraud if they could get away with it. Around nine years have passed since this research was published and in that time we have experienced one of...
Paul Tew outlines what payroll and benefits professionals can expect in 2012.
The end of 2012 will mark the halfway point in the life of the current Parliament. Some of the measures introduced by this Government are likely to be further advanced during 2012, while other longstanding planned changes will come into force. All in all, this year is likely to be busy for...
Brad Chick assesses George Osborne’s Autumn Statement and its impact on payroll and benefits.
The Chancellor George Osborne delivered his Autumn Statement on 29 November 2011, which concentrated on further cost cutting and infrastructure investment. However, it also confirmed payroll measures that had already been made public.
Income Tax
Personal Allowances have increased,...
As household bills soar, John Evans says now is the time for employers to boost their voluntary benefits offering.
The beginning of the year is often gloomy. Christmas has gone, the buzz of New Year’s Eve has worn off and what seemed like “Christmassy” weather a month ago is now simply dark, freezing and transport-destroying. However, January this year has the added frisson of being laden...
Alex Blyth discusses the pay perception gap in the public sector.
It’s a new year, a new beginning, and for many people a time to think about a new job. While this can be an exciting prospect for those doing the looking, for payroll and benefits professionals tasked with keeping a workforce loyal and motivated, it can be a worrying time of year. This is...
In light of the festive season having sent travel and entertainment costs spiralling, Sanjay Parekh questions whether the new bribery rules could be a blessing in disguise for business.
Deloitte’s latest survey of British business uncovered a trail of missing receipts and unchecked expenses claims leading to an inescapable conclusion. Lack of transparency and control is opening the floodgates to mass bribery and fraud.
In a startling peep into the murky world of...
Elaine McIlroy asks if following the Swedish derogation model is the ideal solution or a risky strategy when it comes to the Agency Workers Regulations.
In the lead-up to the Agency Workers Regulations 2010 (AWR), which came into effect on 1 October 2011, many businesses were concerned about the additional red tape and expense they would face. The Government has estimated that implementation of the AWR will cost UK businesses £1.8 billion...
Katy Meves considers the current statutory scheme for adoption leave and pay.
Prime Minister David Cameron has said that he wants to speed up the adoption process after it was revealed that only 60 children under the age of one were adopted out of local authority care last year.
With the prospect of an increase in the number of adoptions, employers need to be aware of...
Julia Turney examines the complexities of budgeting for a flexible benefits scheme.
According to the Employee Benefits/Towers Watson Flexible Benefits Research 2012, 67 per cent of respondents cite the cost of implementation as being a barrier to having a flexible benefits (flex) scheme, while 56 per cent say it is the cost of administration and 46 per cent the cost of the...
