Payroll professionals in the construction industry face a unique set of challenges, from managing project-based workforces and certified payroll requirements to navigating complex multistate compliance obligations. To address those needs, PayrollOrg recently launched the Strategic Payroll Leadership Task Force (SPLTF) Construction Subcommittee.
A Blueprint for Collaboration
The idea for the new committee emerged from a real-world challenge faced by Kraus-Anderson Payroll Manager Ris Watson, CPP, who was working through the implementation of Minnesota's paid family and medical leave (PFML) program. Despite being deeply engaged in the payroll community, she found that guidance on applying the new law to construction employees who move between multiple states was difficult to find.
“The problem I was running into was that everyone I spoke to, including my contacts with the state agency, was missing one critical piece of information I was seeking,” said Watson. “How do I handle our employees who are out on job sites and could be in Minnesota for one job, and then head over to Wisconsin for the next job, and then maybe to North Dakota after that?”
The experience highlighted a lack of industry-specific resources and networking opportunities for construction payroll practitioners. Inspired by a conversation with her boss, who relied on a finance leadership peer group for support and insight, Watson began looking for a similar network within payroll.
“Ah-ha! Light bulb moment!” said Watson. “I needed a peer group of some sort.”
Breaking Ground on a New Community
After searching PayrollOrg resources and finding no dedicated construction-focused group, she turned to The PayrollOrg Community forums. Construction payroll professionals from across the country expressed interest in connecting with peers facing similar challenges. Watson and Melissa Doumbia, CPP, began collecting contact information and organizing interested members into an informal network.
As participation approached 50 professionals, it became clear that the industry's need extended beyond informal networking. Watson reached out to former PayrollOrg president Linda Obertin, CPP, whom she had previously met through PayrollOrg events, for guidance on creating something more permanent. Obertin helped connect the group with PayrollOrg leaders, setting the stage for an official organization within the association.
Those efforts culminated in July with the first official meeting of the SPLTF Construction Subcommittee. The new subcommittee focuses on the unique challenges of construction payroll, including regulatory compliance, project-based workforce management, certified payroll, and the impact of emerging technologies on construction payroll operations.
A Foundation for the Future
For Watson, the creation of the subcommittee represents more than just a networking opportunity. It creates a platform for construction payroll professionals to ensure their unique challenges are represented.
"Every industry has its unique challenges, and every industry needs a voice and representation in the greater payroll community," she said. "When it was clear that not only did we not have a seat at the table, but there just was not a table at all, construction payroll did what our companies do best—we put on our hard hats and built ourselves a table!"
By bringing together payroll professionals from across the country, the SPLTF Construction Subcommittee is poised to become a valuable resource for an industry whose payroll complexities often differ significantly from those in other sectors. Through collaboration, education, and shared expertise, the group supports PayrollOrg's mission of equipping construction payroll professionals to lead strategically, drive operational excellence, and deliver business value.
Interested in lending your voice to boost your industry? Join a PayrollOrg committee today!
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Sean Tait Bircher is the Writer and Editor for Membership Publications at PayrollOrg.
