SD Worx Conference: Unleash the Flexibility of your HR

Nike brings inspiration and innovation – both to athletes and employees

American athletic giant Nike has a solid foothold in Belgium too, with five distribution centres in Ham, Laakdal and Meerhout. Together, they make up the Nike European Logistics Campus (ELC). From here, sporting goods depart around the clock, destined for wholesalers, Nike stores and online customers across Europe. This phenomenal logistics achievement relies heavily on flexibility. For that reason, personalisation, mobility and innovation are key elements of the HR policy.

Remote working challenges – and how to overcome them

As the adage goes, “the clever learn from their mistakes, but the truly wise learn from the mistakes of others”. With remote working here to stay in a post COVID-19 world, offering great experiences to remote workers is the key to high engagement, effortless collaboration and – in the end – higher performance. Familiarise yourself with the fails and learn how to win with remote working.

How to calculate, assess and control the TCO of your payroll

Optimising your payroll process is no luxury in times of economic turmoil. The first step: mapping out the total cost of ownership (TCO) of your payroll. This allows you to make good use of your resources, lend focused support to your team, streamline your operations and generate transparency in complex times. So, what exactly is the TCO of your payroll? Is there room for improvement? And if so, what can you do? Let us help you answer these questions.

Remote working is here to stay, so make it a win-win

The COVID-19 lockdown forced international companies to switch gears overnight: remote working was suddenly the norm. In most cases, the transition happened smoother than expected and significant benefits have now become apparent. Therefore, it’s likely that remote working is here to stay. Are you planning to offer regular remote working to your international workforce? Don’t forget that this implies a set of written and unwritten rules. Here’s a basic checklist.

HR insights: bridging the language gap in international employment

Managing an international workforce involves various specialist tasks, such as declaring taxes to foreign administrations, monitoring complex labour laws and elaborating attractive reward systems. That’s why most companies outsource these error-prone tasks. Both local and global HR providers can make a big difference, but remember to make well-considered choices. If you’re looking to truly bridge literal and figurative language gaps, a global partner with vast local expertise is your go-to option. Here’s why.

Payroll must go on

Global Payroll Week is an annual opportunity to put the world of payroll in the spotlight. At SD Worx, we have relied on our payroll specialists during the past month more than ever before. Despite the unravelling pandemic and the most bizarre social circumstances we have faced in a long while, all salaries were processed smoothly and on time. That's quite a feat.

Payroll and HR admin in covid-19 times: serious repercussions and lack of uniformity across Europe

The coronavirus has brought our economy to a crawl. Internationally, governments are pulling out all the stops to support companies and citizens to reduce negative impact caused by this unprecedented crisis. This has serious repercussions for you as well as for your employees in terms of payroll and HR administration. These consequences have to do mainly with different tax and social law in the countries you operate.

3 Ways to Power Your Payroll Performance with HR Technology

With the support of technology, HR and payroll professionals can rest assured that their employees are receiving the support they require and that their operations and processes are compliant around the globe. 
But, for many businesses it may be difficult to work out where to start when looking to invest in the technology that provides the right support for them and their employees. There are three key areas to consider when looking to power your payroll performance with HR technology. 

Brexit: The End of the Beginning

More than three years after voting for Brexit, the United Kingdom finally left the European Union on 31 January 2020. This momentous event will have far-reaching consequences for businesses and individuals on both sides of the Channel - but not just yet. All those late-night negotiations in Brussels and political upheavals in Westminster have brought us only to what Winston Churchill, in a very different context, called ‘the end of the beginning’.

Embracing the Age of Change in HR and Payroll

Entering the second decade of the 21st century, the HR and payroll community have been overwhelmed by social and political changes affecting businesses worldwide, as well as the strong impact of technology in our daily and work lives.
What does the future of HR hold? The start of a new decade gives cause to reflect on what new advancements will occur in the HR and payroll industry.

