How do you get payroll wrong?

burnoutbabe

Payroll is fairly simple. But then entering all staff payment details onto the bank system is another seperate task.

I've not got it wrong yet after 3 years, touch wood.

So if payslip doesn't match bank, I'd go for just bank input error (maybe they used last months figures again?)

andygb

burnoutbabe wrote: »

Payroll is fairly simple. But then entering all staff payment details onto the bank system is another seperate task.

I've not got it wrong yet after 3 years, touch wood.

So if payslip doesn't match bank, I'd go for just bank input error (maybe they used last months figures again?)

I think that it is all down to resources, and whether the employer sees payroll as an important function - which it is.
I used to find that "mistakes" were ALWAYS down to being given incorrect bank details (wrong sort code and account number), incorrect NI number for new staff who didn't have their P45, and then OT hours which had not been signed off.

DKLS

Own_Worst_Enermy wrote: »

They said it was a system error

IME its a rare occasion its a systems error, the majority of the time its a human error, with the human interface being the weak link in the payroll process.

agrinnall

DKLS wrote: »

IME its a rare occasion its a systems error, the majority of the time its a human error, with the human interface being the weak link in the payroll process.

And even if it is a system error it's very likely that was caused by a human making a mistake too.

bugslet

DKLS wrote: »

IME its a rare occasion its a systems error, the majority of the time its a human error, with the human interface being the weak link in the payroll process.

That's me, I am the weak link.

Only 25 employees and the super efficient chap that does it, is great. But he will insist on having holidays:(;), so muggins here does it. About 80% of the time I get it right, but there's always some odd payment that I miss off - overnight payments, early starts, meal allowances, overtime, double time, there's a lot of variables over multiple wage structures depending on what vehicle you drive.

Something nearly always goes wrong:(

DKLS

bugslet wrote: »

That's me, I am the weak link.

Only 25 employees and the super efficient chap that does it, is great. But he will insist on having holidays:(;), so muggins here does it. About 80% of the time I get it right, but there's always some odd payment that I miss off - overnight payments, early starts, meal allowances, overtime, double time, there's a lot of variables over multiple wage structures depending on what vehicle you drive.

Something nearly always goes wrong:(

I can relate, way back when I worked in payroll for a council and it wasn't simple, especially for those poor sods who had multiple attachment of earnings orders against them, and woe betide you if you missed off the 25p a week wash your tabard allowance. :eek:

Calls would go like this:

Dinner lady: You missed my 25p of my wages
Me, Let me check whats your payroll number?, ok np problem I will double the payment for next weeks pay run.
Dinner Lady: arrrggggghhhhh if you don't do an urgent payment this every second you will force me into going off sick for six months due to stress. (not a joke)

Some would actually visit the office and demand their 25p and on a number of times I just paid it myself to get rid of them.

Podge52

DKLS wrote: »

I can relate, way back when I worked in payroll for a council and it wasn't simple, especially for those poor sods who had multiple attachment of earnings orders against them, and woe betide you if you missed off the 25p a week wash your tabard allowance. :eek:

Calls would go like this:

Dinner lady: You missed my 25p of my wages
Me, Let me check whats your payroll number?, ok np problem I will double the payment for next weeks pay run.
Dinner Lady: arrrggggghhhhh if you don't do an urgent payment this every second you will force me into going off sick for six months due to stress. (not a joke)

Some would actually visit the office and demand their 25p and on a number of times I just paid it myself to get rid of them.

So you were in the habit of making mistakes then.

DKLS

Podge52 wrote: »

So you were in the habit of making mistakes then.

Happened quite often and yes sometimes the error was down to me or one of the other 20 people in the payroll dept, but I never blamed it on a system error. But I was the sad sack that had to deal with staff who came to the office and when you have someone very agitated about their 25p, it was easier to put your hand in your pocket than to give in to their demand and run a payment for 25p.

My favourite was the cleaner who due to a data entry error, was paid 75k a year to clean a school :rotfl: and no that one wasn't down to me.

Pennywise

Someone popping the figures into Sage is indeed a very simple task, but it is also usually the last bit of a long and tortuous route through the organisation's management and administration systems. The overall payroll function is quite a complex data gathering exercise as you usually have lots of different bits of information, all coming from different places, some internal from various departments, other external such as HMRC and pension firms and courts/local authorities for attachment of earnings orders etc. Popping in the numbers is indeed very simple - knowing what numbers to pop in is the skilled bit!

Own_Worst_Enermy

Steady, I don't have CCJ's and there is only 3 oldies out of 10!