Frequently asked questions

1) Can I nominate myself?
Yes, you can submit a nomination for yourself. You can also nominate colleagues, your team or your organisation.
The categories have been split into individual, team and provider this year for ease of use.

2) How do I nominate?
You can email cathy.heys@cch.co.uk to request a nomination form or download the nomination form from the website once it is available.
The nomination form will provide details on criteria for each category and the documents you need to submit to enter. There is also an entry form to fill in.
You can then email or post the nomination to Pay Magazine. The email to send entries to is cathy.heys@cch.co.uk with the subject headline Pay Awards. The address is: Pay Awards, 145 London Road, Kingston upon Thames, Surrey KT2 6SR.

3) Can I enter more than one category?
You cannot enter the same achievement in two categories, but you can enter multiple categories. So, for example, a payroll and benefits manager can focus on their payroll achievements in the Payroll Manager of the Year Award category and their benefits work in the Award for Best Reward Programme.

4) Can I enter two years in a row?
Yes, as long as you meet the entry criteria you can enter every year if you wish. Previous winners can also enter in following years, but should demonstrate additional achievements in the subsequent year.

5) I am worried my entry might not arrive, can receipt be confirmed?
Yes, just let us know if you would like us to confirm we have received your entry or entries.

6) I want to enter the Payroll Student of Year Award, but I have not started studying. Can I still enter?
No, entrants in this category must have either started or recently completed their course. They must also be working in payroll.

7) I'm not sure which of the individual categories I should enter - do I come under Payroll Manager of the Year or Payroll Employee of the Year?
The category you enter will be determined by a number of factors, including whether you manage employees and who you report to.
If you manage one payroll employee and have been managing a payroll for at least two years you should enter the manager category, even if you don't have the job title. But you must have the responsibilities of payroll manager.
On the other hand administrators must single-handedly care for the payroll, ie manage no payroll employees, and report to a line manager whose job is not principally payroll.
The Payroll Employee of the Year will report to a payroll manager and be working as part of team providing payroll services.
If you would like more guidance on which category to enter please email cathy.heys@cch.co.uk.

8) I work for a payroll bureau. Can I enter Payroll Manager of the Year?
No, but we have a new category for bureau and outsourcing provider employees. Payroll Bureau/Outsourcing employee of the Year is open to employers and managers working on multiple client payrolls. Entrants must have been working in payroll for at least a year.

9) What is the judging process?
We have a panel of judges, for example last year well-known payroll writer Kate Upcraft and Rhonda Howlader from HM Revenue & Customs were two of our judges.
The judges are sent copies of all the entries and meet up, generally in September.