Why Paithena Exists

After 14 years of experience in payroll and social management, one thing has become clear: payroll is never just about calculations. It is a direct point of contact with employees, a demanding compliance matter, and often the first source of tension between an employer and the social authorities.

This journey began as a payroll specialist in several accounting firms, managing around 70 to 80 client accounts and between 300 and 800 payslips each month. During this period, I also took responsibility for the international clients of an accounting firm. Supporting foreign companies employing staff through their branches or liaison offices in France exposed me early on to the specific challenges these companies face when dealing with French authorities, employment law and employment tribunal case law — explained in English, so that every client could truly understand what was at stake.

This journey continued as the head of a payroll and HR department, leading a team of 8 and overseeing a portfolio of around 400 companies and 4,000 payslips each month. This role required daily legal monitoring to address the situations employers faced with their employees, supported by continuously updated legal documentation: employment contracts, dismissal procedures, mutual termination agreements, company agreements, and CSE elections — all essential tools for protecting businesses in the event of disputes with their employees.

This dual experience — hands-on day-to-day practice and the management of an entire department, in both French and international contexts — also enabled me to develop advanced expertise in SilaExpert, one of the payroll solutions most widely used by social and payroll accounting firms. Paithena is designed to uphold this standard from day one: rigorous yet human support for small and medium-sized businesses, foreign companies setting up in France, and accounting firms looking to outsource payroll production with confidence.