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It's About Payroll: Daily Summaries Delivered
by WRKdefined
Brian Escobar and Walter William Duncan III are the hosts of It’s About Payroll. Collectively, they have over 4 decades of experience in the payroll industry. This podcast was created with the intent of sharing their knowledge and attracting new talent to the payroll industry. ItsAboutPayroll.io You can access their LinkedIn profiles. https://www.linkedin.com/mwlite/in/escobarbrian https://www.linkedin.com/mwlite/in/william-duncan-477051187
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- Aug 19, 202637 min
The $1.26M Gambling Addiction Scandal
Brian and Walt are back with another episode of It's About Payroll (not "all about payroll" 😂). This week's lineup: 💰 Financial Fitness Nugget — Walt breaks down why every business needs a payroll reserve fund (and what ChatGPT thinks is the ideal amount to keep in the bank). 📰 Payroll News — AbsenceSoft's new payroll calculation module is changing the game for leave administration, cutting one company's biweekly leave processing from 16 hours down to 2. 🚨 True Payroll Crime: Mayhem in Minnesota — A trusted payroll manager stole $1.26 million over 8 years... to fuel a gambling and pull-tab addiction. We break down how she pulled it off, how she got caught, and why lack of oversight (and greed) are always at the center of these stories. 🍖 This or That: BBQ Summertime Edition — Brisket vs. ribs, charcoal vs. gas, sweet vs. tangy BBQ sauce, mac and cheese vs. potato salad, and cornbread vs. Texas toast. The guys settle it once and for all. If you're dealing with a gambling addiction or know someone who is, please reach out for help — there are free, confidential resources available 24/7. 👊 Like, subscribe, and share with a fellow payroll pro! 🔗 Listen to more episodes: https://wrkdefined.com/podcast/its-about-payroll 🌐 Visit us: https://itsaboutpayroll.io https://youtu.be/UUAN2E2ZmuQ #payroll #PayrollFraud #truecrimecommunity #hr #PayrollProfessionals #ItsAboutPayroll #gambling #addictionhelp
- Aug 10, 202654 min
Your Employees Are Stressed and Payroll Sees It First!
In Episode 213 of It’s About Payroll, hosts Brian Escobar and Walter W. Duncan III explore what happens when work life and real life inevitably collide. They begin with two real payroll situations: an employee facing the attempted recovery of an overpayment in one paycheck and a payroll professional navigating personal ID.me credentials while setting up state tax accounts. The conversation then turns to workplace wellness, burnout, financial stress, personal boundaries, and the outdated expectation that employees should simply “leave their problems at the door.” Brian and Walt discuss how managers can recognize changes in employee performance without pressuring people to reveal private information. They also examine the employee’s responsibility for setting boundaries and managing stress. The episode includes striking statistics about daily stress, job insecurity, rising living and medical expenses, sleep disruption, and work-related strain on personal relationships. Listeners will gain practical advice for protecting their peace, communicating boundaries, supporting struggling employees, and designing wellness programs that respond to what a workforce actually needs.
