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Celebrating National Payroll Week 2026

Written byEmily Reed
Posting date: 04 Sep 2026

From forensic psychology to payroll senior

When Lucy graduated from university with a degree in Forensic Psychology in 2021, she never imagined she'd end up building a career in payroll. Today, she's a Payroll Senior Administrator, supporting colleagues and Partners across the business while continuing to develop her skills in a role she finds both challenging and rewarding.

After university, Lucy started her career in payroll and HR roles. While it wasn't the path she'd expected to take, she quickly discovered she enjoyed the variety, problem-solving and opportunity to support people every day. "What I've learnt is that payroll is much more than processing payslips. It's about supporting people, solving problems and making sure colleagues have a positive experience."


For Lucy, one of the biggest attractions of payroll is that no two days are ever the same. "One of the things I enjoy most about my role is how rewarding it can be. I love being able to help resolve payroll queries and provide support to colleagues and Partners across the business. Every day brings something different, which keeps the role interesting and gives you the opportunity to keep learning."


Joy's journey through Specsavers

When Joy joined Specsavers nearly 10 years ago, she had no idea just how many different opportunities her career would bring. Today, she's a Payroll Service Administrator based in Guernsey, helping to process payroll for Specsavers' UK and Irish stores. But her journey to Payroll has taken her through several teams across the business, giving her a unique perspective on how Specsavers works and how different departments come together to support stores, Partners and colleagues.

Over the years, Joy has worked in a variety of roles, including positions in Stores Reporting, Finance & Distribution, and the Legal Team. Each move gave her the chance to learn something new, build new skills and gain a deeper understanding of the business. "One of the things I've enjoyed most about my career at Specsavers is the opportunity to experience different areas of the business," says Joy. "Every role has taught me something different and helped me develop new skills." Those experiences have also given her a broader appreciation of the people and teams behind the scenes who help keep the business running smoothly.

Chris' story 


Hi, I'm Chris, UK Payroll Services Manager at Specsavers. I've spent nearly a decade working in payroll and have proudly been part of the Specsavers team for the last two months.


For me, payroll is all about people. It's a vital function that helps build trust across the business, ensuring colleagues are paid accurately and on time, every time. While payroll is often associated with numbers and calculations, it's really about supporting people and giving them one less thing to worry about.


That's something I never take for granted.

Kelly's story 


Hi, I’m Kelly and I currently work as a Payroll Services Accounts Analyst within the Specsavers Payroll Services team.


I joined Specsavers in August 2022 as a Payroll Administrator and moved into my current role in October 2024. Before joining Specsavers, I studied Law at university and worked as an Operations Manager.


What I enjoy most about my role is the analytical side of it. It gives you the opportunity to really dig into the detail and understand the behind-the-scenes activity that keeps payroll running smoothly, much of which often goes unnoticed. No two days are ever the same, which keeps things interesting and constantly challenges you to think differently.

Outside of work, you'll usually find me with my Kindle in hand and my nose in a good book, or enjoying the occasional countryside walk.

Explore support office careers

We’re no ordinary business. Doug and Mary Perkins founded Specsavers on a ping-pong table way back in 1984. Over 40 years later, we’ve expanded across the globe with stores in the UK and Ireland, Northern Europe, Australia, New Zealand and Canada. We’re a family-run business with stores owned and run by our partners, making each local store unique. So, when it comes to our business, it takes thousands of colleagues across our Support Office to keep everything running smoothly. 

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Written byEmily Reed
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