{"id":70839,"date":"2023-05-23T17:15:17","date_gmt":"2023-05-23T15:15:17","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-za\/blog\/?p=70839"},"modified":"2023-05-23T17:15:18","modified_gmt":"2023-05-23T15:15:18","slug":"how-to-make-payday-a-yayday","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-za\/blog\/how-to-make-payday-a-yayday\/","title":{"rendered":"How to make payday a yay day"},"content":{"rendered":"<header class=\"entry-header has-dark-background-color entry-header--has-illustration entry-header--has-illustration--generic\">\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-za\/blog\/category\/money-matters\/\" class=\"entry-header__link\">Money Matters<\/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 make payday a yay day\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\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=\"2023-05-23T17:15:17+02:00\">May 23, 2023<\/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 make payday a yay day\"\n\t\t\tdata-share-url=\"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-za\/blog\/how-to-make-payday-a-yayday\/\"\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\t<\/header>\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-za\/blog\/author\/ryangrundy\/\">\n\t\t\t\t<img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"40\" height=\"40\" src=\"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-za\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/9\/2023\/05\/Ryan-Grundy.jpg\" class=\"entry-author__image\" alt=\"\" \/>\t\t\t\t<span class=\"entry-author__name\">Ryan Grundy<\/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 class=\"\">Managing the costs of a small business is never easy. Budgets are tight, profit margins are small, and there are many expenses that need to be paid.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"\">One of the biggest expenses also happens to be the most important: payroll.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"\">In this article, we explore how you can make this process simpler and keep the stress at bay.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"\">We cover the following:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><a href=\"#why\">Why you need to get payroll right<\/a><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><a href=\"#master\">Master the pay run with these 5 tips<\/a><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><a href=\"#top\">Top payroll software features to look out for<\/a><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><a href=\"#final\">Final thoughts<\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"\"><\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"why\">Why you need to get payroll right<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"\">Running a business means you have many plates to spin. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"\">It sometimes feels impossible to know what should be prioritised. But at the end of the day, your business depends on people, and those people work to be paid.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"\">It\u2019s not that payroll should be your main focus (that wouldn\u2019t be practical), but you should never neglect it. And you should take every opportunity to improve it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"\">Here\u2019s why.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Payroll processes affect livelihoods<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"\">That isn\u2019t an over exaggeration. Your people have bills to pay and families to feed. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"\">Late or inaccurate payment of their wages can land them in financial trouble. Especially in these tough times where the cost of living is high.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"\">This could not only harm their mental health, but most will not tolerate it; good, talented employees could leave the company and in extreme cases seek legal action.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">You have a reputation to protect<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"\">We live in a world built on reputation. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"\">Job seekers can ask their friends, colleagues, social networks, and review sites to get an idea of what a company is like to work for.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"\">If payment mistakes happen a lot in your organisation, your reputation will certainly take a hit. You might end up missing out on top talent, not to mention struggle to retain your best employees.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Compliance is vital<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"\">HMRC has strict regulations around payroll that all UK businesses must comply with. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"\">If mistakes are causing you to make incorrect tax and National Insurance deductions or you fail to report pay to HMRC, you may face penalties.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Payroll teams are under pressure<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"\">Even if your business is just starting out, the person or team in charge of payroll may still be under pressure. It\u2019s a huge responsibility to get the pay run right, both from the point of view of employees and HMRC.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"\">Not only that, but it\u2019s not always a straightforward task. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"\">You likely have people on different hours and salaries, maybe even with different benefits. Then there are pensions, student loans, bonuses, and expense reimbursements to consider.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"\">The more friction you can remove from the payroll process, the more efficient it will become and the less pressure your finance team will face.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"master\">Master the pay run with these 5 tips<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"\">So, what practical actions can you take to maximise the chance of an efficient, accurate, and stress-free pay run?<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"\">Implement these five tips and your payroll team (and employees) will thank you.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">1. Start the process early<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"\">Rushing is the fastest way to making payroll mistakes. