HBHR research 2026
The Payslip Pressure Report
When pay is wrong or late, workers feel it in their bank balance, their sleep and their plans to stay. We asked 2,000 UK employees what happens next, and what employers can do about it.
- 2,000 UK employees
- Surveyed February 2026
- Free PDF
Six chapters, five actions The full report, with takeaways for HR, finance and leadership teams, sent straight to your inbox.
Free report
The headline numbers
When pay goes wrong, the damage spreads fast
-
23%
noticed a payslip mistake in the last 12 months
-
32%
could not cope if their pay was wrong or late even once
-
61%
would look for a new job after six months of pay problems
-
41%
say their payroll system clearly flags what has changed between payslips
Why it matters now
Payroll now sits on the front line
Most UK employees trust their employer to pay them correctly. But when pay goes wrong, the damage spreads fast: into missed bills, borrowing, sleepless nights and decisions about whether to stay.
With HMRC’s phased move to payrolling benefits in kind starting in April 2027, payslips are about to get more complex. This report shows where the risks are and how to get ahead of them.
April 2027
HMRC’s phased move to payrolling benefits in kind begins. More lines on more payslips, and more questions for payroll teams.
What’s inside
Six chapters, from the cost of an error to what to do next
The real cost of pay errors
How a mistake on a payslip turns into missed bills, borrowing and lost sleep.
Generation payslip
Why Gen Z and millennials are hit hardest, and are most likely to leave.
Where the gaps are
The lower earners, women and sectors least informed when their pay changes.
Technology and trust
What employees expect from payroll tech, and where it falls short.
Getting ready for April 2027
What the benefits in kind changes mean and how to communicate them.
Five practical actions
Steps employers can take now, with takeaways for HR, finance and leadership teams.
Who it’s for
For the people who answer for pay
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Payroll has always been treated as a back office function, but these numbers make it brutally clear that it now sits on the front line of the cost of living crisis.
Methodology. Online survey of 2,000 UK employed adults, conducted by OnePoll for HBHR in February 2026, in accordance with the Market Research Society’s code of conduct.