Research Report

The Pay Understanding Gap

New research reveals a hidden challenge across the UK and Ireland: employees are being paid correctly, but many still don’t understand their pay.

Discover the impact on financial decisions, employee trust and payroll efficiency.

Get the report

Download the Pay Understanding Gap Report

One in three employees are delaying financial decisions because of pay confusion

Pay is one of the most important interactions employees have with their employer, yet our latest research shows many people struggle to understand the details behind their own pay.

From tax codes and deductions to benefits and pay changes, uncertainty is creating avoidable questions, delaying financial decisions and putting pressure on payroll teams.

This report explores the growing pay understanding gap, why it matters, and what organisations can do to improve employee confidence while creating capacity for payroll to focus on more strategic work.

Inside the research

The findings reveal a significant disconnect between employee expectations and payroll reality.

While 77% of employees expect payroll to catch every error before payday, only 4% of payroll professionals believe that standard is achievable. At the same time, payroll teams report spending more than 250 hours each year answering questions that could often be resolved through better access to information and clearer explanations.

The report examines how organisations can close this gap through better communication, stronger self-service capabilities and a more connected employee experience that makes pay easier to understand and trust.

Key findings

34%

of employees have taken no action in the past 12 months to check whether their pay is correct.

33%

of employees have delayed a financial decision because they were unsure about the finer details of their pay.

10%

of employees have used ChatGPT or another AI tool to help understand information on their payslip.

77%

of employees believe payroll should catch every mistake before payday.

Start with what matters most

Explore the evidence behind The Pay Understanding Gap and how organisations can close the blindspot.