Payroll errors and delays are hitting Canadian workers and businesses hard, with many employees saying that even a single missed paycheque would leave them struggling to pay their bills, according to a new report by software company Employment Hero.

The study said 38 per cent of the 1,114 working Canadians interviewed have faced a payroll error or delay in the past five years, and 62 per cent of those people have experienced it with multiple paycheques.

Overall, 51 per cent said they would have trouble paying their bills if their paycheque was delayed, signalling that many of them are likely

living paycheque to paycheque . “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,” Kevin Kliman, president of the Canadian business at Employment Hero, said in a

press release . “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.”

However, employees aren’t the only ones impacted by payroll errors. The study said the errors can also have significant consequences for employers, with 74 per cent of workers saying they would have negative feelings towards their boss if their paycheque was delayed.

“When people don’t get paid properly or on time, it’s not just a payroll error; it’s a broken promise,” Kliman said. “In today’s economy, where every dollar counts, Canadians can’t afford to be left hanging because of outdated, unreliable systems.”

Payroll errors can also have an impact on businesses in the form of unreported overages, with only 55 per cent of workers saying they would “definitely” inform their employer if they were overpaid.

But despite the prevalence of these errors, only 69 per cent reported reviewing their paycheque at least once a month, increasing the risk of unnoticed errors impacting their finances. 

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Financial assets continue to be a key driver of Canadians’ wealth, as collective household net worth grew to $17.9 trillion in the second quarter of 2025. Statistics Canada’s latest national balance sheet, released Thursday, revealed that household net worth was up 1.5 per cent, notching its seventh consecutive quarter of growth.

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Find out more . If you start a side business, you’re presumably doing so to make a profit, but this is not always the case. Some taxpayers operate a business as a way to write off personal expenses as business expenses, hoping to claim the resultant business losses against their day-job income, thus lowering their tax bill. But you’ve got to be careful because if you don’t run your business in a sufficiently commercial manner with a view to making a profit, your losses may be denied, writes Jamie Golombek.

Find out more . Are you worried about having enough for retirement? Do you need to adjust your portfolio? Are you starting out or making a change and wondering how to build wealth? Are you trying to make ends meet? Drop us a line at

wealth@postmedia.com with your contact info and the gist of your problem and we’ll find some experts to help you out while writing a Family Finance story about it (we’ll keep your name out of it, of course).

McLister on mortgages

Want to learn more about mortgages? Mortgage strategist Robert McLister’s

Financial Post column can help navigate the complex sector, from the latest trends to financing opportunities you won’t want to miss. Plus, check out his

Financial Post on YouTube

mortgage rate page for Canada’s lowest national mortgage rates, updated daily. Visit the Financial Post’s YouTube channel for interviews with Canada’s leading experts in business, economics, housing, the energy sector and more.

Today’s Posthaste was written by Noella Ovid with additional reporting from Financial Post staff, Canadian Press and Bloomberg.

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