Loosening the strings on HR and Payroll

With 2020 just around the corner, it’s that time of year to start looking ahead at what’s to come. But a new year doesn't necessarily bring about completely new trends. Rather it sees a continuation of developments, as well as shifts in certain areas to meet new requirements

Getting it Right: Small and Mighty Payroll

There’s a common misconception that payroll offerings are only necessary when your organisation reaches a certain size. However, small companies should not overlook partnering with a payroll provider that fits their needs, especially when they’re looking to expand into new regions.

SD Worx Unleashes Global People Services across Europe

The SD Worx team has been busy! Not only did the team exhibit and present at UNLEASH Paris 2019, but we also launched our brand new Global People Services offering for the mid-sized market across Europe.
Global People Services is the first integrated HR and payroll service focusing on the mid-market in Europe.

3 ways HR can improve employee engagement

There are countless benefits to ensuring that employees are engaged and happy. Engaged employees are more productive, communicate better, and are more invested in the success of the organisation, and that’s just the beginning. However, authentic employee engagement isn’t achieved overnight.

Helping employees deal with Brexit uncertainty

Britain’s decision to leave the European Union has left many employees on both sides of the English Channel in limbo – uncertain about how long they will be able to live and work in the country they’ve come to call home.

How will a no-deal Brexit impact social security?

What will Brexit mean for the social security rights of UK nationals currently working in other EU states, and of nationals of the remaining 27 member states now in the UK? Will these cross-channel workers benefit, for example, from state pension contributions they made in the UK and vice versa if they return to their countries of origin?

The Future is Bright for Payments and Payroll Professionals

The technological revolution in the payroll sector has been steadily advancing in recent years. However, with the rise—and demand—for contactless payments, payroll technology and cashless transactions increasing in the last few years, we now find ourselves at an exciting turning point in the industry. This is supported by global industry analyst Josh Bersin, who has rejoiced that the HR industry is being “boosted by billions in venture capital funding”.

Accelerate Your HR Brexit Planning

The clock is still ticking on the UK’s exit from the European Union and we’re still in the dark about the terms of its departure or what impact Brexit will have on employment both in the UK and the 27 remaining EU member states. With or without a deal and faced with this level of uncertainty, HR and payroll teams need to stay up to date with their HR Brexit planning and be ready for all scenarios.

UNLEASH 2019: Are you ready?

There’s a buzz of excitement in the international HR community this October, as UNLEASH Paris will be kicking off in full force. As a European payroll provider leader, SD Worx will be in the front row.

Taking place at the Paris Convention Centre from 22nd-23rd October, SD Worx will launch its brand-new Global People Services offering at the event. It’s looking like a busy two days and we’ve got plenty of activities lined up—will you be joining us there?

Back to Work: 3 Ways to Maximise Productivity in your Payroll Department

The summer months can sometimes be quiet for the payroll department, as employees enjoy well deserved breaks. However, with the final quarters of the year approaching, it’s time to get back to work—payroll never takes a break, after all.

Here are three ways to ensure that the department is as productive as ever as it prepares for the busy second half of the year.

Turbulent Times: How Global Payroll Providers Can Help You Navigate Business Change

In today’s business landscape, organisations are facing uncertainty as they plan for the future. When managing this business change, leaders don’t always think to look to the HR and payroll departments for the answers. However, working with a Global Payroll Provider can open up opportunities that could ensure it thrives and grows despite the challenges of today.

6 Ways to Enhance The Potential of Your HR Data

The data accessible to HR and payroll professionals has the potential to inform areas of the business beyond its basic necessities. There are several types of reports that can help your organisation work more efficiently, each with its specific purpose. When utilised to its maximum potential, HR & payroll data can provide useful insights such as opening up a detailed understanding of the organisation’s workforce.

