PayTalk

Ever think payroll could take you around the world—or land you a front-row seat with your favorite sports team? We sit down with Jon Schausten, director of payroll at Group 1001, and Michelle Ganzer, senior payroll manager at REI Co-op, to unpack the career nobody tells you about in college. From precocious beginnings to global system conversions to teaching payroll abroad, Jon and Michelle reveal why this "behind the scenes" job might be one of the most flexible, people-driven careers out there. Part one of a two-part series. Join the conversation! Let us know your experiences with payroll careers by messaging PayrollOrg's Facebook page or by sending us an email to [email protected].

Which earned wage access model is right for your payroll department? Dive in with our guest Bryan Thomas, the Vice President of Enterprise Accounts at rapid! by Green Dot. We discuss the difference between direct-to-consumer and direct-to-business EWA models, the shifting regulatory landscape shaped by the CFPB, and what payroll teams should look for before choosing a vendor. Bryan also breaks down why nearly every major U.S. employer now offers EWA, and shares a payroll nightmare involving a staffing company that ran the wrong pay file two weeks in a row. Join the conversation! Let us know your experiences with earned wage access by messaging PayrollOrg's Facebook page or by sending us an email to [email protected].

We're joined by Andy Garboden, CPP, a payroll executive, speaker, consultant, and educator for PayrollOrg, to explore the fundamentals of a smooth year-end close and the new considerations payroll teams must navigate under the One Big Beautiful Bill Act (OBBBA). We discuss how payroll professionals can build the right cross-functional team and checklist to start preparing for year-end, the new W-2 requirements (including the increased dependent care limit), as well as the new Trump Account code and the tip and overtime credit codes. We also discuss how leaning on mentors and celebrating team wins can turn a stressful year-end into a confident, successful close. Do you have thoughts or questions about OBBBA or year-end payroll? We want to hear from you! Join the conversation by reaching out via email at [email protected] or send a message to the PayrollOrg Facebook page.

In this special episode of PayTalk, recorded at the 44th Annual Payroll Congress in Nashville, we're joined by PayrollOrg members Wendy Muirhead, Kira Rubiano, and Dale Wethered, CPP, alongside special guest hosts Nick Day and Natalie Lloyd, to explore where payroll is headed in the age of automation. We discuss how payroll professionals can leverage AI to drive strategic workforce planning, why culture is a leadership skill that extends far beyond global payroll, and how agentic AI is set to become a foundational element of payroll operations within the next five years. Do you have thoughts or questions about the future of payroll or AI and automation? We want to hear from you! Join the conversation by reaching out via email at [email protected] or sending a message to the PayrollOrg Facebook page.

In this special episode recorded at the 44th Annual Payroll Congress in Nashville, Tennessee, special guest host, Brent Skinner, with his HR.com podcast, "Future of Payroll and Workforce Management," discusses with PayrollOrg member, Karen Settembrino, CPP, one of payroll's most consequential emerging debates — artificial intelligence (AI) and payroll. AI may be advancing rapidly, but should payroll professionals trust it to calculate gross-to-net pay? While AI can already support auditing, reconciliation, employee self-service, and anomaly detection, this podcast argues that fully autonomous payroll calculations cross a dangerous line. Want even more insights? Don't forget to register for PayrollOrg's Virtual Congress!