- Jul 31, 202635 min
Payroll Through the Years: What History Can Teach Payroll Professionals Today
From clay tablets to crypto — how did we get HERE? 🧾 In Episode 212 of It's About Payroll, Brian and Walt take a deep dive into the history of payroll — from informal farm wages in early America to mainframe computers, WWII tax withholding, and the AI-powered systems of today. In this episode: What part of payroll has changed the LEAST in 100 years? The FLSA (1938) — the law that changed everything How WWII turned employers into tax collectors overnight Paper checks → punch cards → direct deposit → what's next? Is AI in payroll actually useful or totally overrated? What if payroll moved to blockchain and cryptocurrency? Would daily pay actually help employees — or hurt them? Hot takes: Should payroll certification be required? Should payroll report to the CEO? 💬 Listener Challenge: If you could eliminate ONE payroll headache forever, what would it be and why? Drop it in the comments — the FIRST person to respond wins a signed copy of our book! 👉 Learn more & explore our resources: https://www.itsaboutpayroll.io/app-state https://youtu.be/O19ESFxeoDw 📩 Email us | 🔔 Subscribe for weekly payroll insights | 👍 Like & share with a payroll pro you know #Payroll #PayrollHistory #FLSA #HRProfessionals #PayrollCompliance #Fintech #Cryptocurrency #AIinPayroll #ItsAboutPayroll #PayrollPodcast #DirectDeposit #PayrollCertification #WorkforceManagement
- Jul 21, 202650 min
What Season 17 Taught Us About Payroll’s Future
In Episode 211 of It’s About Payroll, Brian Escobar and Walt Duncan review the biggest conversations and lessons from Season 17 while examining where the payroll profession is heading next. Walt opens with an important reminder to continue helping and encouraging others, even while navigating personal and professional pressures. The discussion then turns to payroll tax cleanup, late filings and the need to “trust but verify” payroll providers. Walt shares how a vendor acknowledged a known issue involving late tax submissions, reinforcing the importance of checking agency portals, notices and filing records independently. Brian also explores how artificial intelligence is moving beyond basic chatbots and into payroll tax calculations, payroll processing and reconciliation. The hosts revisit standout guests and topics, including Jon and Tammy’s confidence-focused approach, Jim O’Connor’s assessment of America’s benefits system, Andy Valentine’s explanation of global payment delays and Shayla’s guidance on responsible AI implementation. Listeners will gain practical guidance on payroll auditing, compliance communication, career growth, fraud prevention and using AI without surrendering professional judgment.
- Jul 13, 202631 min
"Stop Treating Payroll as Overhead — It Could Cost You Millions"
In this episode, we sit down with Shala Druin — Founder of Strategic Payroll Solutions, Certified Payroll Professional, and one of the payroll industry's fastest-rising thought leaders — to have the conversation that every C-suite needs to hear. Payroll isn't a back-office function. It's one of the most critical compliance and business risk drivers in your entire organization. And if you're still treating it as overhead, you may already be exposed to risks you don't even know about. 💥 In this episode, we cover: Why payroll being "boring" is actually the sign it's working — and how to leverage that The real cost of understaffing your payroll department (hint: it can reach millions) A real-world story of a company facing a $2M IRS bill — and how it was fixed How to get payroll a seat at the executive table (even if you report to HR) AI in payroll: what's exciting, what's dangerous, and how to test it properly Why the next big payroll title might be Chief Payroll Officer How to advocate for yourself and your team when no one else will 🎙️ About Shala Druin: Shala is the Founder of Strategic Payroll Solutions, a trusted advisor to CFOs and CHROs, and a certified payroll professional with deep expertise in global compliance, M&A readiness, and AI implementation in payroll. You've probably seen her on LinkedIn challenging organizations to stop treating payroll as overhead — and start recognizing it as a foundation of business success. 🔗 Connect with Shala: LinkedIn: Search Shala Druin Website: strategicpayrollsolutions.com 🔔 Subscribe so you never miss an episode of It's About Payroll — where we dig into the real conversations shaping the future of the payroll profession. 👍 Like this video if you think payroll deserves more respect. 💬 Drop a comment: Does your organization treat payroll as a strategic function? Links: itsaboutpayoll.io https://wrkdefined.com/podcast/its-about-payroll https://youtu.be/8f3-RpBO2rw #Payroll #PayrollProfessional #HRLeadership #PayrollCompliance #AI #CFO #BusinessRisk #ItIsAboutPayroll #PayrollLeadership #ShalaDruin
- Jul 9, 202638 min
The $18,000 Payroll Mistake: What Would You Do?
