Francine Boudreau, CPM
City of Moncton – Moncton, NB
Francine Boudreau is a payroll professional who likes the little things in life. Like her grandchildren.
“Playing with my grandkids is my favourite hobby,” she says, adding that her life with her husband is peaceful and balanced, just the way she likes it. “We walk the dog, I do yoga. And I love to listen to the rain on the roof.”
Her professional responsibilities also satisfy her preference for structure. “I like numbers, I like to balance and I like to figure things out systematically ,” says Francine, adding that the payroll provides the structure she likes to work within to solve problems.
As Manager, Payroll and Human Resources Information Systems for the City of Moncton, Francine and her team, process payroll for about 800 employees. She first started working in payroll in 1989, while doing administrative work on an airfield. “We did it all by hand back then — I wrote out the pay cheques and had to chase the owner to sign them.”
For a few years after this, her career detoured into desktop publishing, but the 2008 recession saw her moving back into an administrative position. In 2009, she took a payroll administrative job. She hasn’t looked back, working in progressively more senior payroll positions with several employers.
Her position with the city, which she has had for three years, has kept her very busy. “I’ve been setting up new systems for three years,” she says, explaining that when she implements new payroll systems, she also develops new procedures for the payroll administrators.
Part of her value to the city includes protecting its reputation by ensuring employees are paid accurately and on time, she says, adding that studies show any payroll errors can be a reason for employee retention issues. She knows that managing the city’s payroll also contributes to its business wellness, through the many reports she runs on issues such as Key Performance Indicators to sick leave. “I help provide upper management with the data they need to improve performance, make decisions and stay on budget.”
Francine hopes to join her husband in retirement soon, to spend time enjoying family life, plus, “There are a lot of new places we want to explore!”
It’s all about the little things.
