Payroll is one of those things that everyone just expects to work. But when it doesn’t, the impact is immediate and significant. People don’t just see a number missing from their bank account. They feel let down, frustrated and start to lose trust in their employer.
That’s why we’ve been talking more and more with clients about payroll resilience - how to make sure that even when something goes wrong (and it does), your people still get paid on time, every time.
Here are the key takeaways that came out of our recent webinar featuring Caxton's Rupert Lee-Browne and Paul Unwin in conversation with OpenPayd's Michael Treacy.
When payday comes and no payment lands in the bank account, it’s more than just an inconvenience. According to our 2024 report, over half of employees in the UK say they’ve been paid late at some point, and it sticks with them. It only takes one bad experience to undo years of loyalty and goodwill.
While BACS still works, if any part of the chain fails - a provider goes down, the wrong file’s uploaded, a deadline’s missed - your whole payroll can collapse, and you won’t know until it’s too late.
Faster Payments lets you move money almost instantly. If an employee's bank details are wrong, the payment bounces back straight away — not days later. It also gives you the flexibility to fix things quickly, like adding missed overtime or bonuses without needing messy supplemental runs.
Adding a payroll backup sounds like a big change, but it doesn’t have to be. With the right setup, you can mirror your existing processes and be up and running in a few weeks. In some cases, businesses have gone live in just a few days.
As Paul Unwin put it: “You wouldn’t hesitate to insure your building against a fire, so why not protect your payroll too?”
The reality is: payroll problems can and do happen. But with a plan B, they don’t have to become payroll disasters. It's not just about avoiding a crisis - it’s about protecting your people, your business reputation and ensuring peace of mind.
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