(survey closed)
Currently, Payroll is considered by the Australian Government as a low skill profession, which is part of the wider 551 series of occupations (Accounting Clerks and Bookeepers).
If you are a payroll professional and would like an opportunity to change this, please read on.
Please note. It has come to our attention that other entities are copying our survey and proposed submission. To be clear, this submission and survey is the work of AWCC Ltd ONLY. Please respect the copyright on our original work. The only correct link to the survey that is currently collecting data for the submission is at the top of this post and consists of eight questions in total.
The Australian Workforce Compliance Council Ltd, (a new members based professional association for payroll, payroll related Digital Service Providers, Industrial Relations and Employment Law) will use the information gained from this survey to:
- Provide a submission to the Australian Government as to where Payroll should sit within the ANZSCO (Australian and New Zealand Standard Classification of Occupations) register and at a more appropriate skill level (ie, skill level 3 or 2) and potentially, as part of a new job family (Workforce Compliance, Governance and Risk).
- Depending on the number of responses, we may also request a new management category for payroll to be created in with other managerial categories which already exist for HR, Finance, Policy and Research.
- Identify ourselves to the Federal and State Governments as the country’s joint bodies for the purpose of representing professions and digital service providers who operationalise Australia’s labour and related legislation for its 2.5 million entities that employ its workforce of over 13 million workers. A group called the “Peak Bodies” that includes CPA, CA and AICD amongst others, in a recent submission to the Federal Government stated no such representation for payroll and DSPs currently exists.
- State our long-term goals including a complete re-assessment of payrolls skilling and education as part of AWCCs self-regulation framework and Workforce Compliance standards proposal to all nine Australian Governments.
Further Background on ANZSCO and the Survey
The ANZSCO is a skilled-based classification register used to categorise all occupations and jobs in Australia including payroll.
The Australian Government uses this register to collect and disseminate all official stats on jobs and it is a key tenet of the Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS). Its data is used to inform and support Government policy, some of which include:
- The National Census of population and professional occupations,
- Housing,
- Vocational education and training,
- Education funding (billions) for Universities and RTOs,
- Skilled migration programs.
- Funded initiatives to improve the uptake of education and workers in targeted segments.
The ANZSCO “groups” occupations and every four years, (between each census) a brief window opens up for consultation whereby the public including associations can make a case for change in the register.
The current window concludes on the 28 of April 2023 for several industries including the one which payroll currently sits under. Which is Administrative Services/Accounting Clerks and Bookkeepers/Payroll Clerks.
Payroll Clerks are listed as a skill level 4 occupation, which is the second lowest skill level occupation in the ANZSCO. More information on skill levels can be found in the links below.
Additionally, this low skill level and underrepresented classification causes the following problems for the payroll profession.
- Allows it to be partitioned by other professions, including HR and accounting.
- Does not ensure it has a clear and recognised function with regard to Workforce Compliance, including policy and advocacy for new laws which payroll must administer, these range from superannuation to awards and currently “under draft” federal wage-theft legislation.
- Provides barriers for the profession to grow, in both the eyes of the state (all nine Australian Governments) for policy development, to educational funding and assistance (no Australian University teaches payroll, or intends to), and the ability to grow and identify specialisations such as shift roster/time and attendance.
- Lack of recognition for the only group of experts responsible for the operational application of Australia’s labour and related legislation, including its payroll, taxation and superannuation.
- Misalignment of payroll within job seeking platforms that list payroll as a part of accounting or bookkeeping and not as its own profession, further prohibiting payroll to list existing or emerging specialisations.
Further Background
The submission represents the first by the Australian Workforce Compliance Council Ltd (AWCC) which was established after identifying there is no recognised voice to Government for payroll, Industrial Relations and Digital Service Providers who operationalise its labour and related legislation, and this “policy and advocacy void” is currently filled by a group called the “Peak Bodies. ” The Peak Bodies do so on behalf of payroll and like DSPs, to provide joint submissions toward the development of national policy, including legislation and regulation around law for employment, taxation, superannuation, and related initiatives. This group has no payroll or DSP payroll related members and they have stated as much in recent submissions to the Federal Government.
More information on AWCC will become available on its website and via webinars after it officially launches in August 2023.
Once AWCCs media becomes active, you can track it here:
Website: www.awcc.asn.au
Linkedin https://www.linkedin.com/company/awccltd/about/
Link to the ANZSCO register containing the location of payroll clerks can be found here: https://www.abs.gov.au/statistics/classifications/anzsco-australian-and-new-zealand-standard-classification-occupations/2022/browse-classification/5/55/551