Episode 209 of It’s About Payroll places co-hosts Brian Escobar and Walter W. Duncan III in the payroll hot seat. With no guests and no lifelines, Brian and Walt challenge each other with realistic payroll scenarios, difficult leadership decisions, and thought-provoking questions about the profession. The conversation begins with an employee who was overpaid $18,000 during the prior year because an incorrect salary was entered at hire. Brian and Walt explore how leadership, HR, payroll, employee relations, state requirements, repayment options, and the employee experience could all influence the response. They also explain why a traditional payroll audit may not catch an error when the incorrect rate matches the employee’s system profile. The hosts then discuss which payroll processes they would automate, which laws they would standardize, common employee misconceptions about payroll, and whether technical expertise or customer service matters more when hiring. They close the professional discussion by identifying continuous learning, consistency, integrity, and attention to detail as habits that separate elite payroll professionals from the average. The episode finishes with a fun Fourth of July food showdown and an encouraging reminder to keep learning, serving people, and taking the next right step.
- Jul 1, 202640 min
True Payroll Crime Stories: Shady Business in the Sunshine State
What happens when the person processing your payroll is the fraudster? In this episode of It's About Payroll, Brian and Walt break down a jaw-dropping real case out of Miami — a payroll manager at an orthopedic practice who allegedly stole over $1.5 million by increasing her own salary, issuing herself unauthorized bonuses as large as $25K, and racking up $400K+ in personal charges on the company credit card. Oh, and it went undetected for more than two years. This isn't just a crime story. It's a masterclass in what happens when internal controls don't exist. In this episode: 🔍 How she allegedly set herself up as the account owner — giving herself God-mode access 🚨 The control failures that made $1.5M disappear without anyone noticing 📋 A NEW segment: Payroll Crime Prevention Scenarios (multiple choice — test yourself!) 💡 Brian's Payroll Fitness Tip: How to build a payroll dashboard that catches anomalies before they become felonies ✅ Lessons for employers, small business owners, and payroll service providers The real takeaway: No honest payroll professional should be placed in a system where their work is never independently reviewed. Trust is not a control. 🎓 Interested in leveling up your payroll career? Check out our Certified Payroll Technician (CPT) course — cohort 1 is already underway! 📲 Subscribe, like, share, and tell a friend to tell a friend. 💬 Got a topic or guest you want us to cover? Drop it in the comments. Links: https://wrkdefined.com/podcast/its-about-payroll itsaboutpayroll.io https://youtu.be/Bcx9MFYjZE0 https://local12.com/news/nation-world/payroll-manager-stole-million-millions-doctors-office-doctor-back-neck-orthopedic-authorized-unauthorized-paymaster-administrative-access-discovered-arrest-fraud-steal-stealing-poor-miami
- Jun 23, 202641 min
AI Is Coming for Payroll, but Not How You Think
In Episode 207, Brian Escobar and Walt Duncan examine one of the biggest questions facing the payroll profession: Is artificial intelligence an adversary, an ally, or simply the newest tool in the payroll toolbox? The conversation explores how AI could reshape payroll departments by answering employee questions, detecting anomalies, researching compliance requirements, supporting tax-notice processing, and automating routine work. Brian and Walt agree that AI is unlikely to eliminate payroll professionals completely, but it will reduce certain processing and data-entry roles while increasing the value of strategic leaders who can interpret information, investigate trends, and connect payroll results to the business. They also emphasize that AI cannot own compliance liability. Payroll professionals must verify AI-generated information using federal, state, and local government sources rather than presenting “AI said so” as support. The episode also examines payroll fraud controls, post-approval payroll changes, direct deposit, daily pay, unlimited PTO, and where payroll should sit within an organization. Listeners will gain a practical understanding of how to use AI responsibly while preparing for a future in which payroll professionals operate more like pilots managing increasingly automated systems.
About It's About Payroll
Brian Escobar and Walter William Duncan III are the hosts of It’s About Payroll. Collectively, they have over 4 decades of experience in the payroll industry. This podcast was created with the intent of sharing their knowledge and attracting new talent to the payroll industry. ItsAboutPayroll.io You can access their LinkedIn profiles. https://www.linkedin.com/mwlite/in/escobarbrian https://www.linkedin.com/mwlite/in/william-duncan-477051187
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