Durasuite

Durasuite Durasuite supports businesses in designing, delivering and diagnosing better outcomes

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A simple, well-earned pay rise for someone on maternity leave can quietly put your business on the wrong side of UK law....
01/07/2026

A simple, well-earned pay rise for someone on maternity leave can quietly put your business on the wrong side of UK law. Under the Alabaster Rule (Alabaster v Woolwich plc), any pay rise awarded at any point during maternity leave means you must recalculate their Average Weekly Earnings and pay backdated maternity arrears. Miss that step, and you risk unlawful underpayments, equality issues, and overpayments you may never recover. ⚖️

The big problem? Many legacy payroll systems treat long-term absences as a basic “salary override” on a normal monthly record. That wipes out the timeline the system needs to spot when a backdated pay rise affects past maternity pay. So someone like Hannah gets a 10% pay rise backdated to June, but her system still pays a flat rate, with £0.00 in arrears, when a compliant engine would recalc Weeks 5 and 6, pay £124.62 in arrears, and reclaim 92% of it from HMRC on the EPS.

Want to see how this works in practice and check if your setup is exposed? Take a look at the full breakdown here: Alabaster Pay Rise Trap: Maternity Pay Compliance | DuraSuite https://durasuite.co.uk/blog/alabaster-pay-rise-trap and a wider look at the legal side here: https://reveela.com/2026/06/27/are-you-unknowingly-breaking-uk-law/ 🙂

Tag your HR, payroll or finance colleagues and tell us: do you know how your current payroll engine handles Alabaster events and multi-period absences?

30/06/2026

There are moments in your career that genuinely make you stop and reflect.

This week, I had the privilege of serving as a judge for the CIPP Excellence Awards for the very first time, and I can honestly say it was a real honour to be asked.

Walking into the room, I was surrounded by respected payroll professionals from across our industry. Individuals with different backgrounds, experiences and perspectives, all bringing something unique to the discussion. What united everyone was a shared commitment to one thing: doing the right thing.

Before becoming a judge, you naturally wonder how these decisions are made.

I came away genuinely impressed.

The judging process is incredibly thorough, transparent and ethical. Every submission is carefully considered, every discussion is balanced, and every decision is challenged to ensure it is fair. There is no room for shortcuts. It is a process built on integrity, professionalism and respect.

That matters.

Whether we are recognising an outstanding individual, an exceptional payroll team or an innovative technology provider, these awards represent far more than a trophy or a logo on a website.

They represent the recognition of dedication, expertise, innovation and the countless hours people invest in raising standards across our profession.

For those who receive this recognition, it isn’t simply another award to place on a shelf. It is validation from peers who understand the complexity, responsibility and impact of the work we do every day.

Thank you to the Chartered Institute of Payroll Professionals for inviting me to be part of such an important process. It was a privilege to contribute, to learn from fellow judges and to see first-hand the care and professionalism that sits behind every decision.

Congratulations in advance to everyone shortlisted. Whatever the outcome, you should be incredibly proud of what you’ve achieved. The standard across our profession continues to inspire me.

Why Process Maturity Is the Missing Link in HR and Payroll TransformationThe conversations usually start with the same q...
30/06/2026

Why Process Maturity Is the Missing Link in HR and Payroll Transformation

The conversations usually start with the same questions.

“Which software should we buy?”

“Who is the best vendor?”

But in my opinion, those are rarely the questions that should come first.

The better question is this:

How mature is your organisation today?

Because software doesn’t fix broken processes.

It simply automates them.

The market has become incredibly good at managing work…

There are outstanding platforms available for:

* HR management
* Payroll processing
* Workflow automation
* Process mapping
* Project management
* Process mining
* Document management
* Employee experience

Products such as SAP Signavio, Celonis, ARIS, Bizagi, LeanIX, Process Street and many others provide fantastic capabilities within their respective disciplines.

But there is still a significant gap.

Very few platforms ask an organisation one fundamental question before transformation begins.

“Are you actually ready?”

Process maturity isn’t about documentation

Many organisations believe maturity means having process maps, policies or a governance framework.

Those things are important. But maturity is much broader.

It asks questions such as:

* Are your HR and payroll processes actually followed consistently?
* Does everyone perform the same task the same way?
* Where are your operational risks?
* Which controls genuinely work?
* What knowledge exists only in someone’s head?
* Are your policies current and understood?
* Could another person take over a critical payroll process tomorrow?
* Is your technology landscape helping—or creating complexity?
* Is the business ready for change?

These are the questions that determine whether transformation succeeds or struggles.