How Technology Can Optimise HR and Payroll Over the Holidays

A recent SD Worx survey revealed that over half (57%) of European employees have the freedom to take a holiday when they choose. Although this can improve the work/life balance and autonomy of employees around Europe, it can leave departments a little stretched over the summer – a popular time to travel and enjoy the sun with friends and family. This can particularly affect the HR and payroll department – a business function that never stops. 

How payroll reporting can power-up your staff planning

It’s vital that global organizations are run as efficiently as possible. With potentially easy access to a broad and detailed selection of employee data, the HR and payroll department can ensure that the organization’s staff planning is accurately informed to better control staffing costs and improve efficiency across the business as a whole.
So, how can the HR and payroll professionals ensure that they are maximising the potential of the valuable data that lies at their fingertips?

Brexit: Are you ready?

Brexit. It doesn’t matter whether you’re an employee or employer, there is little clarity over exactly what it means. While the British Government scrambles for an outcome, organisations sit patiently, doing what they can to prepare for all eventualities. Considering that there is no certainty and a myriad of possible outcomes, it makes it extremely challenging for organisations to put plans in place.

Avoiding Payroll Complexity With A Global Provider

When the time comes for a company to expand into new territories and take operations global, it can mean a significant increase in workload for the HR and payroll departments – so, how can expanding businesses manage this transition with ease?

International Payroll: The Global and Local Mix

SD Worx explains the importance of balancing global and local payroll operations for expanding international businesses and how a multinational payroll provider can help keep this balance.

How to ensure your payroll team doesn’t drown in data

It is often said today that data is the new oil – it’s extremely valuable, especially in international business. But, as organisations expand, their databases grow and this can impact the workload of the HR and payroll professionals, distracting them from their vital roles and left to drown in never ending streams of data. 

3 benefits of predictive analytics in payroll

Running global payroll for an organisation operating in multiple countries can, at times, become somewhat overwhelming. With various rules and regulations to comply with and huge data sets to handle, many payroll professionals would welcome a helping hand. Today, with advancements in HR and payroll technology, that hand doesn’t have to be human—in fact, embracing these technologies can unlock the power of payroll within an organisation.  

How HR Tech can put a spring back in the step of your payroll function

With winter coming to an end, the sun is coming out of hibernation and spring is rolling around. But as we prepare for the time of new beginnings, with flowers blooming and the leaves back on the trees, how can you use HR Tech to make the most of the new season? Rather than being stuck in the office, battling through endless admin and other time-consuming tasks, introducing HR tech into your organisation can put a spring back in the step of the payroll function.

Why Multinational Providers are Paramount in Modern Payroll

Today’s business world is becoming increasingly international as technological advancements make it easier for organizations to operate in multiple regions, or even globally. However, when it comes to modern international payroll, many businesses struggle to run their payroll on a global scale­.

How working with an automated workforce will enhance the human employee

Much of today’s media coverage on the introduction of technologies like artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning in the workplace express concern over the future of the human employee. Many fear their roles will be replaced by an intelligent robot that is more efficient and cheaper to employ. However, this is far from the case. SD Worx advocates the future of HR tech, but we also understand that you can never take the ‘Human’ out of Human Resources! In fact, introducing these technologies to the HR and payroll department can only reaffirm the place of the human employee in the business world. 

Merry Christmas from SD Worx

As the year draws to a close, we’re busy preparing for 2019 – but we’re also looking back on the successes of 2018 too.

What will the impact of the Brexit deal be on your employees?

After a year and a half of negotiations, on 13 November 2018 British Prime Minster May and the European Union reached a technical agreement on the UK leaving the European Union. The deal sets out the general terms on how the United Kingdom and the European Member states will cooperate after the UK has left the EU. The impact for you as an employer with employees inside or from the UK is now also clear. What you should know. 

International Teams: Making Global Business a Success

Expanding businesses internationally can mean increased profit, a better reputation and more capital to invest in getting the best talent from your industry. But international businesses face newer challenges, chief among which is working with international teams that are based in various cities, regions, countries and potentially even continents. 

