By Ayomide Otitoju
As workplaces continue to evolve, the debate between remote and in-office work remains unresolved. While remote work offers flexibility and autonomy, the traditional office environment fosters collaboration and team cohesion. Yet, experts argue that the real issue lies not in choosing one over the other—but in outdated business systems that hinder adaptability, with payroll software emerging as a surprising bottleneck.
Sandra Crous, Managing Director of Deel Local Payroll, said many organisations still rely on old systems that no longer align with modern work realities. “Work hasn’t been limited to an office for at least a decade. When businesses decide where they want their people, they should modify their culture and not romanticise a style of working that hasn’t existed for quite some time,” she noted.
Recent corporate trends show a push toward return-to-office (RTO) mandates. Microsoft now requires employees to work from the office at least three days a week, while Amazon insists on five. However, business analysts caution that reverting to pre-pandemic norms could harm talent retention, morale, and even compliance with labour laws.
Crous explained that technology has reshaped how people work. “Many employees now embed with clients, work remotely across borders, or operate within flexible schedules. The pandemic accelerated these changes, and they’re now part of business reality,” she said.
Yet, despite these shifts, many companies remain constrained by legacy payroll systems. According to the 2025 Deel Australia Payroll Report, 56% of payroll teams cite inflexible reporting as a major barrier, 41% struggle with slow employee responses, and 40% frequently experience system errors.
Crous described this as a structural problem: “We still meet payroll teams who have to operate systems the same way they did ten or twenty years ago. Those inflexible platforms sit in a corner, disconnected from where their companies are heading.”
Modern, cloud-native payroll systems, she said, offer a solution. These platforms enable secure remote access, automated processes, earned wage access, and real-time reporting. They also integrate seamlessly with HR and finance systems, improving productivity while reducing payroll processing errors by up to 60%, according to Forrester research.
Beyond efficiency, cloud platforms lower operating costs and allow for scalable use. Executives can monitor audit trails remotely, managers can approve requests on the go, and HR teams can update talent management data instantly.
Crous concluded that the workplace of the future must blend flexibility with innovation. “Remote work and office work aren’t opposites—they’re complementary. The key is ensuring that business systems, particularly payroll, are modern enough to support both. For payroll, the answer is simple: adopt cloud-native platforms.”
