Payroll professionals play a vital role in helping employees to be paid accurately, on time and in line with the law.

That is why the findings of the recently published Working Lives report from the Fair Work Agency and the Department for Business & Trade are important reading for payroll bureau leaders and senior teams.

The report found that 14% of workers experienced at least one clear legal violation of their employment rights during the survey period. Among precarious workers, that figure rose to 26%. The report also makes clear that these figures are likely to be an underestimate.

While payroll professionals are not responsible for every area covered by the report, several of the issues sit close to the payroll function, including National Minimum Wage, payslips, payment for all hours worked, statutory payments, holiday pay and deductions from pay.

For bureau leaders, this is not just a compliance issue. It is a leadership opportunity.

Payroll bureaus already bring enormous care, expertise and professionalism to the work they do. They support employers through complex legislation, fixed deadlines, changing requirements and high expectations. Every payroll cycle depends on accuracy, judgement and trust.

In bureau environments, teams often work at arm’s length from the employer and rely on clients providing the right information, at the right time, in the right format. When that information is incomplete, late or misunderstood, it can create risk for the employer, pressure for the payroll team and, ultimately, poor outcomes for employees.

That is why strong bureau leadership matters.

High-performing bureaus are well placed to help employers understand their responsibilities more clearly. Through better client education, stronger processes, clearer evidence trails and confident conversations, bureau teams can help reduce risk before it becomes a payroll problem.

This does not mean taking responsibility for every client decision. It means leading with professionalism, setting clear expectations and helping clients understand why accurate payroll information matters.

The newly established Fair Work Agency will also bring renewed focus to enforcement across areas such as National Minimum Wage, statutory payments and wider employment rights. Bureau leaders need to understand what this changing landscape means for their teams, their clients and the employees affected by payroll decisions.

This is exactly the kind of issue ABM exists to help bureau leaders respond to.

Britain needs strong, high-performing payroll bureaus. Bureaus that are confident in their value, clear in their boundaries and proactive in helping clients do things properly.

On Tuesday 19 May at 10:30am, Barry Matthews will be hosting an ABM webinar with Jeni Morris, National Minimum Wage Specialist, to discuss the implications of the Working Lives report and the impact of the Fair Work Agency on payroll bureaus.

The session will explore where the risks are likely to arise, what bureau leaders need to be aware of, and how payroll teams can strengthen client conversations before issues become more serious.

Payroll matters. Compliance matters. And payroll bureaus have a powerful role to play in raising standards across the sector.

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