{"id":3330,"date":"2018-02-19T10:34:53","date_gmt":"2018-02-19T15:34:53","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-us\/blog\/?p=3330"},"modified":"2026-04-08T09:59:09","modified_gmt":"2026-04-08T13:59:09","slug":"payroll-discontent","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-us\/blog\/payroll-discontent\/","title":{"rendered":"How to overcome payroll discontent"},"content":{"rendered":"<header class=\"entry-header has-dark-background-color entry-header--standard entry-header--has-illustration entry-header--has-illustration--standard\">\n\t<div class=\"container\">\n\t\t<div class=\"entry-header__row row align-center\">\n\t\t\t<div class=\"col col-lg-7 col-xlg-6 entry-header__content\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"component component-single-header\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"entry-header__misc text--subtitle text--uppercase text--small\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<a href=\"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-us\/blog\/category\/people-leadership\/\" class=\"entry-header__link\">People &amp; Leadership<\/a>\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"entry-title-wrapper\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<h1 class=\"entry-title\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\tHow to overcome payroll discontent\t\t\t\t\t<\/h1>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<p class=\"entry-header__description\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t<\/div>\n\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t<\/div>\n\t<div class=\"single-post-details container\">\n\t\t<div class=\"col\">\n\t\t\t<span class=\"posted-on \"><time class=\"entry-date published\" datetime=\"2018-02-19T10:34:53-05:00\">February 19, 2018<\/time><\/span><span class=\"reading-time\"> min read<\/span>\n\t\t<button\n\t\t\ttype=\"button\"\n\t\t\tclass=\"social-share-button button button--icon button--secondary js-social-share-button\"\n\t\t\tdata-share-title=\"How to overcome payroll discontent\"\n\t\t\tdata-share-url=\"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-us\/blog\/payroll-discontent\/\"\n\t\t\tdata-share-text=\"Please read this interesting article\"\n\t\t>\n\t\t\t<span class=\"social-share-button__share-label\">Share<\/span>\n\t\t\t<span class=\"social-share-button__copy-label\" hidden>Copy Link<\/span>\n\t\t\t<span class=\"social-share-button__copy-tooltip\" aria-hidden=\"true\" hidden>Copied<\/span>\n\t\t<\/button>\n\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t<\/div>\n<\/header>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-post-author has-dark-background-color alignfull\">\n\t<div class=\"container\">\n\t\t<div class=\"col\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"co-authors\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t<div class=\"entry-author-wrapper\">\n\t\t\t<a class=\"entry-author\" href=\"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-us\/blog\/author\/heatherkarki\/\">\n\t\t\t\t<img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"40\" height=\"40\" src=\"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-us\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2017\/10\/heatherkarki-350x350.jpg\" class=\"entry-author__image\" alt=\"\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-us\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2017\/10\/heatherkarki-350x350.jpg 350w, https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-us\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2017\/10\/heatherkarki.jpg 400w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 40px) 100vw, 40px\" \/>\t\t\t\t<span class=\"entry-author__name\">Heather Karki<\/span>\n\t\t\t<\/a>\n\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n<p>Picture this: it\u2019s nearly time to run the monthly payroll and you\u2019re manually updating the employee database. You\u2019re worried you won\u2019t get it done in time to give your employees their paychecks according to schedule. With the last-minute rush, you could make errors and mistakes.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><mark class=\"highlight-and-share\">54% of United States workers experience paycheck errors at some point in their career<\/mark>, according to the <a href=\"https:\/\/workforceinstitute.org\/82-million-us-workers-experienced-paycheck-errors\/\">Workforce Institute\u2019s most recent study<\/a>. Most payroll issues stem from old processes and technologies that make paying employees harder than it should be. For example, most small business owners still use spreadsheets to <a href=\"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-us\/human-resources\/payslips\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">track employee information and payments<\/a>, which can take up valuable hours of productivity and easily leave room for errors. Note: the majority of the remainder of errors outside of technological issues are due to noncompliance with labor laws.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>What issues does delay or error in payroll cause?<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Tax fines or prosecution from the government.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Loss of money to the company.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Lack of credibility with employees.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Employees leave for alternate employment.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p>It\u2019s very important to note that 58% of working Americans live paycheck-to-paycheck, so payroll errors are extremely costly errors and must not be taken lightly.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Many small business owners may choose to outsource <a href=\"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-us\/sage-payroll\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">payroll<\/a>, but it\u2019s not guaranteed that third-party processors will securely protect employee data, still leaving the business susceptible to inaccurate payments and non-compliance issues. Outsourcing can also be more expensive and might not be an option, depending on the company size.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-overcoming-payroll-discontent\"><strong>Overcoming payroll discontent<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>Now that we\u2019ve discussed a few of the common challenges causing businesses and employees payroll discontent, let\u2019s navigate how to solve these traditional payroll headaches in four easy steps.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ol class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong> Develop a payroll strategy that focuses on the employee<\/strong><\/li>\n<\/ol>\n\n\n\n<p>Why do I need to have a payroll strategy? Having a payroll strategy helps mitigate any unexpected financial hiccups, establishes a payroll process that benefits your employee base in the long-term, helps maintain operational costs, alleviates any anxiety employees may have about being paid and frees you of any headaches if you were ever audited.