THE REALITY
Payroll is expected to be perfect.
Every time. No exceptions.
It’s one of the highest-risk functions in any organization, yet it’s often misunderstood, under-resourced, and overlooked in strategic conversations.
When payroll runs smoothly, no one notices.
When it doesn’t, everyone does.
And still… payroll professionals show up week after week and get it done.
WHAT THIS BOOK DOES
Payroll Like a Boss is your playbook for changing that narrative.
This isn’t theory. It’s not surface-level advice. And it’s definitely not written by someone who’s never had to fix a payroll issue at 11:00 PM.
This book helps you:
- Step into a more strategic role without losing operational excellence
- Clearly communicate the value of payroll to leadership
- Navigate complexity with confidence
- Modernize how payroll operates inside your organization
- Connect payroll to real business outcomes
WHO THIS IS FOR
This book was written for:
- Payroll professionals who are tired of being overlooked
HR leaders who want to better understand and support payroll
Executives who rely on payroll but don’t fully understand the risk and complexity
Anyone responsible for making sure people get paid accurately and on time
MEET THE AUTHORS
John Bernatovicz
Founder of HR Like a Boss and a long-time advocate for doing HR differently. Known for building communities that challenge the status quo and actually move the profession forward.
Tammy Gillenwater
A respected voice in payroll with deep expertise across operations, compliance, and modernization. Passionate about elevating the payroll profession and the people behind it.
Together, they bring real experience, real perspective, and a shared belief that payroll deserves more visibility and respect.