Looking Back at Unleash

The SD Worx team has returned from another great annual UNLEASH conference. Over 5,000 attendees gathered at the RAI Exhibition and Conference Centre in Amsterdam – the site of the first conference seven years ago.

3 scary payroll mistakes for multinational organizations

Payroll is the lifeblood of an organization, so getting it right is crucial. When organizations branch out into new geographical locations, the risk of payroll mistakes heightens. It’s a scary thought for HR and payroll professionals.

How to create a global business strategy using payroll data

Business leaders are always searching for dynamic new ways to improve their business strategy, but there's one source of data which still remains largely untapped. There is a wealth of potential strategy ideas to be found in a place businesses already have unrestricted access to - their payroll system.

So, how can both large and small companies start utilising payroll data today to breathe new life into stale strategies?

What does a ‘hard Brexit’ mean for your international company and UK employees? - Join our Survey -

If no agreement between the UK and the European Union is reached at the EU summit on 18 and 19 October, the transitional period that would have applied until the end of 2020 will expire. As a result, on 29 March 2019, the UK’s membership in the EU will end, and EU law will no longer apply. If your company employs people in or from the UK, this change could be far-reaching. So, take the bull by the horns and avoid unpleasant surprises caused by a ‘no deal’ scenario by making the right preparations.

Could HR tech be the answer to improving your work/life balance?

In the digital world, ensuring that you have a healthy work/life balance has never been so important. However, in this ‘always-on’ environment, it can prove difficult to step away from the world of work and to take that all-important break from your seemingly never-ending to do list. Some HR and payroll professionals see the introduction of HR tech as another cause of stress, with many fearing that it will threaten the future of the industry. However, the introduction of automation and other technologies could be the answer to empowering the HR professional and maintaining a healthy work/life balance.

Digitalisation: how to prepare your employees

With the growing importance of computers and technology in today’s world, the pressure for businesses to digitalise their workplace is rising. Although there are many benefits to be reaped, lots of people are still confused about what digitalisation is and how it will impact their employees.

Back to School: Why Continuous Learning is Important in Payroll

September: the month that children dread as they make their return to school after the freedom of the long summer months. But for adults, especially those in the payroll industry, after the quiet summer period September should be a time to be motivated and to adopt that ‘back to school’ thinking. It’s important for teams not to be stagnant. In the ever-developing payroll industry, adaptability is key and so learning shouldn’t stop just because you’ve left school—in payroll and HR it’s all about continuous learning.

The Power of Payroll: Unlock its Potential

The multinational payroll industry is set to be worth 4.8bn by 2021, yet, despite the evident power of payroll, only a third of multinational organizations have a global payroll provider. Instead, they rely on a disparate selection of multiple local providers and therefore have no access to collated data or a clear insight into their employee attrition, engagement, or retention.

Give Your HR Team a Holiday with Payroll Technology

Is your HR and payroll team feeling the heat this summer? With the weather heating up, most of us want to get out and enjoy the sun or escape on a holiday. However, with more staff members out of the office, this can mean that the payroll team might be running on reduced numbers. And, typically, less team members results in a higher workload for those in the office. This is where HR and payroll technology can help, giving HR teams a well-deserved summer holiday.

Do you know how powerful your payroll is?

Payroll data. How often do we stop and think about how important it is to a business? Although payroll is often viewed as a back-office function, it is an essential part of any organisation, and is much more than just payslips.

Have you unlocked the Power of Payroll in your organisation?

The multinational payroll market is growing at an impressive rate, with the entire payroll services market expected to reach 4.8 billion by 2021. The demand for international payroll services are increasing, due to the heightened need for compliance to local laws and legislations, and a demand for more comprehensive technology. However, even though the payroll market is growing, many organisations still aren’t unlocking the power of payroll.

