You’ve probably heard the saying, “an honest day’s work for an honest day’s pay.” For many employees, it’s a foregone conclusion that they’ll get paid for their work. However, without payroll professionals to ensure they get paid accurately and on time, it wouldn’t be possible.
At the start of September, we observe National Payroll Week to celebrate payroll professionals and the critical work they do. Here’s a quick rundown of the week, and ideas on how you can get involved.
National Payroll Week was founded in 1996 by PayrollOrg (formerly American Payroll Association). It’s held annually the week of Labor Day, which lands on Sept. 4-8 this year. While National Payroll Week is a celebration of payroll professionals, it has another important goal: to educate all employees on their paychecks, the payroll-withholding system, and payroll-related benefits.
The official slogan for National Payroll Week is “America Works Because We’re Working for America.” And it’s true. Payroll has a significant impact on our economy. Through payroll withholding, we contribute, collect, report and deposit 70% of the U.S. Treasury’s annual revenue, or about $2.4 trillion per year. The money collected from wage-earners’ paychecks funds essential programs like social security, Medicare and more.
Considering the massive impact payroll withholdings have on our economy, there’s no question that we owe it to the payroll community to dedicate an entire week (if not more) to celebrating their hard work.
If you’re familiar with National Payroll Week, you know that there's always a theme. Last year’s theme, “Building Blocks of America,” was a tribute to the hardworking people of this nation whose payroll contributions are helping America build toward the future. This year’s theme, “We Just Got Paid,” is a nod to the payroll departments working hard to ensure employees receive what they are owed each and every payday. It’s a noble theme and a true testament to the hard work, training and dedication that goes into being a payroll professional.
The best way to celebrate National Payroll Week is to show some love to all the payroll professionals in your life, to yourself (if you’re a payroll pro), and to the payroll community at large. There are many ways to accomplish this, the first of which involves raising awareness for the week with individuals inside and outside of your organization.
National Payroll Week is the ideal opportunity to not only show appreciation to payroll professionals, but to also make sure all employees recognize the hard work of these individuals. By getting the word out about this special week, you can accomplish both of these goals with awareness-raising efforts like the following:
While it’s important to show your appreciation to payroll professionals year-round, now is the time to add a little extra boost to your efforts. If you yourself are a payroll professional, pat yourself on the back (you deserve it!). But also don’t forget to find ways to express gratitude to your fellow payroll colleagues and network. Get creative with ideas like these:
If you’re a payroll professional, the best way to celebrate your talented and hardworking community is to get involved. Having a network of people that understand what you’re doing day in and day out is a wonderful way to stay motivated, grow your career, and garner support year-round. Here are a few ideas from our in-house team of payroll professionals:
To all payroll professionals, we can’t thank you enough for the critical work you do to keep America working. National Payroll Week offers a special opportunity to show our gratitude. We recognize your work is demanding and want to support you in making it easier. One way we can do this is by sharing valuable industry news, payroll updates, and other resources. To ensure you don’t miss out, make sure to follow us on LinkedIn and Facebook.
Editor's Note: This article is updated annually. The previously published post was from 2021 and has been updated for National Payroll Week 2023.