by HRHQ Editorial Team
The overwhelming majority of Irish organisations (79%) are either completely unprepared or only partly prepared for the introduction of pension auto-enrolment, according to new research. Just one in five (21%) organisations is fully prepared for the My Future Fund Auto-Enrolment Retirement Savings Scheme, currently set to launch on 30th September 2025.
The study also reveals that as many as 40% of respondents have very little to no understanding of the timeline and planning needed to support auto-enrolment, while only 17% say they fully comprehend the timeline and planning requirements.
The research, commissioned by HR and payroll software provider, Zellis, polled 356 HR, payroll, finance, and IT professionals in Ireland, and reveals a surprising lack of preparedness, just eight months before the auto-enrolment legislation takes effect.
Asked what their organisation has done to prepare, less than half (45%) said there has been any form of awareness campaign for payroll and HR teams, and 58% indicated their company is yet to check whether its payroll system can make the necessary calculations, deductions, and contributions to the National Automatic Enrolment Retirement Savings Authority (NAERSA). The survey also reveals that only a third (33%) of organisations have updated their employment contracts in line with the impending changes, and even fewer (28%) have put a communication plan in place to inform employees of the scheme, fund options, and tax implications.
Equally concerning is the fact that more than three-quarters (77%) of organisations have either not calculated, or only partly calculated, the cost of auto-enrolment. This is despite the fact that 75% of respondents expect the majority of their workforce to take part in the pension scheme.
When it comes to forecasting contribution costs, most employers will use their payroll system (42%), though 35% plan to use their finance system. Twenty-one percent (21%) said their organisation will use multiple systems, however, including traditional spreadsheets.
Survey respondents also said their organisation expects to increase its technology investment to facilitate the introduction of auto-enrolment. Nearly half (48%) plan to invest in payroll system modernisation, and more than a quarter (27%) selected ‘payroll/HCM/reward integration’ as an area that will require further investment.
