Academy Training Payroll Pulse – September Edition
Welcome to Payroll Pulse, the only blog where payslips come alive and payroll teams get their moment in the spotlight!
Cheers to National Payroll Week (1–5 September 2025)
This week is dedicated to celebrating you – our payroll heroes! National Payroll Week in the UK runs from 1 to 5 September 2025, championed by the CIPP to salute your dedication to precision and compliance.
Expect a bumper schedule including:
• A spectacular launch event at Sky Garden, London on Monday 1 September gb.frontiersoftware.com.
• A wealth of free webinars and digital resources – perfect for CPD and team bonding.
• Companies across the sector are hopping on board with quizzes, thank-you breakfasts, celebration packs, and more.
Stay tuned: Academy Training will be hosting a very special content throughout the week – more on that soon!
Legal Horizons: Employment Rights Bill on the Radar
Big news: the Employment Rights Bill is progressing through Parliament, with Royal Assent expected in September 2025.
Key payroll-relevant changes include:
• Statutory Sick Pay (SSP) from April 2026:
o Eligibility drops: now 80% of average weekly earnings, or the current flat rate – whichever is lower.
o Elimination of the Waiting Period: payment begins from the first day of sickness.
• Introduction of Day-One paternity leave and parental rights, plus bereavement leave (including in cases of early pregnancy loss).
These are coming soon – so it’s never too early to dust off those policy handbooks!
Economic Outlook & Payroll Pressures
A quick glance at the wider scene:
• Payroll employment is down: the UK has shed about 178,000 payrolled jobs over the past year, unemployment at 4.7%, and wage growth at 5% – indicating a softening labour market.
• Hiring intentions are weak: less than 60% of private sector employers plan to hire in the near term – the lowest since the pandemic – thanks to rising wage bills and employer NICs.
In short: payroll teams are juggling cost pressures and compliance – time to double down on efficiency and morale.
A Puzzle Just for You!
Here’s a payroll-related riddle to chew on:
“I’m neither wage nor bonus, yet I often steal the show – deducted just a little, but I’m what HMRC wants to know. What am I?”
(Come back next month for the answer – and our guess at your clever theories!)
Wrap-Up & What’s Next
• Celebrate yourself this week – whether with cake, kind words or CPD badges. Your behind-the-scenes brilliance deserves the spotlight!
• Update your payroll systems pronto – especially for the legal changes.
• Plan ahead for that SSP update in April 2026.
Stay fun, stay compliant – and most importantly, stay payroll proud.
Until next month’s blog (and the riddle answer reveal)!
Your Academy Training Team
