Canadian Payroll Reporter

2 Canadian HR Reporter, a Thomson Reuters business 2015 News September 2015 | CPR Similarities, diff erences to APA approach on time and to raise awareness of the profession outside of the payroll community, he says. During the week, the CPA will host breakfasts and luncheons in cities throughout Canada that feature a summary of the asso- ciation's latest survey results and a presentation with tips on effec- tive communication skills. Cul- hane says he expects about 4,000 people to attend 28 CPA events. The association also encour- ages payroll practitioners to mark the week within their own organization with activities such as payroll lunch-and-learn ses- sions, information fairs held in conjunction with the organiza- tion's payroll services or benefits provider or an article about pay- roll in the company newsletter. The CPA held its first NPW in 1995. Over the years, the event has grown and changed, says Culhane. "It used to be that we would get together and say, 'Hey, isn't this great? We're celebrat- ing National Payroll Week. Give yourselves a round of applause.'" Then, about 12 years ago, for- mer CPA board chair Alan Sin- clair suggested adding a profes- sional development component to the week. It proved popular and the association has since included professional develop- ment in all of its NPW celebra- tions, with a focus on a number of themes including time man- agement, negotiation skills and payroll skills and competencies. Survey added Another change was the addi- tion of a public relations cam- paign called Keeping Canada Paid, with the release of results from CPA's annual survey on employee financial health. It was about raising aware- ness, says Culhane. "Many people do not under- stand that payroll is a compli- ance-based profession. Many people feel that payroll is admin- istrative only. The adage in the payroll profession is 'It's easy. Push a button.'" In 2009, the CPA launched its first annual national survey called Living Pay Cheque to Pay Cheque. It asks employees how they would fare if their pay- cheque was delayed for a week, how much they save, the type of debt they have incurred and their target retirement age. Culhane says the survey not only provides insight into the state of Canada's economy, it also gives the association a chance to promote the fact that payroll professionals can help employ- ees better understand their pay and ways to save it. Last year, 3,400 individuals responded to the survey, he says. "It's generated a huge re- sponse," says Culhane. "Last year, our material on Canadians living paycheque to paycheque gener- ated 400 articles that were read by 58 million people. The previ- ous year, it was 33 million." The media attention is a great morale booster for payroll prac- titioners who see the coverage or who hear about it at the CPA events, he says. "Success breeds success. It makes people feel good about what we are doing and even more importantly, about what they are doing." Following the CPA's lead, pay- roll associations in other coun- tries, such as the United States, United Kingdom and Australia, have since created National Pay- roll Weeks. "We are very proud of it," Cul- hane says of NPW. "If you have other people adopting what you have done, then you are obvi- ously on the right track." American payroll The associations sometimes give and get advice from each other on issues related to NPW, but they do not co-ordinate their events, he says. A number of years ago, the CPA did try to run the Canadian week at the same time as the American one, but many here found it too hec- tic since the U.S. event occurs the week of Labour Day, when Canadian parents are focusing on getting their children back to school. And it makes more sense for the CPA and the American Pay- roll Association (APA) to have separate events, given the differ- ences in payroll-related laws in the two countries. "(F)or payroll legislation, it's country-specific and provincial- or state-specific even. When you start to think about it from the market perspective, there is not that much value in trying to co- ordinate," says Culhane. Both the CPA and the APA have a dual focus of recognizing the hard work of payroll practi- tioners and promoting the pro- fession in the media. Similar to the CPA, the APA surveys employees on payroll and financial topics and releases the results to the media. Like the CPA, the APA encourages em- ployers and payroll practitioners to celebrate the week in their workplaces. Educating students In addition to celebrating pay- roll, the APA focuses on finan- cial literacy through a Money Matters National Education Day during its NPW. On Sept. 10 this year, payroll professionals in the U.S. will volunteer to teach high school students in their commu- nity about pay, methods of pay- ments and payroll deductions. "This structured lesson, de- signed for students new to the workforce or about to enter the workforce, teaches the elements of a (paycheque), the amount of taxes they can expect to have withheld, how those taxes are calculated and various options to receive their pay," says the APA on its website. The CPA provides a similar program for students in Cana- da, called Understanding Your Pay. But it runs throughout the year, except for National Payroll Week, says Culhane. "The APA tries to do it during National Payroll Week but, for us, we find that we are too busy and when you are there and you are with the young students, you want to be there and present and engaged. You don't want to be thinking, 'OK, fine, I've got to get through this presentation and then get off to the NPW meet- ing tomorrow.' We try to use our resources the best way possible." Culhane says teaching young people about their pay is impor- tant because most do not under- stand how their pay is calculated and what the difference is be- tween gross pay and net pay. "When my children got their first paycheques, they said, 'What are these deductions, Dad? Who is this CPP guy?'" says Culhane. The CPA's student education program has become so popu- lar, Culhane says demand for it has exceeded the number of volunteers available to teach it. To address this, the association is planning to create a teaching video this year. "We are envisioning it being a stand-alone video," he notes. "We can have somebody speak- ing (in-person to the students) but, if not, it will be a stand-alone piece that will then enable the teacher to use that video as part of a presentation." The video, like the employee financial survey, can help im- prove financial literacy in the country, while also raising the profile of the association beyond the payroll community, says Cul- hane. "We see that as something that is going to dovetail well into financial literacy because if you understand what your deduc- tions are and what your pay is and we can get that message about saving in there sooner, people will a) understand the difference between net pay and how it could be used and b) they will probably use it a little more wisely." When this year's NPW wraps up, there will not be much time for CPA staff and volunteers to rest before beginning work on next year's event. Planning the week is a Herculean task that takes months, says Culhane. "When we are finishing off National Payroll Week this year, we will have a debrief and actu- ally start booking venues and thinking about themes for the next year within a month. It's a huge activity." from CELEBRATING on page 1 The CPA's student education program has become so popular, demand has exceeded the number of volunteers available to teach it.

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