British retailer Next structurally underpayed employees. The problem stems from a faulty implementation of Oracle’s payroll software.
Next implemented Oracle’s payroll system at the start of 2022. Some employees have been underpaid since. According to reports in the British newspapers The Sunday Times and The Guardian, the deficit goes up to €234 a month. Pension payments were affected as well.
Payroll problems
The problems reportedly arose due to the retailer’s implementation of Oracle’s payroll software. Next typically develops its own software solutions, but opted for Oracle to supply the payroll environment.
Most payroll solutions are linked to companies’ proprietary software stacks. Implementations are error-prone. Routing large quantities of spreadsheets to a payroll system can decrease the chances of success. Underpaid employees are understandably dissatisfied.
Next is working on a solution. The company set up dedicated teams to address the issue. These teams detect errors and pay employees the deficit each week.
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