Wage Compliance and Payroll

The Common Experience Podcast: Season 2, Episode 2

Navigating Wage Compliance with Tim Whitbourn

Episode 2 of Season 2 dives into one of the most critical and complex issues facing Australian organisations today: Wage Compliance. To help make sense of it, we’re joined by Tim Whitbourn, an experienced leader in enterprise Payroll and Shared Services operations.

Tim brings more than two decades of experience across Shared Services, large corporates and HR, during which he has led major cost-reduction initiatives, improved end-to-end processes and ensured organisations remain compliant with evolving legislation. With ongoing wage compliance investigations and reforms shaping the Australian landscape, Tim offers clarity on what Payroll teams are really up against.

In this episode, Tim breaks down the operational pressures facing Payroll functions, the hidden complexities of modern awards and enterprise agreements, and why even well-intentioned organisations can get caught out. He also shares practical insights on strengthening controls, improving data accuracy and setting Payroll teams up for sustainable success.

It’s a grounded, honest conversation for leaders who want to understand both the risks and the opportunities in this rapidly changing space.