I’ve seen organisations invest heavily in new technology only to discover that the real challenges weren’t the software at all. They were inconsistent processes, undocumented ways of working, outdated policies, weak governance, key-person dependency & poor operational visibility.

These issues don’t disappear with a new system, they simply become more visible.

Rather than replacing HR or payroll systems, DuraSuite is designed to complement them by assessing an organisation’s operational readiness before, during and after transformation.

It helps organisations evaluate areas including:

* Process maturity
* Governance and controls
* Policies and documentation
* Team capability and resilience
* Operational and compliance risk
* Change readiness
* Vendor readiness
* Continuous improvement opportunities

The objective isn’t simply to generate another maturity score.

It’s to provide organisations with the clarity to make better decisions, reduce implementation risk & build stronger operational foundations that support long-term success.

I genuinely believe the next evolution of HR & payroll technology isn’t just about smarter software.

It’s about helping organisations understand themselves first.

30/06/2026

Why Process Maturity Is the Missing Link in HR & Payroll Transformation

The conversation usually starts with:

“Which software should we buy?”

“Who’s the best vendor?”

But I think the better question is:

How mature is your organisation today?

Because software doesn’t fix broken processes.

It simply automates them.

The market has incredible HR and payroll technology—from SAP Signavio and Celonis to Bizagi, LeanIX and Process Street.

Yet very few platforms ask one simple question before transformation begins:

“Are you actually ready?”

Process maturity isn’t just about having process maps or policies.

It’s about understanding:

✔️ Are processes followed consistently?
✔️ Where are your biggest operational risks?
✔️ Do your controls actually work?
✔️ Is critical knowledge documented?
✔️ Could someone else step into a key payroll role tomorrow?
✔️ Is your business truly ready for change?

After almost 20 years in payroll and HR transformation, I’ve learned that projects rarely fail because of the software.

They struggle because the organisation wasn’t ready.

That’s why I built DuraSuite.

Not to replace HR or payroll systems, but to help organisations understand their operational readiness before, during and after transformation.

Because the best technology in the world can’t fix a weak foundation.

Transformation starts long before you choose a vendor. It starts with understanding your business.

OperationalExcellence BusinessTransformation Governance ChangeManagement DuraSuite

If your payroll transformation is stalling, it’s probably not the tech that’s the issue – it’s the story you’re telling ...
30/06/2026

If your payroll transformation is stalling, it’s probably not the tech that’s the issue – it’s the story you’re telling about your operating model and processes. When you properly map how payroll actually works today, step by step, you expose all the hidden manual work, bottlenecks and risks that senior leaders rarely see. That’s the foundation of a strong business case.

Instead of asking for budget for “a new payroll solution”, show what it really costs to keep things as they are – time spent fixing errors, late changes, compliance worries and frustrated employees. Then lay out a future operating model that’s cleaner, better controlled and easier to scale, with clear roles, governance and integrations. When leaders can see the before-and-after picture, and how it links to risk, reputation and employee trust, approval conversations tend to get a lot easier. 😊

How are you getting your senior team on board with payroll transformation – and what’s been your biggest win or challenge so far? Share your experiences below so others can learn from them too.

29/06/2026

There are moments in business that quietly remind you why you keep going.

This week I was honoured to be asked to chair critical discussions around the future HMRC technology roadmap in collaboration with the CBI, bringing together perspectives on how technology can better support UK businesses, payroll professionals and software providers.

Alongside this, the CBI has also asked to meet with me to discuss how greater engagement can be encouraged across its membership.

That genuinely means a lot.

Not because of the title. Not because of the meeting.

But because someone values your contribution enough to ask for your perspective.

When you’re building a business on your own, those moments matter.

There isn’t a large team behind you. There isn’t a corporate brand opening doors. There are just thousands of hours of learning, listening, building, questioning and showing up consistently.

Being invited into conversations that shape the future of our profession is a privilege that I never take for granted.

I’ve always believed that the best innovation comes from collaboration. Government, industry bodies, software providers, employers and practitioners all have a role to play. When we bring different perspectives together with a shared purpose, we create better outcomes for everyone.

The CBI continues to champion issues that matter deeply to UK businesses, and I’m proud to support initiatives that strengthen our profession and encourage meaningful dialogue across industry.

I also have plenty of ideas about how we can encourage greater member engagement, create more value and ensure every voice feels heard. I’m looking forward to sharing them.

If there’s one lesson I’ve learned as a founder, it’s this:

Recognition isn’t about applause. It’s about trust.

