Tag: payroll

Version 1 signs €102.7m deal with Department of Education to transform Ireland’s school employee payroll systems

Version 1, a leader in AI and digital transformation, today announced it has been awarded a significant contract of up to 15 years by the Department of Education Ireland, integrating HCM and Payroll Software as a Service (SaaS) solutions that will enable the timely, secure and accurate processing of payroll.

Version 1 will lead on the design, development, integration and management of the technology systems that service approximately 155,000 teaching and non-teaching staff, as well as retirees across Ireland. Version 1 has partnered with The Access Group to deliver on this major change programme.

The project will see the Department of Education providing payees with employee self-service including online access to their payroll related information. Version 1 has proven, long-standing experience of delivering similar technology solutions for other public sector organisations and will work closely with the Department of Education on this change programme. Version 1 will build, integrate and manage the systems, drawing on a reputation of consistent quality of delivery for public sector organisations.

Commenting on the award of the contract, Chief Information Officer for the Department of Education, Anne-Marie Sherkle said, “I would like to congratulate Version 1 on the award of this contract.  Connecting Government 2030 highlights the need to harness Cloud solutions so that we can deliver online services to our citizens. Leveraging Cloud will allow us to provide not just effective public facing services but will help streamline back-end processes and systems.”

Assistant Secretary General, Martin Clohessy with responsibility for Major Operations in the Department of Education commented, “I very much welcome the improved customer service benefits that will be provided to school employees, retirees, and our school administrators. The Department looks forward to working closely with Version 1 to ensure the successful delivery of this very important programme of work.”

“We have been truly inspired by the vision and drive of the team at the Department of Education to meaningfully improve payroll related services,” said Ger O’Sullivan, Head of Public Sector Ireland at Version 1. “Version 1 has industry leading customer satisfaction scores because we deliver on our customer commitments. We look forward to evolving this partnership even further to unlock this transformation”.

21% of employees in Ireland were paid late multiple times in last 12 months

SD Worx Ireland, a leading payroll and HR solutions provider, today announces the results of their latest research which has revealed a trend of dissatisfaction with salary payments and processes among employees in Ireland. The research found that 21% of employees were paid late by their employers on several occasions in the last 12 months, while alarmingly, 27% reported errors in their salary calculations.

The independent study was commissioned by SD Worx and carried out by iVOX among 1,000 employees in Ireland to gain insights into the efficiency and accuracy of payment processes in Ireland and how they are impacting the workforce. The findings point to a broader need for businesses to reassess how they manage payroll operations.

The research also revealed that a significant portion of employees (39%) would prefer greater flexibility in choosing when they receive their salary, with the option for early access to better meet their financial needs. Moreover, transparency in payroll processes is a key issue with 10% of employees reporting that questions regarding their payslips remain unanswered, underscoring the need for clearer communication around payroll. This payroll mistake highlights the growing demand for payroll proficiency as employees seek greater autonomy over their finances.

The survey suggests that as businesses continue to struggle with the hiring and retention of talented people, these issues could have a profound impact on their ability to do so. SD Worx’s research found that 56% of employees consider salary to be the most important factor when choosing an organisation to work with. A similar proportion (54%), meanwhile, said that salary is a key factor for being engaged and motivated within an organisation. Given the motivational role that salary plays, unsurprisingly, some 40% of those surveyed said that dissatisfaction with their salary would be a main reason for leaving an employer.

Eimear Byrne, Country Leader, SD Worx Ireland, said: “Getting payroll right and on-time is not just about compliance—it’s about protecting the financial well-being of employees and sustaining a positive employer-employee relationship. 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.

“Payroll doesn’t just impact the individual; it has a societal impact, too. 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. This is also good for business, as our research underscores that an efficient and precise payroll process is crucial to fostering a motivated and loyal workforce.

“At SD Worx, we see first-hand the influence that salary has on people’s lives and encourage businesses to reassess their approach to payroll to ensure accuracy, openness and clarity for all employees. Our solution MegaPay empowers employers to analyse wage data, benchmark salaries, adjust pay frequencies and incorporate remuneration elements like travel allowances or performance bonuses, all while ensuring compliance with evolving payroll regulations. This helps businesses stay competitive while ensuring they can attract and retain top talent.”

SD Worx invests €3M to expand payroll services to SMEs in Ireland

SD Worx Ireland, the leading payroll and HR solutions provider, has announced that it is investing €3 million to expand its payroll offering and roll the service out to small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) in Ireland. Historically servicing medium and large enterprises of over 250 employees, SD Worx’s innovative payroll solution is now available to SMEs across all industries.

The investment will span five years across technology, services, and people within SD Worx Ireland. During this timeframe, the company forecasts that 20% of its business will stem from SMEs and expects revenue growth from the SME sector of 60% per year.

Driving the demand for the service among SMEs in Ireland are new reporting regulations, such as gender pay gap reporting. This requires increased payroll visibility and accuracy and applies to SMEs with over 150 employees for the first time this year, and those with more than 50 employees in 2025. Meanwhile, legislation relating to statutory sick pay and upcoming auto-enrolment for pensions brings additional administration, meaning smaller businesses may not have the necessary internal resources to keep pace with the rate of change.