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"\">You need to establish a robust pay day schedule at a frequency that works for your business. That could be weekly, fortnightly, or monthly, depending on your expected cash flow.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"\">Not only is this important from an operational point of view (helping the payroll team maintain consistency), but also from an employee experience point of view (as people know when to expect money in their bank account).<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"\">Once you have this, you need to arrange the payroll process to start early enough so your team can take their time, get it right, and ensure staff are paid correctly.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"\"> This will also help them solve any challenges that may crop up without causing delays to payment.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">2. Keep details up to date<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"\">Without the right information, you can\u2019t run payroll accurately. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"\">Make sure you regularly remind your people to provide updates to bank details and addresses, and ensure the team has the tax codes and any other payroll data they need.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"\">Also, create a reliable way of collecting this information as part of your onboarding process. That way, when someone new joins the business, you can capture their details easily and in time to make the next pay run.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">3. Make sure there\u2019s enough cash<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"\">Payroll should be a high priority when you\u2019re analysing cash flow. The last thing you want to do is delay or fail to pay wages because you simply don\u2019t have the cash to do so.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"\">Managing cash flow is an art, and you\u2019ll need to make decisions based on projected operational costs. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"\">Though payroll will vary each time, you\u2019ll be able to predict the amount with reasonable accuracy, since you know the salaries of your employees.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">4. Help employees understand their payslips<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"\">It\u2019s important that your people fully understand how they\u2019re being compensated and the meaning behind the fields found on their payslip. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"\">This is because, when it comes to things like salary negotiations and promotions, you want both parties to be happy with how much is being paid.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"\">When it comes to understanding payslips, ask your payroll team to offer a training session to bring everyone up to speed on what each section of their payslip means. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"\">This includes their salary, deductions, pension contributions, tax codes, etc.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">5. Use payroll software<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"\">When it comes to the complexities of nailing an accurate pay run, nothing will make the process easier than a quality <a href=\"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-za\/sage-business-cloud\/payroll\/\">cloud payroll software<\/a> solution. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"\">The entire process\u2014from storing employee details, scheduling regular salary payments and filing pensions, to generating payslips and P60s, and meeting HMRC regulations\u2014can be done faster and with fewer mistakes.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"\">This makes the work far less stressful for your payroll team, while ensuring your people get paid properly and on time.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"\"><div class=\"single-cta\">\n\t<a\n\t\tclass=\"button button--primary gate-143b9c69-1815-4fde-a3f6-c20fb22977f9\"\n\t\trole=\"button\"\n\t\tdata-button-location=\"content_area\"\n\t\thref=\"#gate-143b9c69-1815-4fde-a3f6-c20fb22977f9\"\n\t>Download your free copy of The ultimate guide to payroll for small businesses<\/a>\n<\/div>\n<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"top\">Top payroll software features to look out for<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"\">When looking to bring in some payroll software, there are a few key features that you should be on your wish list. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"\">It\u2019s worth noting that a cloud-based option will give you much more flexibility and will be able to scale as your business (and the number of people you need to pay) grows.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"\">If an efficient payroll process is your aim, then look out for:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>Simple pay run: <\/strong>Solutions that can process payments in only a handful of clicks or less will save your payroll team a lot of time.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Built-in compliance: <\/strong>HMRC-compatible solutions may also have built-in compliance that ensures you\u2019re making deductions and reporting payments properly, even as regulations evolve.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Fast pension filing: <\/strong>Choose a solution that allows you to easily assess and enrol your people on to your pension scheme and ensure this is reflected in the pay run.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Create payslips: <\/strong>Being able to create and send payslips in just a few clicks will ensure your people know what and when they\u2019re getting paid. Some solutions also offer a portal that allows them to log in and view current and past payslips electronically.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Integration with accounting software: <\/strong>If you\u2019re using <a href=\"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-za\/sage-business-cloud\/accounting\/\">accounting software<\/a>, look for a payroll solution that can <a href=\"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-za\/sage-business-cloud\/accounting\/features\/accounting-payroll\/\">fully integrate with it<\/a>. Capabilities can include automatic posting of salary journals into your accounts, which removes duplicate effort and reduces the chance of any false entries.