More than half of working Canadians say they would struggle to pay their bills if their paycheque was delayed.
TORONTO–(BUSINESS WIRE)–Employment Hero, a global leader in employment solutions, today released new poll data with insights from over 1,000 working Canadians* on payroll practices and paycheque inaccuracies. The poll reveals that payroll errors and delays are widespread – and they’re hitting Canadian workers and businesses hard.
HALF OF WORKING CANADIANS SAY A DELAYED PAYCHEQUE WOULD LEAVE THEM STRUGGLING TO PAY BILLS
The poll found that over half of working Canadians (51 per cent) say they would struggle to pay their bills if their paycheque was delayed – a sign that many are likely living paycheque to paycheque and counting on their employer to get payroll right. Alarmingly, payroll problems are all too common. In the past five years alone, 38 per cent of working Canadians have faced a paycheque inaccuracy or delay – equaling roughly 7.8 million working Canadians. Of those who have experienced issues, 62 per cent had an inaccuracy or delay with a few paycheques.
“When people don’t get paid properly or on time, it’s not just a payroll error – it’s a broken promise. In today’s economy, where every dollar counts, Canadians can’t afford to be left hanging because of outdated, unreliable systems,” says Kevin Kliman, President of Canadian Business at Employment Hero. “These findings make one thing clear: payroll isn’t just paperwork, it’s the backbone of people’s financial stability and a foundation of trust between employers and their teams.”
On the employer side, payroll errors can also have significant consequences. 74 per cent of working Canadians would feel negatively toward their employer if their paycheque was delayed. Employees are also not jumping at the opportunity to right any overages – only 55 per cent of these Canadians say they would definitely inform their employer if they were overpaid on a paycheque.
A reliable payroll system designed for the nuances of the Canadian employment landscape is critical to building and maintaining trust with employees. To foster this trust with payroll and every other key aspect of employment, Employment Hero, formerly known as Humi, is introducing a first-of-its-kind employment platform, launching today.
Employment Operating System (Employment OS) is the first employment solution in Canada to seamlessly integrate every critical employment function into a single system, including recruitment, onboarding, benefits, HR advisory, and employee wellbeing. The platform also features a Canadian-designed payroll product, built for the nuances of Canadian business to ensure accurate and timely payments.
REGULAR PAYCHEQUE REVIEWS HELP CANADIANS CATCH COSTLY MISTAKES EARLY
Despite the prevalence of payroll errors, only 69 per cent of working Canadians reported reviewing their paycheque at least once a month. This means nearly one third (31 per cent) regularly go more than a month without reviewing their pay, increasing the risk of unnoticed errors impacting their finances.
“When payroll goes wrong, employees pay the price – from delayed paycheques putting strain on their budget to a mistake making their tax returns a nightmare,” says Kliman. “When creating Employment OS, we wanted to support employers and employees by reducing the room for errors with one centralized employment system. Having everything in a single platform makes it easier for employees to routinely review their paycheques, vacation days, healthcare coverage — and easier for employers to get it right.”
WHAT TO LOOK FOR IN YOUR PAYCHEQUE
Regularly reviewing your pay stub helps ensure you’re being paid correctly and on time, and can prevent issues that affect your finances now and in the future. Here are four key aspects of your paycheque to review:
- Timeliness: Were you paid on time? Late payments can disrupt your budgeting and cause stress if bills are due.
- Accuracy: Were you paid the correct amount? Ensure your base pay, overtime, bonuses and commissions are correct.
- Deductions: Are tax withholdings, benefit premiums, and pension contributions accurate and up to date? Mistakes here can affect your tax filings and benefits eligibility.
- Hours Worked: Does your paystub reflect the correct number of hours or shifts worked, especially if you are paid hourly or have variable schedules?
Employment Hero’s complete data findings are available upon request. To learn more about Employment OS, visit http://www.employmenthero.com/en-ca.
*This survey defines “working Canadians” as those who are currently working or have worked in the past 5 years.
About Employment Hero
Employment Hero is the global authority on employment, offering a world-leading Employment Operating System (eOS) that simplifies and optimizes every stage of the employment process. Its award-winning platform combines HR, payroll, recruitment, and employee engagement tools with the groundbreaking employment superapp, EH Work, which integrates career management and financial wellbeing. Serving over 300,000 businesses and managing more than 2 million employees worldwide, Employment Hero reduces administrative burdens by up to 80%, enabling organizations to focus on their goals and create more productive, engaged teams. By revolutionizing the employment marketplace, Employment Hero is making employment easier, more valuable, and rewarding for everyone. For more information, visit http://www.employmenthero.com/en-ca.
Survey Methodology
These findings are from a survey conducted by Employment Hero from July 31 to August 5, 2025, among a representative sample of 1,114 online adult Canadians who are members of the Angus Reid Forum and who identified themselves as currently working or have worked in the past 5 years. The survey was conducted in English and French. For comparison purposes only, a probability sample of this size would carry a margin of error of +/-2.9 percentage points, 19 times out of 20.
Contacts
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Anne-Marie Tremble
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