(Left) Stewart Reynolds and interviewee in Calgary, Alta.; (Right) Gregor Reynolds, mascot Acroo the Owl and Stewart Reynolds at the Canadian National Exhibition in Toronto, Ont.Supplied
The setting is the 2024 Calgary Stampede, and the interviewer is a friendly man wearing a white cowboy hat. But he’s not talking about cattle – he’s talking about payroll.
“Do you agree that getting paid on time and accurately is important?” humorist and well-known social media personality Brittlestar, aka Stewart Reynolds, asks various attendees. A common response: “When you really think about it, yes, absolutely!”
This type of scene played out at the biggest celebrations in cities across Canada over the summer of 2024 – from the Honda Celebration of Lights in Vancouver to the New Brunswick Highland Games in Fredericton.
The National Payroll Institute recruited Mr. Reynolds to serve as their correspondent on the ground.
It was part of an awareness campaign billed as the “national payroll party,” spearheaded by the National Payroll Institute to support its mission to build more recognition for payroll professionals for the work they do to keep Canadians paid.
Payroll is at the heart of business and is essential to keep the economy moving.
Stewart Reynolds“I think people commonly take payroll for granted and oversimplify what’s required to do it well. Payroll deserves a little more love from Canada."
Mr. Reynolds was joined on his travels by his son Gregor, a social media influencer who interviewed people at events in Montreal, Ottawa and Toronto.
According to recent research from the National Payroll Institute, 75 per cent of Canadians say their paycheque is their main motivation for turning up to work each day. Yet over 20 per cent of people don’t know who handles payroll for their organization.
As part of the effort to elevate the profile of payroll, the campaign also aimed to encourage Canadians to sign a petition to make the third Tuesday of September a “national day to recognize payroll professionals.” That is the Tuesday that falls during National Payroll Week – this year it’s happening from September 16 to 20.
Admitting that he began the assignment with little detailed knowledge about the payroll function, Mr. Reynolds says the experience opened his eyes to the complexities of ensuring payroll accuracy and timeliness and how Canadians depend on their paycheques.
He recalled how one woman in Charlottetown, P.E.I., captured that sentiment perfectly: “With the economy the way it is right now, what would I be able to do if I couldn’t afford my groceries, paying my mortgage and paying for my kid’s hockey? We need to get paid on time.”
He adds, “The people I spoke to did a good job of linking payroll to their personal lives. The discussions were insightful, as people talked about how they live paycheque to paycheque, and if their pay is delayed or inaccurate, that has big implications.”
To mark National Payroll Week, celebratory events are being organized in local payroll communities across the country. Additionally, the National Payroll Institute is organizing an integrated recognition ceremony for professionals who have achieved their certified payroll designations as either a Payroll Compliance Professional or a Payroll Leadership Professional. “I think people commonly take payroll for granted and oversimplify what’s required to do it well,” Mr. Reynolds says. “Payroll deserves a little more love from Canada.”
To see the videos created during the national payroll party and to learn more about the petition for a national day of recognition for payroll professionals, visit https://npw.payroll.ca/.
Advertising feature produced by Randall Anthony Communications. The Globe’s editorial department was not involved.