Caroline Bernard, human resources manager at Sazerac Distillers of Canada, has seen the payroll function gain value and credibility over her 30-year career.NASUNA STUART-ULIN
Over her 30 years working in human resources and payroll, Caroline Bernard has seen the payroll function transform from essentially an afterthought in the world of HR to a valued and respected profession in its own right.
Recognized as a leader of the payroll profession in Quebec, Ms. Bernard has amassed experience in the manufacturing, wholesale, retail and service industries. Today, she is human resources manager at alcoholic beverage company Sazerac Distillers of Canada, based in Montreal, location of the Old Montreal Distillery.
The payroll landscape has certainly changed since the early days of her career, she recalls.
“When I graduated from university with a degree in HR, I had never even heard of payroll,” says Ms. Bernard. “At that time, it wasn’t considered important enough to be included in one’s HR education.”
When she got her first HR-related job after graduation, she found herself in charge of payroll, with her only preparation being a quick training session from the person retiring from the role.
She soon discovered the complexities of payroll and the knowledge needed to perform the job well.
“As a payroll professional, you need to ensure compliance with a complex array of federal and provincial labour standards,” Ms. Bernard says. “I had not gained the expertise I needed in university, so I was now determined to acquire it.”
That led her to the National Payroll Institute, (formerly the Canadian Payroll Association), the professional association representing 45,000 payroll professionals in Canada.
“I started attending events and courses, and began working to earn my designation,” she says. “It was truly an eye-opener. I realized that our organization wasn’t doing payroll correctly and our compliance with standards was piecemeal.”
Ms. Bernard was certified as a Payroll Compliance Practitioner, the one designation offered by the association at that time. She also dove deep into the association to build her network and gain more in-depth knowledge; she volunteered on various committees, became chairman of the association in 2012 and remained on the board as past chairman in 2013.
In recognition of her contributions over many years, Ms. Bernard holds the title of Fellow of the National Payroll Institute.
The value of designations and connections with other payroll practitioners quickly paid off, she says. “I gained the confidence to tackle the compliance weaknesses in that early job. I was able to put some strong compliance structures in place and eliminate risk for the company.”
“ You can’t truly have a successful HR career without having that payroll knowledge. Bringing excellence to payroll enhances employee relations and strengthens the workplace environment.”
Caroline Bernard
Human Resources Manager, Sazerac Distillers of Canada
The continuing professionalization of payroll
As Ms. Bernard moved through her career and held HR and payroll jobs in various organizations, she increasingly understood the complementary nature of the two roles. “You can’t truly have a successful HR career without having that payroll knowledge. Bringing excellence to payroll enhances employee relations and strengthens the workplace environment.”
She is gratified to see how respect and recognition for payroll has advanced over the years. “Recognition has also come from the growing complexity of payroll and the globalization of companies, where practitioners need to understand labour standards in multiple countries.”
As the scope and complexity of the payroll function have expanded, so have the professional designations. The National Payroll Institute manages Payroll Standards Canada, the self-regulating body for the payroll profession in Canada. The body upholds the standards for Canada’s only payroll designations – the Payroll Compliance Professional (PCP), Payroll Leadership Professional (PLP), and for those administering payroll in Quebec, Professionnel de la paie du Québec (PPQ).
Employers increasingly see the value of the professional designations and are looking to hire payroll employees who have earned them, says Ms. Bernard. She notes that more job postings for payroll roles are seeking designations as a qualification.
“There is a growing understanding that payroll is a profession that requires a unique skill set, backed by credentials,” she says. “Companies understand the importance of hiring qualified professionals because they know they are getting a high standard of quality and adherence to ethics.
“These are professionals they know they can trust to ensure compliance and protect the best interests of the organization. ”
Advertising feature produced by Randall Anthony Communications. The Globe’s editorial department was not involved.
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