New trends descend on HR & payroll

by with No Comment AutomateLatest Payroll NewsPayrollUncategorised

New trends descend on HR & payroll

By , Surveys Editorial Project Manager at ITWeb.
Johannesburg, 2 Jul 2015

Employees are the heart of any business. This is especially true for mid-size enterprises, which must attract and retain the best talent if they are to hold their own against much larger competitors.

So says Anton van Heerden, MD of Sage HR & Payroll, who notes if enterprises are to take full advantage of their talent, they have to be able to manage it effectively and efficiently.

“This is why we’re seeing so many mid-size and large enterprises invest in powerful, simple and flexible HR management solutions to streamline their practices, improve efficiency and future-proof their businesses,” says Van Heerden.

Sage VIP and Synergy Group, in partnership with ITWeb, are conducting an online HR & Payroll Survey to gain valuable insight and perspective into the current strategies within South African organisations.

“It is important for organisations to seriously consider their HR and payroll automation strategies and the aim of the survey is to determine how South African organisations are faring when it comes to what motivates them to implement, upgrade or replace their HR and payroll solutions,” says Van Heerden.

He notes the survey is to also establish current market penetration of HR and payroll solutions within businesses.

Ashley Regenass, CEO of Synergy Group, adds: “This survey is needed to establish what the current uptake of automated and integrated HR and payroll is in South Africa.”

According to Van Heerden, there are quite a few trends that are being witnessed within the HR and payroll sphere such as compliance, payroll fraud, cloud computing, employee self-service and outsourcing.

He points out the regulatory and tax environment are becoming more complex. This trend is expected to continue, especially with pension fund reform on the cards, the possible introduction of national health insurance, and the Davis Commission’s reevaluation of SA’s entire tax system.

“More organisations are falling prey to payroll fraud. Many organisations are looking to the cloud to cut operational and capital costs. Employee self-service solutions give employees more convenience and finally outsourcing routine monthly payroll tasks allows organisations to focus on their core business more easily.”

It is important for organisations to seriously consider their HR and payroll automation strategies, says Anton van Heerden, MD for Sage HR & Payroll.

It is important for organisations to seriously consider their HR and payroll automation strategies, says Anton van Heerden, MD for Sage HR & Payroll.

When asked what challenges organisations face with regards to HR and payroll, Regenass advises that too many mid-sized businesses still store HR data in silos.

“Outdated HR systems with loose or no integration with accounting and ERP [enterprise resource planning] systems create inefficiencies and hamper visibility into business trends. Gaining visibility of HR performance is a growing challenge as well as statutory reporting,” says Van Heerden.

“A good solution will automate routine administrative tasks which helps companies to comply with regulations. Electronic processes also produce a wealth of data which enables HR to make better decisions.”

Regenass notes an effective HR and payroll system helps businesses to better manage their mobile workforce as well as improve efficiencies.

“An effective HR and payroll system will streamline compliance and help companies stay on top of the dynamic and changing HR landscape,” he adds.

Concludes Van Heerden: “By automating routine paperwork, HR departments will be able to focus more on issues such as training and development, performance management, employee retention, developing a positive business culture, and alignment of the HR strategy with the business strategy. This translates into a business advantage.”

 

The signs is it time for Payroll Outsourcing in your business

by with No Comment AutomateLatest Payroll News

C-Users-pfuduric-Desktop-Misc.-Images-post-it1

The signs is it time for Payroll Outsourcing

Naturally, your business is about making money, but you know better than anyone that making money is hard work: it takes time and dedication. Regardless of which industry you’re in, you’re going to be generating and sending out invoices, collecting and tracking payments, transferring money, balancing your accounts, paying employees, and remitting payments to the government. It’s all part of being in business, after all. All of the bookkeeping, payroll processing, and tax filings that come with being in business can become incredibly time consuming, especially as your business starts to grow.

Your Options

As a business owner, you can start to feel like these processes are taking up all of your time, which leaves you with very little time to spend on your other business activities—the ones that actually make you money.

If this is how you’re feeling in the situation, you have three options: You can keep doing it yourself, you can hire an in-house payroll administrator, or you can outsource the responsibility to a payroll service provider such as paymaster. If you keep doing it yourself, you’ll find yourself with less and less time to work on your other responsibilities. If you hire in-house, you will still spend a lot of time training your new employee and fielding payroll-related questions. Outsourced payroll on the other hand can leave you free to do your work without having to worry about a hefty expense, accuracy, timeliness, or compliance.

Knowledge and Experience

Payroll service providers have specialized teams of qualified professionals on staff who know everything there is to know about tax legislature, government regulations and deadlines, and the subtle nuances of payroll management. Their extensive knowledge and experience makes them more efficient and accurate in their payroll processing than you or your employees could ever be. Take advantage of this expertise by using outsourced payroll. These experts don’t have to spend all their time looking up relevant tax laws or regulations. They know their stuff, so they can manage your payroll quickly and effectively. And since you only pay them for the work they do, this also saves you money in the long run.

Autonomy

When you use outsourced payroll you get to save time thanks to a payroll service provider’s autonomy. You don’t have to spend extensive hours collaborating with them to make sense of the work to be managed, no matter how complex it is. With an in-house payroll clerk, you’ll still be involved more than you’d like to be, which doesn’t save you much time. But a payroll service provider will only need you to provide the relevant payroll numbers once every pay period and the experts will handle the rest.

