National Payroll Week® (NPW), September 7 - 11, is the best week of the year for payroll professionals, even if celebrations may look a bit different this year. Need inspiration for ways your chapter can still participate in NPW activities this year? Check out these six simple ways to join the NPW celebration that won’t require a face mask or six feet of space:
1 - Plan a Virtual Celebration: Many chapters use NPW as a time to plan festive luncheons, dinners, and celebrations with their chapter but this year chapters may want to consider converting these to virtual events. This could include a virtual luncheon using a web conferencing tool where you have a special guest speaker present on a payroll topic with time left-over for NPW-related virtual games. Or consider a virtual NPW happy hour that won’t interfere with work hours and creates a more informal networking opportunity. Check out a recent blog post to learn how the Virginia Statewide Payroll Conference (VSPC) Board planned a virtual happy hour for their local payroll professionals. Thanks to various online tools, like Zoom, WebEx, and Google Hangouts, being together can be as easy as having a stable Internet connection!
2 - Spread Financial Literacy Virtually: You and your chapter have the opportunity to teach area teens important paycheck basics when you sign up to be a Money Matters National Education Day (MMNED) volunteer. The MMNED lesson is optimized to be presented both in-person or virtually, so you and your chapter members can teach from the comfort of your desk. Volunteers who teach virtual MMNED presentations are eligible to earn 1 RCH. Bonus: Document your MMNED efforts, whether virtual or in-person, and enter the Education Outreach/Community Service Contest.
3 - Give a Token of Appreciation: Show members of your chapter how much you appreciate them by gifting them with Team Payroll swag from the NPW Store. Avoid in-person contact by sending members an NPW care package in the mail, because who doesn’t love receiving packages? Bonus: Every purchase your chapter makes earns you points in the NPW Chapter Promotion Contest.
4 - Share the NPW Survey: The annual NPW “Getting Paid In America” survey is a cornerstone of the NPW campaign. Have your chapter members complete the online survey and find creative ways for chapter members to spread the word about the survey. The survey is completely online so it can easily be shared on social media, on your company’s intranet, or via email communications to friends and co-workers. Bonus: Document your survey sharing efforts and enter the Online Survey Promotion Contest for your chance to win a registration to Annual Congress.
5 - Request Proclamations: Make your city and state a part of the NPW celebration by asking your mayor and/or governor to issue a proclamation proclaiming it Payroll Week in your community. Your proclamation request can be issued either via snail mail or digitally. To avoid in-person contact, you can ask that the proclamation be mailed to your chapter rather than awarded in-person during official local government meetings, such as a Commissioner’s Court. Bonus: Keep track of how many proclamations your chapter requested and how many you received and enter the Local Government Outreach Contest.
6 – Media Outreach: Obtaining media coverage is one of the best ways to spread the word about NPW and raise awareness of the essential role payroll professionals fill. Send your story pitches via email and call local reporters to share important news on a variety of topics, such as your chapter’s NPW activities, hot payroll topics like the 2020 Form W-4, or MMNED efforts. Media outreach involves little to no in-person contact and can result in fantastic publicity for NPW and your chapter. Bonus: Document how your chapter approached the media and any news coverage you received and enter the Local Media Outreach Contest.
How will your chapter be participating in NPW this year? Tell us all about the NPW activities your chapter has planned in the comments section below! Stay tuned to the Chapter Leaders Blog as we share more blog posts that will help you have a safe and successful NPW 2020!
