Strategic Payroll Practices


	Duration:	Six online sessions of two hours (12 hours total); 15:30 to 17:30 BST
	Delivery:	Virtual classroom

Course overview

Strategic Payroll Practices is a comprehensive programme designed to elevate the effectiveness, resilience, and strategic impact of payroll functions within global organisations. This course equips payroll leaders and aspiring leaders with the tools needed to manage people, processes, technology, and compliance in a modern payroll environment.

Covering everything from operational planning, performance measurement, and business continuity to complex taxation, executive compensation, and emerging technologies, this course empowers UK payroll professionals who oversee – or collaborate with – US payroll operations to run a high performing, future ready payroll department.

Who should attend

This course is intended for experienced payroll professionals responsible for running significant US payroll operations. The course also supports individuals in leadership roles or aiming for strategic responsibility in payroll, with a focus on US payroll processing.

What you will learn

Participants will learn how to:

Build and align payroll department values, mission, and objectives

Use data-driven methods to measure payroll performance and operational efficiency

Develop job roles, career paths, and employee development frameworks

Plan, lead, and manage payroll projects, meetings, and change initiatives

Understand trends in payroll technology, automation, and shared‑services operations

Evaluate and select payroll systems and outsourcing options

Create, maintain, and test a business continuity plan for payroll

Navigate advanced US tax compliance issues, including executive compensation and mergers & acquisitions

Implement controls to reduce payroll fraud and strengthen security

Carry out practical, end‑to‑end payroll auditing

Course content / Key topics

Planning & Organising Payroll Operations

Values, vision, mission alignment

OKRs and strategic planning

Project management

Managing third party vendors and international relationships

Measuring Payroll Effectiveness

Cost analysis and benchmarking

Performance metrics and KPIs

Impact analysis for new benefits and policy changes

Audit techniques, budgeting, SLAs, and quality assurance

Employee Development & Leadership

Career pathways and job design

Writing job descriptions

Interviewing, feedback, corrective action

Measuring employee performance and development

Change & Time Management

Leading meetings

Understanding change vs transition

Crisis management and measuring success

Payroll Technology & Trends

Shared services and call centres

Outsourcing considerations

Self-service tools

Biometrics, GPS, imaging, document storage

AI, machine learning, bots, and automation

Payroll Technology Selection

Requirements gathering

Common selection mistakes

Drivers for outsourcing decisions

Business Continuity Planning

Building, updating, and testing continuity plans

Complex US Taxation

Social security/Medicare taxation

IRS/SSA dealings, audits, penalties, reconciliation

Mergers & acquisitions tax implications

Discrimination testing for benefits

Executive & Highly Paid Employee Compensation

IRS executive compensation strategy

Additional Medicare tax

Gross-ups, SIFL calculations, chauffeur services

Stock compensation (83(b), 83(i), restricted stock, phantom stock, NSOs)

Golden parachutes, deferred comp (409A), split dollar plans, clawbacks

Security & Payroll Auditing

Fraud prevention

HIPAA considerations

Internal audits, managing external auditors

Effective use of consultants

Prerequisites / Recommended knowledge

The course is part of a progression series, so it’s recommended that participants have completed earlier steps (e.g., US Payroll Essentials, Intermediate US Payroll Concepts, Advanced US Payroll Concepts) or have substantial payroll experience before attending.