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Home > News > Course talk - Kate Upcraft gives a much-needed payroll update

Course talk - Kate Upcraft gives a much-needed payroll update

Posted on 30 April 2020SharePrint

On Monday, I joined more than 60 delegates in attending UK Training’s online course: Payroll – The Essential Update. The delivery of this presentation was moved online after the COVID-19 lockdown was announced and it was no longer possible to hold our training courses at public venues... at least for now. We recognised the incredible topicality of the subject and the vital importance of payroll professionals receiving up-to-date and accurate information, hence the decision to present the course online at the earliest opportunity.

The process of joining the course was extremely simple. A link from an email took me to a web page where I could enter the virtual training room and enjoy the seminar without leaving home. The sound was crystal clear, the visuals easy to follow and it was easy to ask questions or make comments through the on-screen tools that helped add interactivity to the experience. 

The course was presented by Kate Upcraft who has been presenting for UK Training for several years and is one of the most highly regarded payroll experts in the country. Her expertise and inside knowledge shone throughout as she was able to carefully explain the nuances of the changes and give clarity to the many people who asked questions. She also has a very engaging presentational style that was very enjoyable to listen to.

The feedback for the course was excellent, with one delegate saying “Kate Upcraft was comprehensive, engaging and informative as always.  Thank you for arranging this update so quickly to the online format.” Another added: “Fantastic update as usual from Kate in a fast-changing payroll world! Thank you.”

What was covered during the course?

The first session was an overview of the Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme (CJRS) and was bang up-to-date, reflecting changes that had only been announced that morning. It is much more complex than many people think and this substantial session formed the greater part of the course.

There were many issues of concern raised by attendees and if I wrote them all here it could run to several thousand words so I have highlighted just a few below.

  • Up to the start of the course, HMRC had published no less than 6 iterations of their official guidance. This was a cause of some confusion and delegates, some of whom had already submitted claims, were worried about whether they had acted in line with the right guidance.
  • The CJRS is separate from the PAYE system and does not follow payroll norms. This also creates confusion and can lead to mistakes in paying employees incorrectly or making misdeclarations to HMRC, either of which could be a breach of the law.
  • Many employers are rushing ahead with furloughing employees and making reclaims without fully considering the extent to which HMRC will inevitably audit. The importance of documenting decisions and maintaining good records cannot be understated.

There were also lots of questions on how CJRS relates to holidays, salary sacrifice and the complex calculation of reclaims.

Obviously COVID-19 considerations took up much of the seminar but there were plenty of other recent developments that were very important for payroll professionals and needed to be covered. There were new statutory leave and pay rules to consider, particularly regarding bereavement leave for parents who have recently lost a child. There were also changes to post-employment termination payments, benefits in kind, annual leave calculations, employment allowance and many other crucial issues.

How can UK Training help?

If you or any of your colleagues work in the HR/Payroll sector you will know how important it is to keep on top of all the emergency measures as well as fully understanding your ongoing responsibilities. Have a look at the full range of UK Training’s Payroll courses here to see how we can help you.

Written by Paul Murphy

UK Training