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ol start=\"2\" class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong> Establish a payroll cycle<\/strong><\/li>\n<\/ol>\n\n\n\n<p>By law, employers are required to have a payroll schedule. Every employer must determine if they want to pay their employees weekly, bi-weekly, semi-monthly, or monthly. Surprisingly, many small business owners forget to stick to that schedule. The day that you pay your employees should be different from the day you submit the payroll to the system for processing. Don\u2019t forget to account for holidays and leap years in this schedule.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ol start=\"3\" class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong> Have an itemized paystub <\/strong><\/li>\n<\/ol>\n\n\n\n<p>64 million&nbsp;Americans say their <a href=\"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-us\/human-resources\/payslips\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">paycheck stub<\/a> is hard to read. 42 percent of all employees say taxes and deductions on their paycheck are confusing to read and understand. A simple step to overcoming payroll discontent would be to update your paycheck stubs. Provide your employees a more detailed pay stub that clearly outlines gross pay, deductions, and bonuses. This will help avoid any compliances issues and give your employees more clarity.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ol start=\"4\" class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong> Evolve your processes over time <\/strong><\/li>\n<\/ol>\n\n\n\n<p>As technology continues to evolve your payroll processes need to change with it. Invest in a payroll software that<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Is easy to navigate and automated so that can you can pay your growing team, accurately, in just a few minutes, freeing you up to focus on what matters to your business.&nbsp; Choosing a <a href=\"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-us\/products\/sage-payroll-services\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">payroll software<\/a> that is up to speed with technology and meets the needs of your employees ensures that your workforce stays happy and engaged.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"single-cta\">\n\t<div class=\"single-cta__positioner\">\n\t\t<div class=\"single-cta__wrapper has-dark-background-color\">\n\t\t\t<div class=\"single-cta__content\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<h2 class=\"single-cta__title h3\">Subscribe to our Sage Advice Newsletter<\/h2>\n\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"single-cta__description\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<p>Get our latest business advice delivered directly to your inbox.<\/p>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<a\n\t\t\t\t\t\thref=\"#gate-ab515c6e-7e90-4c2f-a67e-113872516e8b\"\n\t\t\t\t\t\tclass=\"single-cta__button button button--primary\"\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t>Subscribe<\/a>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\n\t\t\t\t\t<img decoding=\"async\" width=\"1440\" height=\"810\" src=\"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-us\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2022\/04\/GettyImages-1073797282-1440x810.jpg\" class=\"single-cta__image\" alt=\"Working from home with tea in hand\" loading=\"lazy\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-us\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2022\/04\/GettyImages-1073797282-1440x810.jpg 1440w\" sizes=\"auto, (min-width: 48em) 33vw, 100vw\" \/>\t\t\t<\/div>\n<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Picture this: it\u2019s nearly time to run the monthly payroll and you\u2019re manually updating the employee database. You\u2019re worried you won\u2019t get it done in time to give your employees their paychecks according to schedule. With the last-minute rush, you could make errors and mistakes. 54% of United States workers experience paycheck errors at some [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":339,"featured_media":22399,"menu_order":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_sage_video":false,"post_featured_image_hide":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[47],"tags":[17],"business_type":[40,41],"lilypad":[],"context":[],"industry":[411,55],"persona":[99],"imagine_tag":[215],"coauthors":[690],"class_list":["post-3330","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-people-leadership","tag-hr-payroll","business_type-small-business","business_type-growing-business","industry-human-resources","industry-professional-services"],"sage_meta":{"region":"en-us","author_name":"Heather Karki","featured_image":"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-us\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2024\/03\/Sage_BrandShootNC_Feb2024_HR-Professionals_2126.jpg","imagine_tags":{"215":"HR and Payroll"}},"distributor_meta":false,"distributor_terms":false,"distributor_media":false,"distributor_original_site_name":"Sage Advice US","distributor_original_site_url":"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-us\/blog","push-errors":false,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-us\/blog\/api\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3330","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-us\/blog\/api\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-us\/blog\/api\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-us\/blog\/api\/wp\/v2\/users\/339"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-us\/blog\/api\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=3330"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-us\/blog\/api\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3330\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":36028,"href":"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-us\/blog\/api\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3330\/revisions\/36028"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-us\/blog\/api\/wp\/v2\/media\/22399"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-us\/blog\/api\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=3330"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-us\/blog\/api\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=3330"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-us\/blog\/api\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=3330"},{"taxonomy":"business_type","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-us\/blog\/api\/wp\/v2\/business_type?post=3330"},{"taxonomy":"lilypad","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-us\/blog\/api\/wp\/v2\/lilypad?post=3330"},{"taxonomy":"context","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-us\/blog\/api\/wp\/v2\/context?post=3330"},{"taxonomy":"industry","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-us\/blog\/api\/wp\/v2\/industry?post=3330"},{"taxonomy":"persona","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-us\/blog\/api\/wp\/v2\/persona?post=3330"},{"taxonomy":"imagine_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-us\/blog\/api\/wp\/v2\/imagine_tag?post=3330"},{"taxonomy":"author","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-us\/blog\/api\/wp\/v2\/coauthors?post=3330"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}