Siddhi Weerawardena, our Service Payroll Manager, joined the company in April 1989. This month she celebrates 37 years at Bayside Group.

Siddhi’s contribution has been significant across our 50-year journey as a business. She is highly respected by our Board, clients, suppliers and the payroll employees she has mentored throughout the years. She demonstrates courage, commitment, adaptability and exceptional leadership.

We asked her four questions about her time at Bayside Group, and in the industry.

Tell us about your career at Bayside Group, and any memorable experiences.

Thirty-seven years ago, just one month after arriving in Australia from Sri Lanka, I began my career at Bayside with quiet determination. Young and timid, I stepped into the Australian workforce as a junior in payroll. It was an unfamiliar environment in a new country that was more insular then, and I faced challenges that at times felt overwhelming.

Through resilience, hard work, and a commitment to learning, I steadily built my confidence and expertise, eventually becoming the ‘go to’ person for challenging payroll queries. As a junior when I was delivering documents to people’s desk (this was before email), I imagined being a leader in the business. In 2004 this occurred, when I was appointed Service Payroll Manager.

During my first decade in the company, I also had two children and worked flexibly while they were young. I completed Australian accreditation of my science and accounting degrees and achieved CIMA and CPA qualifications during this time as well.

Bayside Group has changed significantly throughout the years along with the payroll function. As the business expanded, so did my role and influence.

I’ve been fortunate to have had great mentors around me. However, my greatest enjoyment has been supporting countless employees, mentoring team members, and ensuring the backbone of our organisation, our people, were always cared for. My legacy is not just in the years I have given, but in the payroll professionals I’ve worked with who have gone on to become experts and leaders themselves.

What are some of the most significant changes you’ve experienced?

I’ve spent almost four decades in payroll, and it has transformed from a largely manual, transactional function into a highly regulated, technology driven discipline during this time.

When I first started, payroll was processed manually, with paper timesheets, handwritten records, physical payslips, and money counted in envelopes. Calculations were often done by hand or with basic spreadsheets, and accuracy depended heavily on individual diligence. Today, sophisticated payroll systems and cloud-based platforms have automated much of this work, improving efficiency, accuracy, and reporting capability.

From a compliance perspective, the landscape has become significantly more complex. There has been a major increase in regulatory requirements, particularly around taxation, superannuation, and employee entitlements. The introduction of initiatives like Single Touch Payroll has fundamentally changed how and when payroll data is reported to authorities, requiring real-time accuracy and transparency.

We’ve also seen greater scrutiny and accountability, with organisations needing to ensure strict adherence to awards, enterprise agreements, and evolving workplace laws. Payroll is no longer just about paying employees - it plays a critical role in governance and risk management.

Another significant change has been the shift in employee expectations. Employees now expect timely, transparent, and easily accessible payroll information, often through self-service platforms. This has elevated payroll from a back-office function to a more visible and essential part of the employee experience.

Overall, the role has evolved from processing pay to managing complex systems, ensuring compliance, and contributing to organisational integrity. Who knows what’s next with AI.

What are the biggest challenges you’ve faced?

One of my earliest challenges was adapting to a new country and workplace from a non-English speaking background. Building confidence in communication and navigating a professional environment took time, but support, persistence and continuous learning helped me overcome it.

Another major transition was stepping into leadership, shifting from hands-on payroll processing to leading a team. This required a different mindset focused on people, accountability, and support.

The most demanding period professionally for me came during the pandemic. The sudden shift to working from home required rapid adjustment and new ways of operating, while maintaining payroll accuracy and deadlines under pressure. At the same time, the implementation of government support measures such as JobKeeper added significant complexity to payroll. Interpreting evolving legislation, ensuring compliance, and processing changes accurately within tight timeframes was tough.

Other critical challenges have included software transitions and legislative changes. My response to all of these situations has been hard work, a willingness to adapt, structured processes and strong teamwork.

What are the biggest challenges employers face in relation to payroll?

Payroll in Australia is highly complex due to constantly changing legislation across tax, superannuation, and awards, with strict real-time reporting obligations such as Single Touch Payroll.

Employers face ongoing challenges in maintaining absolute accuracy, as even minor errors can result in underpayments, penalties, and compliance breaches, particularly when managing diverse workforce arrangements and interpreting multiple industrial instruments. These challenges are further amplified by system dependencies, particularly if the organisations are not Australian based. Data integrity and process alignment are critical in these instances to ensure continuity, compliance, and accuracy throughout.

I’ve dedicated my career to building my payroll expertise through continuous learning, practical experience, and collaborative problem-solving to develop strong technical and compliance capability. It’s rewarding to work with our clients to solve issues and put practical solutions in place to ensure compliance and protect their businesses.

Bayside Group: Celebrating 50 years in business.