Paychex is an awful place to work - Senior Payroll Specialist Paychex Employee Review

2.0
11 Sept 2011
Recommend
CEO approval
Business outlook

Pros

There aren't many good reasons to work at Paychex... I'd say the only good thing I have gotten from my experience is the knowledge about payroll taxes. I've learned a lot of information in that regard, but only because as an employee here you get tons of clients thrown at you with all sorts of problems that you have to figure some things out quicky. Also, I've personally learned what I DON'T want in an employer from working here.

Cons

Paychex doesn't have much respect for their payroll specialists. Payroll specialists are the front-line of this company... we are the ones who handle all the crap work, and deal with the clients on a day-to-day basis, but yet, as a company, Paychex gives us no respect. They roll out all the works for the sales department, but during National Payroll week don't do a thing for the payroll specialists. A lot of the managers "say" they care to help raise moral, but don't actually listen to their employee's suggestions. Paychex does not allow overtime either. Which is pretty riduculous at year-end when we have "block out time" because we are so busy, but are kicked out the door at 5pm. And when clients complain that their problems aren't fixed in a timely manner, these come back to the payroll specialists who have 300+ clients and aren't allowed to work over 40 hours a week to get things done. Also, many supervisors don't understand the concept of confidentiality. I've overheard supervisors gossiping to one another about a reason an employee left early for a doctors appointment. The supervisors, and management, also promise things but never delivery. You can be promised some kind of reward, but it will be taken away without notice. They will also plan fun surprises, but never come through with them. Overall, this company seems to be getting worse and worse.

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5.0
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Pros

Leadership connections, tailored growth pathways, and self-guided development

Cons

Some internal partners lack communication

1.0
8 July 2026
Recommend
CEO approval
Business outlook

Pros

Lots of apps and gadgets are nice...when they work, but many of them don't work and tech support can't figure that out.

Cons

Micro-management to the Nth degree; meetings all day; training part of every day; and you'll still get manager calls to ask what you are going to do, what you've done, and what you will do, every single day, and how you're going to get 8 hours of sales calls into your day after wasting 5 hours on managers check-ins and meetings. Expectations are that you'll work long days, evenings and weekends either regularly or on a moments notice--you will have NO personal life. Rookie sales tactics, shotgun scatter tactics, and insanely high prospect call requirements will make a majority of your territory clients hate your guts (Denver manager wants 500 customer contacts per week! And I only had 215 prospects accounts). Many of my clients pleaded and begged me to leave them alone because me and the past 4 reps (in only 2 years) have been phoning, emailing and texting constantly. Some of them were former clients who dropped us for bad service, so there is no need to call but you'll have to. Some of them previously and respectfully let us do a demo, make a pitch, and give a quote, but then chose our competitor, and yet the Denver boss would insist that I call them twice a week indefinitely...just in case. The commission contract is 27 pages long and excludes everything under the sun. They will even take paid commissions back from you if the install team messes up and the customer cancels the contract. And then if you can stomach all that misery, you will likely make 1/3 of what they tell you to expect to make. NOBODY makes what they tell you is the ANNUAL AVERAGE except for 2 to 5 reps who get lucky with big deals and then never repeat that again, so it isn't an average for anyone, not even the top 1% of hundreds of sales reps. In a nutshell, this is big corporate misery and lies and privacy invasion like you have NEVER seen before. Try it at your own risk, and suffer.

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