 In 1979, she began working for the trade union Equity, and was its television commercials organiser from 1981, then its Assistant Secretary (Recorded Performances) from 1991.In 1999, she was promoted to become Assistant General Secretary (Live Performances), and then in 2005 was elected as the union's General Secretary - the first woman to lead the union.Under Payne's leadership, membership of Equity grew from just over 35,000 in 2005, to just under 40,000 in 2015, while the union claims that its finances have stabilised during the period.