Payroll training, guidance and support provider CIPP celebrated the start of National Payroll Week 2021 on Monday.
An annual event aimed at promoting the invaluable work that payroll staff do to ensure UK employees get paid, this year's event is coming off the back of the firm's most successful year yet in 2020, where engagement rates reached an all-time high.
National Payroll Week was established in the UK by the CIPP in 1998 and it demonstrates the impact the payroll industry has each year, with £249 billion paid to the government through income tax and national insurance contributions.
CIPP is running a number of different events throughout the week including training sessions, workshops and discussion groups.
Last year, 5,500 editions of its information pack were downloaded, with CIPP hoping to see even more engagement this time around.
CIPP chief executive Ken Pullar received a letter of support from Solihull MP Julian Knight in advance of the event.
"This year’s National Payroll Week yet again holds a high level of significance, given that we are in the midst of continuing to tackle the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic," it read.
"It is a delight to be able to take this opportunity to share my token of appreciation towards payroll professionals and their invaluable efforts in keeping the UK paid during such an unprecedented period of time.
"Payroll professionals are vital to our nation and it was through their efforts there was an outstanding contribution of approximately £249 billion to the UK economy in the 2020/21 financial year. Similar to you, I am also pleased that the payroll professionals have been recognised as ‘key workers’ during this pandemic, especially with their swift adaptation to the announcement of the Job Retention Scheme, which supported the lives of many employees in an unpredictable economic period."
CIPP has been around since 1980 and continues to work on its mission of reimagining the way people view the payroll industry.
It launched its first qualification in 1991 and now offers a BA (Hons) in collaboration with the University of Lincoln, while also employing 120 tutors.
Remarking on the success of CIPP in his recent contribution to The Parliamentary Review, Pullar said that the firm offers something genuinely unique within the UK.
"We are the only chartered body in payroll in the UK and we see ourselves as the place to go for up-to-date information, knowledge and help for the payroll industry," he wrote.
"We have developed a three-year plan to ensure all of our teaching material is fit for purpose and we will review our foundation degree qualifications to ensure they remain up to date and relevant.
"More widely, we will continue to adapt to the changing nature of membership organisations, by going above and beyond to support our members, whether this be through advice, training or teaching."