Think of What You Could Do with More Time

Most business owners’ top complaint is that there aren’t enough hours in a day. But when you use outsourced payroll, you suddenly get more time every day to spend on working with new products, services, marketing ideas, customers, or expansion efforts. You’ll even get more time to spend with your friends and family. You can focus your efforts where they matter instead of being stuck under piles of payroll paperwork.

Make the Switch

To get the most out of your payroll service provider, find one that works for your unique business needs, compare prices and services, and calculate just how much time you’ll save by switching to outsourcing. Once you see how cost-effective outsourcing can be and realize how much time you’ll save from putting the responsibility on someone else’s shoulders, we’re sure you’ll make the switch.

 

by

Ray Gonder

 

The value of Paymaster co-sourcing over traditional outsourcing

by with No Comment Latest Payroll NewsPaymasterPayroll

The value of Paymaster co-sourcing over traditional outsourcing

When you make the decision to outsource your payroll the decision is made on the need for convenience, security, expertise and of course cost.  There are outsourced payroll solutions and then there are outsourced payroll solutions, all claim to offer the same but more and all claim they will save you time and money but do they really?

 

The overriding reason for outsourcing payroll and even HR is because of the skills or rather the lack of in-house skills or the cost of employing such skills. When a company reaches a certain point the cost of hiring the skills becomes more viable but for most companies the payroll and HR skills are just a little out of reach or the cost can be better used elsewhere, even for the company that does have HR staff and payroll managers the thought that it can be done in a more cost-effective manner has surely crossed one’s mind.

 

Outsourcing is one thing but partnering and thus co-sourcing with a payroll or HR solution provider is another thing all together.  Co-Sourcing is the Paymaster Unique Selling Point and the differentiation between it and other outsourced Payroll providers. Having someone do the work for you is a good thing but having someone do the work for you and with you is better, do you agree?

 

Yes, Paymaster will email the payslips and the required reports each month or as you require and then they deliver a little extra, the extra that makes all the difference not only in Payroll but for HR too.  Below is what differentiates Paymaster Payroll from the rest:

 

Description Paymaster outsourcing Traditional outsourcing
24/7 Secure Access to all your data Real-time Data .Full access to all your payroll and human resources information from any connection at any time, reports and data maintained in real-time, no need to wait for servers to be updated nightly May offer a limited online data entry portal to input payroll hours with some post-payroll reports at a specific day and time. Standard reports typically available next day.  May require that you call or fax in payroll information
Error Handling Identify any errors using pre-pay reports before you print and finalize payroll. Edit and recalculate an unlimited number of times at no extra charge. No significant time delay. Identify errors after payslips arrive. Extra charge to reprint checks. Payroll is delayed. Employees upset
Reporting Extensive, easy to read payroll and human resources reports. Plus custom report writer so you can create your own report now at no extra charge Standard basic payroll reports. Extra charge and significant waiting period to create custom report for you
HR Records Keep all H.R records on line. Easy to access all employee information on line including training and disciplinary record. HR functionality typically not available Some offer at extra charge
On line Documentation All original documentation uploaded to the cloud. Contracts of employment I.D Books, disciplinary records always available.

 

 Alternative: manual files in unsecured filing cabinet. Need a document – you need to get access to the physical file
Employee Self-Service Employee portal available as part of standard service; employees can view payslips, IRP5 certificates, leave balances. Apply for leave online and manage their biographical details Employee portal may be offered at extra charge, if available at all
HR and payroll Expertise andadvice Answers your HR and payroll questions from trusted experts in their field. Articles available as well as on line documentation free of charge Not offered or limited articles available at extra charge. Alternative: hire employment lawyer or HR manager.
Tax filing, UIF declarations as well as third party payments (pension, Medical, garnishee or industrial council payments) Sit back Relax Paymaster does it all including the reconciliations and query handling Handles filings and deposits.
Integrating Payroll Calculations into General Ledger Download file to import into industry standard accounting packages such as Pastel or QuickBooks Limited GL reports may be available for an extra charge for you to re-key into your accounting package
Extra Pay Run Run an extra set of payslips such as a bonus or commission payroll at no extra charge Extra charge for additional payroll run
Payslip Delivery Print any number of payslips when you need them Wait for payslips to be e-mailed or delivered.
Direct Deposit Unlimited to multiple employee bank accounts at no extra charge Typically offered for an additional charge. Often employees are limited to a number of accounts
Live Customer Support Customer support is handled by live personnel usually within 4 hours, sooner when urgent Customers support may be 24-48 hours by e-mail only
Pricing Flat fee per employee per month Easy to determine how much you are being charged. Basic fee with additional per-event  charges (such as reprints) typically with no cap or limits
Add New Employee to Pay Run Add a new employee to pay run. No extra charge Extra charge for new employees
Event Reminders Tag employee events so you will be automatically reminded of upcoming events such as employee reviews and training. Not offered. Limited to payroll only
Payroll administrators You will be assigned your own payroll administrator Whoever is available will process your payroll.

 

There is always a choice, there are other payroll providers however experience in the industry and the extra benefits of a solution from Paymaster are worth considering.  Perhaps it is time to review your Payroll partner and have a closer look at Paymaster.  With the additional HR Benefits, system functionality with trusted expertise Paymaster stands out as the only complete co-sourced solution with no hidden costs or fees and without the limitations other providers put in place.

Are you ready to consider Paymaster?