In addition to these challenges, according to SD Worx’s Payroll Proficiency in Ireland report, the movement of personnel within organisations, such as joiners or leavers, is making payroll handling more difficult for a quarter (25%) of businesses in Ireland. Meanwhile, the administration of employee presence and absence (cited by 56%) was ranked as the process that complicates payroll the most. Data collection and access to, or integration of, data sources was also signalled as a challenge by 51% of organisations.

SD Worx’s €3M investment will ensure that all organisations, no matter their size, have access to the same resources as larger enterprises in overcoming these challenges. The company’s investment covers the establishment of a dedicated team to support SMEs in Ireland, customisation of operational design, and technology upgrades. With these enhanced capabilities, within the next 12 months, the company expects to grow its customer base by up to 50 SMEs in sectors such as retail, hospitality, and construction, as well as customers in financial and professional services.

The establishment of its SME service comes at a time when SD Worx is on an aggressive growth path in Ireland and will support its strategy in this area. In February, SD Worx announced that it will create 40 new jobs in Ireland in the next two years, growing its team to 115 as part of a €2.9M investment in its workforce. Ireland’s fastest-growing payroll technology company, SD Worx has been operating in Ireland for nearly 30 years, previously as Intelligo until it was acquired by SD Worx in 2022. Its enterprise-grade payroll solution pays one in five employees in Ireland’s corporate sector.

Eimear Byrne, Country Lead, SD Worx Ireland, said: “We have scaled up our own capabilities so that businesses who may lack the necessary internal resources can keep pace with evolving payroll trends and requirements. SD Worx aims to empower SMEs to focus on their core business activities while leaving the complexities of payroll management to trusted professionals. Our new offering means that amid intense competition for top talent, increasing regulations and rising costs, SMEs can continue to grow and thrive with on-hand payroll support and cost certainty.

“SMEs can often be stretched in terms of resources and this enhanced service will provide peace of mind for those who seek the reliability we offer by never missing a pay date or Revenue submission. The service will also guarantee that SMEs are compliant with regulations and effectively safeguarding confidential company and employee data. We are looking forward to working closely with organisations in the SME space to drive value and underpin their continued success.”

SD Worx’s flexible and scalable managed payroll service relieves pressure on businesses, reduces administrative burdens, and frees up resources that can be refocused elsewhere in the organisation. SD Worx’s outsourced payroll solution is updated in line with the latest legislation, ensuring customers remain compliant. SD Worx also has a dedicated expert team in place to support growing organisations.

SD Worx’s managed payroll offering is built on highly secure MegaPay software and protects customers’ sensitive information, with all data securely hosted in Ireland. In addition, a fixed monthly cost provides price transparency for businesses.

Roll by ADP, the revolutionary payroll and HR app, launches in Ireland

ADP has announced the expansion of its chat-based mobile payroll solution, Roll by ADP, to the Irish market. The innovative payroll and HR app serves as an intuitive advisor for small business owners, offering payroll insights and support tailored specifically for Ireland.

Roll by ADP is fast, affordable and flexible. Thanks to its natural, conversational experience, there’s no training needed. Businesses can get set up on the app in minutes and run payroll anytime, anywhere in under 60 seconds. Roll allows small businesses to pay employees easily and quickly, whether they’re full or part-time, permanent, temps or casual staff. The app provides on-the-go HR and payroll support, offering a direct integration with Revenue and ensuring payroll taxes are calculated and reported correctly.

The launch marks Roll’s first venture beyond the United States, where it’s already established as a trusted solution helping small businesses streamline their payroll processes and enhancing business efficiency. Roll by ADP is designed for small businesses and backed by the leaders in payroll.

Roll is effortless to use, with capabilities such as:

  • Intelligent Assistant – Small business owners in Ireland can now seek guidance on managing and expanding their business through a chat-based, intuitive conversation on their mobile device. They can directly ask Roll for help writing job descriptions, conducting interviews, paying their employees’ taxes to Revenue, and more.
  • Swift set-up and hassle-free HR and payroll support – The app guides busy entrepreneurs in Ireland through the do-it-yourself set-up, cutting out time-consuming tasks through chat-based interactions on their device.
  • Security and privacy – All Roll Ireland data is safeguarded in a secure cloud environment and hosted in the European Union. Roll uses the latest in-app security protocols and benefits from the ongoing oversight of ADP experts to protect the employee data of Irish small businesses.

Roberto Masiero, SVP of Product Development and Innovation at ADP, and founder of Roll, emphasised, “We built Roll with the goal of giving small business owners a tool that would make their lives easier. To reduce the time they have to spend on payroll, so that they can focus on growing their business. Roll acts like an intuitive assistant, reminding them of important tasks and providing valuable guidance in a safe and secure way.”

Roll™ by ADP® is now available to small businesses across Ireland. To learn more:  RollbyADP.com/en-ie.