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"final\">Final thoughts<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"\">Making sure your people are paid correctly and on time is a priority for every business. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"\">To get this right and minimise the chance of mistakes, you need to reduce stress for payroll teams by making the process as simple and efficient as possible.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"\">By following the tips in this article, you can build confidence and trust within your business and make payday a yay day.<\/p>\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 the Sage Advice enewsletter<\/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 a roundup of our best business advice in your inbox every month.<\/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-84fe79b5-668d-41f8-a0cc-6229018c4ac9\"\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-za\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/9\/2022\/04\/GettyImages-1181404518-1440x810.jpg\" class=\"single-cta__image\" alt=\"\" loading=\"lazy\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-za\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/9\/2022\/04\/GettyImages-1181404518-1440x810.jpg 1440w\" sizes=\"auto, (min-width: 48em) 33vw, 100vw\" \/>\t\t\t<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n<section class=\"more-topics alignfull has-grey-light-background-color wp-block-sage-post-topics\">\n\t<div class=\"container\">\n\t\t<div class=\"row\">\n\t\t\t<div class=\"col col-12 col-lg-4\">\n\t\t\t\t<h3 class=\"more-topics__title h2\">Browse more topics from this article<\/h3>\n\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t<div class=\"col col-12 col-lg-8\">\n\t\t\t\t<ul class=\"post-tags__list\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<li class=\"post-tags__item\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<a href=\"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-za\/blog\/tag\/employee-benefits\/\" class=\"post-tags__link button button--secondary\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\temployee benefits\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/a>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/li>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<li class=\"post-tags__item\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<a href=\"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-za\/blog\/tag\/hr-payroll\/\" class=\"post-tags__link button button--secondary\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tHR &amp; Payroll\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/a>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/li>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/ul>\n\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t<\/div>\n<\/section>\n\n<div class=\"alignfull wp-block-sage-related-posts\">\n\t<section class=\"related-posts card-grid has-dark-background-color\">\n\t<div class=\"container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"row\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"col\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<h2 class=\"related-posts__heading related-posts__heading--featured h1\">Explore more wisdom<\/h2>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t<\/div>\n\n\t\t\t<div class=\"row related-posts__featured\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"col card-grid__item\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<article\n\t\tclass=\"card-post related-post related-post-0 post-73627 post type-post status-publish format-standard has-post-thumbnail hentry category-people-leadership tag-business-management tag-employing-people-for-the-first-time tag-hr-payroll tag-trending-topics business_type-small-business business_type-medium-business card-post--is-clickable\"\n>\n\t<div class=\"card-post__media-wrapper\">\n\t\t<figure class=\"card-post__media\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<img decoding=\"async\" width=\"1300\" height=\"810\" src=\"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-za\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/9\/2023\/09\/GettyImages-944060494-1300x810.jpg\" class=\"card-post__image\" alt=\"\" loading=\"lazy\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-za\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/9\/2023\/09\/GettyImages-944060494-684x384.jpg 684w, https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-za\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/9\/2023\/09\/GettyImages-944060494-768x478.jpg 768w, https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-za\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/9\/2023\/09\/GettyImages-944060494-1300x810.jpg 1300w\" sizes=\"auto, (min-width: 48em) 250px, (min-width: 30em) 100vw, 100vw\" \/>\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/figure>\n\t<\/div>\n\n\t<div class=\"card-post__content\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"card-post__label\">Recommended<\/div>\n\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"card-post__meta\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<span class=\"card-post__meta-text\"><span class=\"posted-on \"><time class=\"entry-date published\" datetime=\"2026-05-14T12:28:58+02:00\">May 14, 2026<\/time><\/span><\/span>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<span class=\"card-post__meta-text\"><span class=\"reading-time\">15 min read<\/span><\/span>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\n\t\t<p class=\"card-post__title h3\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<a\n\t\t\t\t\tclass=\"card-post__title-link\"\n\t\t\t\t\thref=\"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-za\/blog\/employee-onboarding-process\/\"\n\t\t\t\t>\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\tThe ultimate employee onboarding guide\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/a>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/p>\n\n\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t<p class=\"card-post__description\">\n\t\t\t\tShaping a workforce that fully embraces your company mission starts with captivating the talent you\u2019ve worked so hard to recruit. A solid employee onboarding experience is the first step in this process.