We can’t believe we’re already at the tail end of 2024! And with that comes the festive season, and the associated public holidays, which can often fall at inconvenient times for Payroll teams. We know that everyone who works in Payroll is super organised, so here are some things to keep an eye out for to ensure smooth salary packaging payments over the holidays.

Christmas and Boxing Day Fall on Popular Days!

For clients on a fortnightly and weekly payroll, the most popular pay days are Wednesday and Thursday. And this year, Christmas Day and Boxing Day fall on…you guessed it…a Wednesday and a Thursday! This means that some extra forward planning is required. If you are paying before these holidays, GO Salary can also bring forward the salary packaging payment dates. But if you’re planning to pay on the Friday, some extra organisation is required to make sure that we have the money and file, ready to do our thing.

Don’t worry – we’ll get in touch with your organisation’s payroll team in December to confirm your preferences.

Please Nominate Your Preference

As above, we’ll send an email to Payroll in December. This will detail the options available. We just need Payroll to respond and nominate their preference (e.g. paying a couple of days earlier). You can also let us know if you’d like to receive the GO Salary change file earlier, to allow some extra time if your pay date is being brought forward.

Here’s an Example

Let’s say your organisation’s regular pay day is on a Wednesday, and GO Salary therefore always pays the following day (Thursday). If these scheduled pay dates fall on Wednesday 25 December and Thursday 26 December, you will be asked to nominate your preference to pay earlier/later than usual. For example, you might opt to:

• Arrange an early payment. Transfer the money to GO Salary on Monday 23 December so that GO Salary can pay members on Tuesday 24 December.
• Arrange a later payment. Transfer the money to GO Salary on Wednesday 24 December so that GO Salary can pay members on Friday 27 December.
• Pick another arrangement which better suits your requirements.

There is also New Year’s Day!

For those with a pay day the following week, New Year’s Day is on a Wednesday in 2026. We will also seek preferences from impacted Payroll teams.

Next Steps

Don’t worry, there’s nothing to do right now! Payroll teams should keep an eye out for your preference email in December. If you have any questions, please get in touch with your Care Manager.