HR & Payroll Pulse 2026: A Reality Check for Europe
Drawing on new insights from the SD Worx Research Institute, HR & Payroll Pulse 2026 presents the latest evidence on how organisations are navigating workforce planning, payroll reliability, pay transparency, employee experience and the real impact of AI at work.
The largest study of its kind in Europe
Workplaces across Europe are under pressure. Skills shortages, rising costs, regulatory shifts and questions of trust are shaping how organisations operate and how people experience work.
This year’s HR & Payroll Pulse surveyed 16,500 employees, 5,936 HR decision makers across 16 European countries, the report brings those pressures into focus, offering a clear view of where the foundations of work are holding and where they are starting to strain.
What you’ll learn from HR & Payroll Pulse 2026
- Where organisations are feeling the greatest operational pressure and how leaders are responding.
- How employee trust is shaped by accuracy in payroll, clarity in pay and consistency in day‑to‑day work.
- Why workforce planning has become a priority and how capability gaps affect readiness.
- How employees across Europe are experiencing work, from wellbeing and workload to fairness and security.
- How AI is changing roles, expectations and confidence inside organisations.
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