IPASS Payroll Conference & Exhibition 2016
27 May 2016
Brightwater
My colleagues and I attended this year’s IPASS Payroll Conference & Exhibition 2016 in the Croke Park Conference Centre.
There were a number of engaging speakers on the day discussing the exciting opportunities and challenges facing payroll professionals in Ireland.
Organisational psychologist Patricia Murray, discussed the link between mental health and the work place. According to her, frustrations in the workplace overtime can lead to distress from lethargy, cynicism and even burnout, both mentally and physically.
Maura Conneely of Revenue discussed the developments in the operation of PAYE and USC. She also discussed the new PAYE Online services which will be replacing PAYE Anytime over the coming year. In relation to this, she discussed the need for payroll professionals to prepare for the transition and presented us with the efficiencies of the new system, including the introduction of an expenses tracker app, a plain language website and tailoring towards different customer groups.
Barrister Derek Ryan outlined the main principles of the Employment Equality Acts and how they affect all employees and employers. The differences between direct and indirect discrimination, the 9 grounds of equality, employer’s responsibilities and sexual harassment, and the nuances of what is considered inappropriate in the workplace, each employee decides what is welcome and from whom, as the intention of the perpetrator is irrelevant. Derek also addressed the pay gap between men and women and clarified under the Act; regardless of gender, one should receive equal pay for equal work.
UK payroll specialist Linda Pullan gave an engaging talk on combating payroll fraud and how Real Time Information (RTI) has impacted UK Payroll. She included some humour, with real life examples including one of how a sales assistant fraudster who had been paid 10,000% her salary, was caught while showing up to work in an expensive sports car. The cost of payroll fraud was an eye opener to all payroll professionals in attendance, with Britain losing £38 billion a year due to payroll fraud, according to Linda.
The future of payroll is bright, with many interesting and exciting temporary, contract and permanent payroll jobs in Dublin and Ireland over the coming quarter. For more information on payroll jobs in Ireland, click here.
Attending the event was Annita and Tracy of Brightwater’s accountancy divisions. Brightwater will also be at the IPASS graduation in September, we look forward to seeing you there.