\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\n\t\t\t<\/div>\n\n\t<\/article>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"row related-posts__non-featured\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"col col-12\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<h2 class=\"related-posts__heading related-posts__heading--more h4\">More on this Topic<\/h2>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"col col-6 col-lg-3 card-grid__item\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<article\n\t\tclass=\"card-post related-post related-post-1 post-70525 post type-post status-publish format-standard has-post-thumbnail hentry category-compliance category-strategy-legal-operations tag-compliance tag-hr-payroll tag-tax business_type-small-business\"\n>\n\t\t\t<a\n\t\t\tclass=\"card-post__link\"\n\t\t\thref=\"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-za\/blog\/vat-what-is-it-and-how-do-you-register\/\"\n\t\t\t\t\t>\n\t\t\t<figure class=\"card-post__media\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<img decoding=\"async\" width=\"684\" height=\"384\" src=\"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-za\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/9\/2022\/04\/GettyImages-1288994365-684x384.jpg\" class=\"card-post__image\" alt=\"\" loading=\"lazy\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-za\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/9\/2022\/04\/GettyImages-1288994365-684x384.jpg 684w, https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-za\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/9\/2022\/04\/GettyImages-1288994365-768x432.jpg 768w, https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-za\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/9\/2022\/04\/GettyImages-1288994365-1440x810.jpg 1440w\" sizes=\"auto, (min-width: 48em) 250px, (min-width: 30em) 100vw, 100vw\" \/>\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/figure>\n\n\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"card-post__meta\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<span class=\"card-post__meta-text\"><span class=\"posted-on \"><time class=\"entry-date published\" datetime=\"2026-03-26T11:52:38+02:00\">March 26, 2026<\/time><\/span><\/span>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<span class=\"card-post__meta-text\"><span class=\"reading-time\">8 min read<\/span><\/span>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\n\t\t<p class=\"card-post__title h5\">\n\t\t\tHow to register for VAT in South Africa: Everything you need to know\t\t<\/p>\n\n\t\t\t<\/a>\n\t\n\t\n\t\t\n\t\n\t<\/article>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"col col-6 col-lg-3 card-grid__item\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<article\n\t\tclass=\"card-post related-post related-post-2 post-76011 post type-post status-publish format-standard has-post-thumbnail hentry category-people-leadership category-trends-insights tag-business-intelligence tag-employing-people-for-the-first-time tag-hr-payroll tag-trending-topics business_type-small-business business_type-medium-business\"\n>\n\t\t\t<a\n\t\t\tclass=\"card-post__link\"\n\t\t\thref=\"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-za\/blog\/the-hr-and-payroll-leaders-report\/\"\n\t\t\t\t\t>\n\t\t\t<figure class=\"card-post__media\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<img decoding=\"async\" width=\"684\" height=\"384\" src=\"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-za\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/9\/2026\/03\/The-HR-Payroll-Leaders-Report-CTA-Image-684x384.jpeg\" class=\"card-post__image\" alt=\"A woman looks to camera with the Sage glow line in the background.\" loading=\"lazy\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-za\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/9\/2026\/03\/The-HR-Payroll-Leaders-Report-CTA-Image-684x384.jpeg 684w, https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-za\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/9\/2026\/03\/The-HR-Payroll-Leaders-Report-CTA-Image-768x518.jpeg 768w, https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-za\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/9\/2026\/03\/The-HR-Payroll-Leaders-Report-CTA-Image-1200x810.jpeg 1200w\" sizes=\"auto, (min-width: 48em) 250px, (min-width: 30em) 100vw, 100vw\" \/>\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/figure>\n\n\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"card-post__meta\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<span class=\"card-post__meta-text\"><span class=\"posted-on \"><time class=\"entry-date published\" datetime=\"2026-03-10T12:31:22+02:00\">March 10, 2026<\/time><\/span><\/span>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<span class=\"card-post__meta-text\"><span class=\"reading-time\">5 min read<\/span><\/span>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\n\t\t<p class=\"card-post__title h5\">\n\t\t\tThe HR and Payroll Leaders&#8217; Report: How 1,000 professionals are adapting to change\t\t<\/p>\n\n\t\t\t<\/a>\n\t\n\t\n\t\t\n\t\n\t<\/article>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"col col-6 col-lg-3 card-grid__item\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<article\n\t\tclass=\"card-post related-post related-post-3 post-75887 post type-post status-publish format-standard has-post-thumbnail hentry category-strategy-legal-operations category-trends-insights tag-accountants tag-bookkeeping tag-business-intelligence tag-compliance tag-financial-insights tag-hr-payroll tag-making-financial-decisions tag-news-insights tag-staying-competitive tag-tax tag-trending-topics business_type-small-business business_type-medium-business business_type-accountants\"\n>\n\t\t\t<a\n\t\t\tclass=\"card-post__link\"\n\t\t\thref=\"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-za\/blog\/tax-year-end-checklist\/\"\n\t\t\t\t\t>\n\t\t\t<figure class=\"card-post__media\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<img decoding=\"async\" width=\"684\" height=\"384\" src=\"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-za\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/9\/2025\/07\/fringe-benefits-blog-header-684x384.jpg\" class=\"card-post__image\" alt=\"Two women in an office discussing fringe benefits types and rules\" loading=\"lazy\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-za\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/9\/2025\/07\/fringe-benefits-blog-header-684x384.jpg 684w, https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-za\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/9\/2025\/07\/fringe-benefits-blog-header-768x432.jpg 