Payroll Fraud Risk Reduction Controls

What the service covers

This service focuses on practical controls that reduce risk without making payroll slow or overly complex. You get a clear, documented process and system settings that create accountability.

• Risk review of your current payroll process and weak points
• Role-based access and permissions (who can view, edit, approve)
• Approval steps for key changes (pay rates, bank details, bonuses)
• Joiner and leaver controls to prevent ghost employees and overpayments
• Change tracking, audit trails, and secure storage of payroll evidence
• Reconciliations between payroll reports, bank payments, and accounts
• Exception reporting to flag unusual variances (hours, overtime, net pay)
• Documented payroll checklist and responsibilities

Who this is for

This is most relevant if you:

• Have one person running payroll with little oversight
• Approve payroll payments without seeing supporting reports
• Have frequent staff changes, variable pay, or overtime
• Have managers submitting hours, expenses, or bonuses
• Want better internal controls ahead of growth, funding, or a buyer
• Have had payroll errors, disputes, or suspected misuse

How delivery works

We start by mapping your current payroll workflow from data input through to payment and reporting. We then agree a control design that fits your size and team capacity, focusing on segregation of duties, approvals, and evidence.

Next, we implement the agreed controls in your payroll and finance tools where possible, and create simple checklists where system controls are limited. You will have a clear runbook for each pay cycle, including what must be reviewed before payments are released.

After setup: ongoing checks and improvement

Controls only work if they are used consistently. We can schedule periodic reviews to test that approvals and reconciliations are being completed, update controls when staff responsibilities change, and tighten processes as your payroll becomes more complex.