Leeds businesses warned of payroll shake-up
Employers in Leeds are being urged to get to grips with major payroll changes that are hurtling down the tracks.
A raft of strict new regulations are coming into force under the April 6 overhaul, which includes the potential for significant enforcement action for non-compliance..
Azets, a UK top 10 accountancy and business advisory firm in King Street, Leeds, is holding a free seminar on March 10 to help businesses cope with the shake-up.
It will cover how HR and payroll teams must now work more closely together to comply with new rules that mean accurate records of holiday entitlement, holiday pay calculations and annual leave must be retained centrally for six years.
Experts will explain the role of a new government department also being launched on April 6, the Fair Work Agency (FWA), and its enforcement powers to swoop on premises, demand records and impose fines or criminal sanctions.
Ruth Butt, an employment lawyer from Hill Dickinson in Leeds, will also be on hand to explain employment law changes – including day one rights for paternity leave, parental leave and Statutory Sick Pay (SSP).
Alongside the key payroll, HR and legal changes, Azets will also be covering planning opportunities employers should consider to reduce their increasing employment costs – including tax efficient salary sacrifice arrangements, better use of key tax exemptions, enhancing staff benefits and rewards.
Yorkshire-based Julie Gunnell, associate director of payroll growth at Azets, said: “These changes are hurtling down the tracks and it is alarming how few employers know about them.
“We are holding these seminars to help raise awareness and provide practical advice and support for businesses so they can get a handle on the new regulations in payroll but also in employment law too.
“There’s a great deal in the new regulations that could trip employers up and with potential fines and criminal sanctions, the implications are massive.
“This will be an invaluable in-person event for employers to get to grips with the new rules.”
The seminar – titled the Payroll and Employer Update – is from 9.30am to 11.30am at Azets office in King Street, Leeds, and will include presentations, networking and the chance to speak to experts.
They will include Julie Gunnell, employee benefits consultant David Pinner and employment tax partner Richard Whitelock from Azets plus Ruth Butt from Hill Dickinson.
Becky Maguire, Leeds office managing partner, said: “We continue to invest in the city of Leeds and are committed to doing all we can to help its businesses and the local economy thrive.
“This seminar will allow us to play our part by providing valuable support and advice to help businesses navigate the latest payroll and employment changes. We look forward to seeing many employers from the city at the event.”
According to latest annual business activity figures from the Office for National Statistics, as of March 2025, there were 2.73 million VAT and/or PAYE businesses in the UK, with 191,000 (7%) in Yorkshire and The Humber.
Latest government research has also highlighted that 900,000 UK workers annually have holiday pay withheld, worth £2.1 billion, and nearly 20% of minimum wage workers are underpaid.
Visit https://discover.azets.co.uk/leeds-annual-payroll-and-employer-update to register for the free seminar.