When people trust your judgement enough to invite you into important conversations, that’s one of the greatest compliments you can receive.

Now the real work begins.

Leadership Innovation DigitalTransformation BusinessCommunity FounderJourney DuraSuite

29/06/2026

I married the love of my life and the man who inspired me to create my own company!

There are moments in business that quietly remind you why you keep going.This week I was honoured to be asked to chair c...
29/06/2026

There are moments in business that quietly remind you why you keep going.

This week I was honoured to be asked to chair critical discussions around the future HMRC technology roadmap in collaboration with the CBI, bringing together perspectives on how technology can better support UK businesses, payroll professionals and software providers.

Alongside this, the CBI has also asked to meet with me to discuss how greater engagement can be encouraged across its membership.

That genuinely means a lot.

Not because of the title. Not because of the meeting.

But because someone values your contribution enough to ask for your perspective.

When you’re building a business on your own, those moments matter.

There isn’t a large team behind you. There isn’t a corporate brand opening doors. There are just thousands of hours of learning, listening, building, questioning and showing up consistently.

Being invited into conversations that shape the future of our profession is a privilege that I never take for granted.

I’ve always believed that the best innovation comes from collaboration. Government, industry bodies, software providers, employers and practitioners all have a role to play. When we bring different perspectives together with a shared purpose, we create better outcomes for everyone.

The CBI continues to champion issues that matter deeply to UK businesses, and I’m proud to support initiatives that strengthen our profession and encourage meaningful dialogue across industry.

I also have plenty of ideas about how we can encourage greater member engagement, create more value and ensure every voice feels heard. I’m looking forward to sharing them.

If there’s one lesson I’ve learned as a founder, it’s this:

Recognition isn’t about applause. It’s about trust.

When people trust your judgement enough to invite you into important conversations, that’s one of the greatest compliments you can receive.

Now the real work begins.

Today I had the pleasure of meeting with Mims Davies MP, and what really struck me was how genuine and down-to-earth she...
29/06/2026

Today I had the pleasure of meeting with Mims Davies MP, and what really struck me was how genuine and down-to-earth she is. As a Minister, a leader, a mum, and a long-time champion for communities across Sussex, she combines real conviction with proper listening – and that felt refreshing 🙌

We had an open chat about the real issues facing Sussex right now: roads, schools, local infrastructure, and the pressures on SMEs, startups, and women in business. One topic I’m especially passionate about is how UK businesses pick key partners like payroll, HR, and accountancy providers. Too many employers are expected to navigate a complicated marketplace with very little independent guidance. When things go wrong, they’re told they’re still responsible for compliance, even though they often don’t have the tools or knowledge to properly assess providers in the first place.

I shared a proposal with Mims to help HMRC give businesses more support through better transparency, independent assessment criteria, practical FAQs, and clearer guidance when choosing payroll and related professional service providers – not a preferred supplier list, not endorsements, just better info and clearer visibility so employers can make stronger decisions. I’ve written more about it here if you’d like to dive deeper: https://reveela.com/2026/06/15/leading-with-purpose-a-conversation-with-mims-davies-mp/ 💡 I’m really grateful to Mims for engaging with the idea and backing conversations that could genuinely help UK businesses grow and feel more confident.

I’m now moving on to the next step: a meeting with the Department for Business & Trade, because why not? I might only be one person (and not one of the Big 4!), but I know these changes are needed and I’m determined to push for them. Watch this space – and tell me in the comments, what’s been your biggest challenge when choosing payroll, HR, or accountancy partners for your business?

When payroll partnerships go off the rails, it’s never “just an IT issue”. It hits HR credibility, employee trust, cost,...
28/06/2026

When payroll partnerships go off the rails, it’s never “just an IT issue”. It hits HR credibility, employee trust, cost, and compliance – especially when automation has been sold as the magic fix. Misunderstood requirements, overpromising on timelines, and cultural or tech mismatch between client and vendor are usually where the trouble starts.

If your payroll transformation is dragging, full of rework, or relying on manual firefighting to get people paid correctly, it’s a governance and alignment problem, not just a systems problem. Stronger decision rights, cleaner data, phased delivery and real transparency with your vendor are what separate successful programmes from the horror stories.

Curious how your payroll setup – and your vendors – really stack up? Complete the payroll assessment and see where the cracks might be hiding: https://durachoice.durasuite.co.uk/governance-framework Then dive deeper into what happens when payroll partnerships fracture: https://reveela.com/2026/06/14/when-payroll-partnerships-fracture-the-industry-impact/ 💬 Have you seen any of these warning signs in your own programmes?

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