You know why their checks are cut by ADP? Because most of them work at big, old companies and switching payroll providers is really, really hard at that size. And because people don’t know any better.

Here’s why your paycheck takes so long: Many companies pay in arrears. Which is a fancy way of saying that there’s a gap between the end of the pay period and when you actually get paid. If you’re paid hourly, there’s literally no way to get you paid without a gap. Here’s what’s happening in that time:

Here are five examples of mundane breakdowns that I’ve seen lead to payroll errors:

Most teams frame it like a software switch. In reality, you’re rebuilding your company’s approach to employee data, payroll, benefits, and compliance from scratch.