SD Worx survey reveals the Power of Payroll

The results of SD Worx’s recent international survey are in! With 1,500 respondents from nine European markets, the survey reveals that up to 87% of business leaders are now asking for employee data to inform business decisions—HR and payroll data is now being regularly used by business leaders.

Building a Business Case for Global Payroll: Key Considerations

Payroll is a vital part of any organisation, whether it’s a local business or a multinational corporation. A simple payroll error can cause a large amount of damage, so getting it right is essential.

How to be internationally compliant in a digital world

PAREXEL provides best practice examples to international organisations.

With the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) coming into effect in May 2018, all organisations who handle data of EU citizens will need to comply with new guidelines. By nature, HR departments hold personal and sensitive employee data, including payroll data. However, with an increasing amount of payroll and HR departments adopting automated payroll processes, the question arises: how do you become compliant in a digital world, especially if you are an international company?

Global payroll: Changes, challenges and considerations

With more and more employees relying on technology and flexible working than ever before, the world is becoming increasingly connected and globalised. However, with this new reliance on global working, what do HR and payroll teams need to consider when implementing payroll for multinational companies?

End of the payroll year: How technology can help you prepare

The end of the payroll year is typically a very stressful time for payroll teams. With an extensive amount of tasks to be completed within tight deadlines, any mistakes can be costly.

However, the end of year process can be drastically simplified by engaging with tailored payroll software. This technology can be utilised to assist payroll professionals throughout the year, but how can it help payroll teams in April each year?

Predicting the future of payroll

Technological advancements are helping to turn a vision of digitally accessible, automated payroll processes into reality. Here’s five predictions for the future of payroll:

The Risks of Poor Payroll for Businesses

A recent survey carried out by SD Worx revealed that out of 4,000 European employees surveyed, 44% had been paid late by their employers and 48% of those that had been paid late had also been paid incorrectly. The research exposes several risks for businesses associated with not paying their employees correctly: let’s explore the top three.

Digital Dilemma: Why Payroll Companies Need to Embrace Digital

Businesses in every industry have been affected by the way that we now rely heavily on technology. Technology is now a part of everything we do – both at home and work—and in order to stay relevant in today’s world, all industries must continue to be innovative and remain up to date with technological advancements, especially in the workplace.

The benefits of big data in HR and payroll

Big data and analytics have now entered numerous industries, including healthcare, financial services and retail. Despite many HR and payroll providers now using big data as part of their services, the industry has predominately been slow on the data uptake, in comparison to adoption within others. HR and payroll is largely an industry that relies on human intuition, rather than data and statistics, however, providers have started to see for themselves benefits of big data and analytics, and thus are beginning to implement these into their services.

Why calculating Total Cost of Ownership is critical in payroll

If someone was to ask you how much your payroll operations cost, would you know the answer? It seems like a straightforward question, yet the answer for many HR professionals is often hard to pinpoint. Understanding – and therefore being able to make future projections – about how much your payroll costs requires a clear appreciation of various business components.

5 reasons why you should switch to an outsourced payroll provider

The objective for payroll professionals used to be simple: all they had to worry about was paying employees accurately and on time. As organisations increasingly look beyond local domestic boundaries, the complexity of payroll operations has expanded and evolved so that the level of payroll sophistication has increased As a result, the needs and requirements of organisations globally have become more complex.

Business and Brexit: SD Worx European Conference 2017

With Britain voting to leave the EU last June, 2016 was a big year for pan-European news. And, while the full implications of Brexit remain to be seen, it is clearly creating much discussion amongst business leaders who are already starting to plan ahead for the legislative changes that will no doubt impact both their operations and compliance.
One of the business areas most likely to be affected is international HR and payroll, so with that in mind, ‘Brexit and Business’ will be one of the key themes at our upcoming 2017 SD Worx European Conference. This year’s event will be bigger and better than ever before, taking place on the 8th February at London’s Hilton on Park Lane.