73% of Ireland's payroll processors feel unprepared for the 2025 pensions auto enrolment rollout, a new report by Bright & IPASS reveals

DULEEK, Ireland, Sept. 5, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- The "Voice of Payroll" report published by Bright, a leading accounting and payroll software company, and IPASS, Ireland's leading payroll training & qualification body, found that 73% of payroll professionals surveyed feel unprepared for next year's auto enrolment (AE) rollout.

With the automatic enrolment retirement savings system due to launch early in 2025, 43% of those who contributed to the research, shared that their business does not currently have plans in place to help them navigate this change, with 34% of survey respondents feeling 'very unprepared' for this new development.

"Payroll professionals work tirelessly to ensure we are paid correctly and on time, and that employers remain compliant and adhere to the relevant legislation.  With 31% of those surveyed stating they face challenges in keeping up with changes in legislation like the recent ERR and upcoming auto enrolment rollout, it's essential that they are supported with the right learning opportunities and technology to enable them to do their jobs effectively." says Bright CEO, Stephen Murdoch.

Sharing perspectives from over 1000 payroll specialists working in Ireland "The Voice of Payroll" includes insights on pay, employee well-being, hiring trends, training and development and technology adoption.

Other key findings in the report include:

• One in four payroll professionals are set to retire in the next decade.
• Job satisfaction amongst payroll professionals is high; yet those working in the industry face significant challenges, including staying current with new legislation like ERR and Auto-Enrolment.
• Whilst payroll processors recognise cyber and data security as a growing concern, 91% of respondents still share payslips via email or printed distribution, putting sensitive information at risk.

The "Voice of Payroll -2024 report" is available to read here.

About Bright

Bright is a leading vendor of accounting, payroll, tax, and HR software solutions that caters to accountants, bookkeepers, and small to mid-sized businesses in the UK and Ireland. For more information visit: https://brightsg.com/

About IPASS

IPASS, the Irish Payroll Association is Ireland's leading provider of Payroll and VAT training and certification. IPASS offers a range of courses and qualifications, including PAYE, PRSI, USC, UK Payroll, VAT, Employment Law, PSWT and Relevant Contracts Tax. For more information visit https://ipass.ie/