Almost half of workers in Ireland were either paid late by their employer over the past 12 months or had their salary entitlements calculated incorrectly, a new survey has revealed.
The poll of some 1,000 employees in the Republic, conducted by iVox on behalf of payroll and human resources technology company SD Worx Ireland, found salary was still the most important factor among workers when choosing who to work for.
Yet, “alarmingly”, SD Worx said, some 21 per cent of survey respondents said they had been paid late by their employers on more than one occasion in the past year, while 27 per cent reported errors in their salary calculations.
Eimear Byrne, country leader at SD Worx Ireland, said timely and correct payment of staff was not just about compliance with the law, it was also important to sustain employer-employee relationships at a time when competition for talent was particularly stiff.
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She said: “A person’s salary is deeply personal; it has a major and wide-reaching impact on employees’ lives and enables them to pay their mortgage or rent, pay childcare costs, buy groceries, cover medical expenses, or even just buy a special gift for someone.”
Transparency is another key issue. Some 10 per cent of workers said they had questions about their payslips that remained unanswered by their employers.
“Payroll doesn’t just impact the individual; it has a societal impact, too,” Ms Byrne said.
“By ensuring their payroll is clear and transparent, businesses can gain key insights into the equality and fairness of salary payments – helping them to determine areas for improvement. Part of this must include transparency for employees and ensuring that they understand how their salary figure is determined.”
Meanwhile, some 39 per cent of employees said they would prefer greater flexibility in choosing when they received their salary to better meet their financial needs.
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