There’s a nice moment that happens every December. Someone in payroll remembers to tell the team the Christmas pay date has moved earlier because of the bank holidays, and someone else forgets, and a handful of employees end up wondering where their money is. It’s a small thing, but it happens every year, and it’s
Announcements – a new Elementary feature coming this October Read More »
On 23 June 2026, a new legal duty landed on every organisation in the UK that handles personal data. If you employ people, that means you. The rule itself is short. You have to give people a clear way to raise a data protection complaint, acknowledge it within 30 days, investigate it properly, and then
Every year on the first Thursday of May, the security community marks International Password Day. This year’s theme goes further than encouraging stronger passwords. It is about moving beyond them altogether. For those of us working with payroll data, that conversation matters more than most. Why passwords alone are no longer enough Passwords have served
Beyond the password – how ascend and elementary are rethinking security for payroll data Read More »
When you’re trusting someone with your payroll, you’re handing over some of the most sensitive data your business holds. Employee personal information, bank details, salaries, and National Insurance numbers. The works. Most payroll providers will tell you they take security seriously. They’ll mention GDPR compliance, talk about encryption, and maybe reference some policies. And that’s
Beyond the compliance checkbox – why Ascend holds three ISO standards Read More »
Since the UK GDPR and the new Data Protection Act came into effect in 2018, every business has claimed to be compliant. It’s expected. It’s promised. But can it actually be proven? That’s where ISO 27701 comes in. It is the International Standard that provides requirements and guidelines for a Privacy Information Management System (PIMS).
Managing payroll is always critical, but when your organisation runs multiple payrolls (say, across different sites, departments, or branches), the approval process can quickly become a confusing maze of emails, spreadsheets, and internal sign-offs. This complexity isn’t just time-consuming; it is also risky. When approvals get complicated, mistakes slip through. Deadlines get missed. People don’t
Multi-Level Payroll Approvals – your path to a smoother payday Read More »
