Payroll

Large companies employ lots of employees. It’s up to the payroll team to make sure that everyone in the company gets the right amount of money, at the right time.

It’s not an easy job: payroll clerks are responsible for figuring out how much employees should get paid by adding up all their overtime, deducting enough to cover tax and national insurance payments, and taking into account things like holiday, sick pay and expenses.

Most companies pay their employees on the same day, which means that on one day each month, the payroll team has to make sure that perhaps thousands of automatic bank transfers are made accurately. If they’re not, payroll staff are the first people the employees will call.

An employee’s pay is incredibly important to them, and you’ll be expected to answer queries and solve problems in an efficient, friendly and discreet manner – remember, you’ll have access to a lot of very sensitive financial records and other confidential information.

Apprentices will take the AAT NVQ payroll qualification relevant to their Apprenticeship level.

Level 2 focuses on the core skills needed to work effectively in payroll. Topics covered include calculating gross and net pay and how to maintain accurate employee records.

Level 3 builds on what has been learned on Level 2, introducing more complex payroll tasks – including year end procedures. It also helps you develop effective payroll management skills.

Most payroll departments are lively, office-based teams. Organisational skills are important, and while having a good grasp of numbers will help you a great deal, a methodical and attention to detail will get you even further.