10 signs that you work in Payroll and you REALLY need to take a break

Everyone needs to get paid! In the corporate sector most people expect to get paid once a month, they expect (rightly so) for it to be correct.

But if you have ever tried to process payroll using excel you will know how frustratingly complex it can be.

Even leading payroll outsourcing companies and payroll software sometimes / often get it wrong.

Here are 10 signs that you work in payroll and you REALLY need a break...you are not alone...there is one in every company:

1. You can never take Annual Leave at the end of the month

Planning an end of month getaway? Forget it! The team can not possibly process payroll without you. You need to carefully plan your holidays to avoid payday week, new joiners onboarding, performance cycles, bonus period, HR audits etc etc etc. oh no...I guess you are not taking a holiday this year.

2. When you look at an employee, you don't see a person, you just see their tax calculations 

You feel like you live in the Matrix, endlessly cascading numbers falling all around you. Employees cease to exist for you, they are just calculations, deductions and formulas. Interns are a glitch in the Matrix.  

3. All your friends and ex colleagues call you for advice every time there is a change in tax regulations

Is it rude to block your friends' numbers? Is there a sign on your head that says ‘free advice on payroll related matters’? Everyone wants to talk to you about their payroll problems but nobody cares about your problems.

4. You work more than 75 hours in the week leading up to payday

OMG, overtime calculations, 4000 claims receipts, variable commission all submitted in the wrong format. You no longer remember the difference between day and night, you forget the taste of food. 24/7 is still not enough time to complete everything, but somehow you do complete it.

5. You can’t switch off from thinking about tax, deductions, allowances and benefits

You run to the coffee shop for a quick (and much needed) caffeine fix. You try to order a ‘Large Latte’ but you accidentally say ‘I’ll have a Large Statutory Deduction Please’. Whenever you see a nice family with kids enjoying themselves you can't help thinking of the tax benefits if they had one more kid!  

6. Nightmares about making mistakes keep you awake all night

Waking up in a cold sweat because you can't remember if you completed all your tasks or just dreamed about doing it. Or do you suffer from the ultimate payroll nightmare...the CEO didn't get their salary this month...Someone’s gonna get hurt real bad!

7. You avoid socialising with employees in case they ask you to explain something they don't understand in their payslip

You are nervous, you constantly look at the clock, it's almost time, your anxiety hits an all time high! Have you got an important presentation? NO. Have you got a high pressure meeting with the CEO? NO. Has the sales team casually asked you to join them for lunch and you know they will ask about how commission is calculated? YEEESSS! BUT PLEASE NOOOO!

8. ‘Frustration’ and ‘Stress’ feel like they should be words in your job description

When you applied for the job, you vaguely remember reading the job description. It was full of excitement, promise, enthusiasm. But you can't remember it saying ‘must be comfortable with constant frustration’ or ‘love feeling stressed 24/7’ 

9. Your finger hovers over the ‘send payslip’ button for a full minute whilst you plan your escape route

You know there will be employees unhappy with their payslip, even though it is 100% correct. You send the payslips, run to the elevator, jump in the car, and you have escaped...until the next morning. We have all been there, regardless of your job. Sometimes you want to send an email but you don’t know if you should, you are scared of the consequences so you just stare at the send button for an hour!

10. I couldn't think of a 10th sign, But if the first 9 signs apply to you, maybe it's time to start using BrioHR to process your payroll.

BrioHR is made up of HR and Asia Payroll experts. We produce Payroll guides for multiple countries and are recognised as one of the best Malaysian HR Payroll softwares.

Payroll in Malaysia is even more complex than most countries. Many established HR systems are unable to process payroll for Malaysia and companies resort to paying for a specific Malaysia payroll system that more often than not will not integrate with their HR system.

The Covid pandemic has forced companies to look for cloud payroll solutions that allow payroll to be processed securely online and remotely. Online Payroll Systems in Malaysia that focus specifically on Malaysia payroll are few and far between.

As a top 10 HR software and an all in one solution, BrioHR’s payroll module is fast becoming the most popular payroll solution in Malaysia.

Startups, SMEs and large companies alike have switched their payroll to BrioHR. If you would like to do the same check out our BRIOHR WEBSITE or CLICK HERE TO BOOK A DEMO session with one of our team.

If you are too busy processing payroll to check us out, don't worry! We have a short video you can watch.