[UK] Errors by £30 million council payroll system leave staff ‘distraught’

In the UK, ongoing payroll system errors and months of incorrect wages have left council employees in Surrey feeling ‘distraught’ and had a ‘catastrophic’ effect on their mental health, HR Grapevine reports.

Surrey County Council has had a flurry of issues relating to its payroll system. According to the Local Democracy Reporting (LDR) service, the new system was introduced in June 2023 to replace its 20+ years old predecessor.

The new system reportedly cost £30m to introduce and has been responsible for ongoing pay errors from the start. Many of the county’s public sector staff - including teachers and firefighters - have been either under or overpaid each month leading to what union figures described as “dire reverberations”.

Unions supporting affected staff have stated that these payroll problems have led to some staff missing payments on their mortgages, rent and household bills.

Surrey County Council Trade Unions (SCCTU) - made up of 12 recognised bodies including UNISON, NEU and Nasuwt - said, “All the trade unions in Surrey County Council have been helping distraught staff deal with pay errors month-on-month since June 2023.

“These errors include large overpayments and underpayments, which have had dire reverberations for the staff in question. This includes employees being unable to make payments on their mortgage, rent, cars, and utilities.

"For single parents, lower paid staff, and staff who have their wages topped up by Universal Credit, the fallout from these mistakes have had a catastrophic effect on the mental health of staff and their families.”

The union group has reportedly estimated that a permanent solution won’t be found until the summer.

A Surrey council spokesperson told the LDR, "The recovery plan is making good progress, with the number of errors reducing significantly over time.

"We are still working through some of the issues and we are grateful to our staff and schools for both their efforts and patience as we continue to do this."

The Surrey branch of UNISON reportedly announced that around £100,000 in emergency payments had been distributed to staff whose wages have been impacted.

Source: HR Grapevine

(Quotes via original reporting)

In the UK, ongoing payroll system errors and months of incorrect wages have left council employees in Surrey feeling ‘distraught’ and had a ‘catastrophic’ effect on their mental health, HR Grapevine reports.

Surrey County Council has had a flurry of issues relating to its payroll system. According to the Local Democracy Reporting (LDR) service, the new system was introduced in June 2023 to replace its 20+ years old predecessor.

The new system reportedly cost £30m to introduce and has been responsible for ongoing pay errors from the start. Many of the county’s public sector staff - including teachers and firefighters - have been either under or overpaid each month leading to what union figures described as “dire reverberations”.

Unions supporting affected staff have stated that these payroll problems have led to some staff missing payments on their mortgages, rent and household bills.

Surrey County Council Trade Unions (SCCTU) - made up of 12 recognised bodies including UNISON, NEU and Nasuwt - said, “All the trade unions in Surrey County Council have been helping distraught staff deal with pay errors month-on-month since June 2023.

“These errors include large overpayments and underpayments, which have had dire reverberations for the staff in question. This includes employees being unable to make payments on their mortgage, rent, cars, and utilities.

"For single parents, lower paid staff, and staff who have their wages topped up by Universal Credit, the fallout from these mistakes have had a catastrophic effect on the mental health of staff and their families.”

The union group has reportedly estimated that a permanent solution won’t be found until the summer.

A Surrey council spokesperson told the LDR, "The recovery plan is making good progress, with the number of errors reducing significantly over time.

"We are still working through some of the issues and we are grateful to our staff and schools for both their efforts and patience as we continue to do this."

The Surrey branch of UNISON reportedly announced that around £100,000 in emergency payments had been distributed to staff whose wages have been impacted.

Source: HR Grapevine

(Quotes via original reporting)