External advisers whether in HR, People & Culture, Payroll, Accounting, Legal or other associate services are invaluable to every businesses survival.
Where it comes unstuck is when the advisers provide incorrect or dated advice that has not been monitored and tested against today's conditions.
Reliance on your external advisers is no defence from non compliance of the statutory entitlements of your employees.
Once again you can do your own research and see how, not only the employer was hit with civil penalties but the advisers, the payroll processor were all given civil penalties.
Whilst there are robust systems and procedures in most businesses to ensure compliance obligations are being met, there is still a risk to you and your business if there is no checking of the checkers.
An independent specialist can provide this advice to ensure your risk level is not elevated by a simple mistake that has been overlooked, year after year.
You engage professionals to undertake tasks that you are generally not qualified to do, you make your money and build wealth by effectively running your business.
Unfortunately, blind reliance on advice that have civil and possible criminal penalties attached to them, has made compliance obligations all that more serious and you are where the buck stops, if there is a problem, it's your reputation that's on the line