768w, https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-za\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/9\/2025\/07\/fringe-benefits-blog-header-1440x810.jpg 1440w\" sizes=\"auto, (min-width: 48em) 250px, (min-width: 30em) 100vw, 100vw\" \/>\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/figure>\n\n\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"card-post__meta\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<span class=\"card-post__meta-text\"><span class=\"posted-on \"><time class=\"entry-date published\" datetime=\"2026-02-27T14:40:07+02:00\">February 27, 2026<\/time><\/span><\/span>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<span class=\"card-post__meta-text\"><span class=\"reading-time\">8 min read<\/span><\/span>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\n\t\t<p class=\"card-post__title h5\">\n\t\t\tTax year-end 2026: calendar and checklist for South African SMEs\t\t<\/p>\n\n\t\t\t<\/a>\n\t\n\t\n\t\t\n\t\n\t<\/article>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"col col-6 col-lg-3 card-grid__item\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<article\n\t\tclass=\"card-post related-post related-post-4 post-69426 post type-post status-publish format-standard has-post-thumbnail hentry category-compliance category-money-matters category-strategy-legal-operations tag-compliance tag-hr-payroll tag-tax business_type-medium-business\"\n>\n\t\t\t<a\n\t\t\tclass=\"card-post__link\"\n\t\t\thref=\"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-za\/blog\/how-to-get-your-business-ready-for-tax-year-end\/\"\n\t\t\t\t\t>\n\t\t\t<figure class=\"card-post__media\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<img decoding=\"async\" width=\"684\" height=\"384\" src=\"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-za\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/9\/2021\/12\/HRP-Image--684x384.jpg\" class=\"card-post__image\" alt=\"\" loading=\"lazy\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-za\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/9\/2021\/12\/HRP-Image--684x384.jpg 684w, https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-za\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/9\/2021\/12\/HRP-Image--768x513.jpg 768w, https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-za\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/9\/2021\/12\/HRP-Image--1213x810.jpg 1213w\" sizes=\"auto, (min-width: 48em) 250px, (min-width: 30em) 100vw, 100vw\" \/>\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/figure>\n\n\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"card-post__meta\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<span class=\"card-post__meta-text\"><span class=\"posted-on \"><time class=\"entry-date published\" datetime=\"2026-02-12T12:47:25+02:00\">February 12, 2026<\/time><\/span><\/span>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<span class=\"card-post__meta-text\"><span class=\"reading-time\">5 min read<\/span><\/span>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\n\t\t<p class=\"card-post__title h5\">\n\t\t\tHow to get your business ready for Tax Year-End\t\t<\/p>\n\n\t\t\t<\/a>\n\t\n\t\n\t\t\n\t\n\t<\/article>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t<\/div>\n<\/section>\n<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Getting payday right no longer has to be a struggle. Follow the tips in this article to make your payroll processes a breeze.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1398,"featured_media":70871,"menu_order":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_sage_video":false,"post_featured_image_hide":false,"sage_hide_published_date":false,"sage_hide_read_time":false,"sage_hide_share_buttons":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[25],"tags":[185,201],"business_type":[2,3],"lilypad":[],"context":[],"industry":[],"persona":[],"imagine_tag":[],"coauthors":[404],"class_list":["post-70839","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-money-matters","tag-employee-benefits","tag-hr-payroll","business_type-small-business","business_type-medium-business"],"sage_meta":{"region":"en-za","author_name":"Ryan Grundy","featured_image":"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-za\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/9\/2023\/05\/GettyImages-1283894303-640x640-1.jpg","imagine_tags":[]},"distributor_meta":false,"distributor_terms":false,"distributor_media":false,"distributor_original_site_name":"Sage Advice South Africa","distributor_original_site_url":"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-za\/blog","push-errors":false,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-za\/blog\/api\/wp\/v2\/posts\/70839","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-za\/blog\/api\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-za\/blog\/api\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-za\/blog\/api\/wp\/v2\/users\/1398"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-za\/blog\/api\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=70839"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-za\/blog\/api\/wp\/v2\/posts\/70839\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-za\/blog\/api\/wp\/v2\/media\/70871"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-za\/blog\/api\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=70839"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-za\/blog\/api\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=70839"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-za\/blog\/api\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=70839"},{"taxonomy":"business_type","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-za\/blog\/api\/wp\/v2\/business_type?post=70839"},{"taxonomy":"lilypad","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-za\/blog\/api\/wp\/v2\/lilypad?post=70839"},{"taxonomy":"context","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-za\/blog\/api\/wp\/v2\/context?post=70839"},{"taxonomy":"industry","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-za\/blog\/api\/wp\/v2\/industry?post=70839"},{"taxonomy":"persona","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-za\/blog\/api\/wp\/v2\/persona?post=70839"},{"taxonomy":"imagine_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-za\/blog\/api\/wp\/v2\/imagine_tag?post=70839"},{"taxonomy":"author","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-za\/blog\/api\/wp\/v2\/coauthors?post=70839"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}