Paymaster Newsletter

Paymaster Newsletter April 2023

Curated by Lezé

1 April 2023

Overview

Maximizing Productivity: A look into Employee Working Hours

Work hours regulations…who are they for?

According to the BCEA , work hour stipulations apply to employees who;

  • earn less than R241 110, 59 a year.
  • If you earn more, you are not covered by the work hour clauses.
  • If you work less than 24 hours per month, you are also not included in these clauses.

Setting work hours

Consider your employee’s health and safety when setting their work hours.

Also, respect their family responsibilities.

The BCEA says a day is 24 hours (from the time the employee starts working).

  • they may not work more than 45 hours per week (excluding lunch break).
  • they may not work more than 9 hours a day(in 5 days or less).
  • and no more than 8 hours a day if working more than 5 days per week.

This may be extended – by mutual agreement – by

  • 15 minutes a day
  • not more than 60 minutes a week

Exceptions

  • the employee must agree to hours in writing.
  • they may not work more than 12 hours any day, up to 12 hours a day(including meal break) without overtime pay.
  • may not work more than 45 hours a week.
  • or more than 6 days a week.

Lunch breaks

This must be included in the contract of employment. (The meal break is usually not included as a work hour.)

  • lunch break must be taken after 5 hours of work.
  • it must last at least an hour.
  • they may not work at all during this break (unless duties can’t be left unattended, or done by someone else).
  • they must be paid if required to work during their lunch break.

* it may be agreed -in writing- to reduce the lunch break to 30 minutes.

Rest periods

All employees must be allowed to rest, therefore…

  • there must be at least 12 hours between work periods (can be reduced to 10 hours if they live on the work premises – but then lunch break must be at least 3 hours)
  • weekend rest must be at least 36 hours…and include a Sunday
  • OR they have 60 hours of rest every 2 week period
  • the employer may reduce the rest period by up to 8 hours BUT must then extend next week’s rest period by the same amount of time.

Work at night

Night work – after 6pm and before 6am

  • employees must agree to night work.
  • shift allowance must be paid, or reduced working hours
  • transport must be provided between their home and place of work.

Night shift (1)

BUT if they work regularly (5x a month or 50x a year) after 23:00 and before 6:00am, then:

  • workers must be informed of any safety hazards that may be faced during work hours
  • they have a right to a medical exam (at employer’s expense) before starting duties AND may have follow-up checkups if they continue those night duties
  • if the night shift results in health problems, they must be moved to a day shift as soon as possible.

If you need more information around the regulations linked to work hours , please contact the Paymaster Helpdesk. We also offer comprehensive payroll services, that will keep your business compliant.

– Provided by Ian Hurst –

News

Annual Reconciliation Declaration (EMP501) submission period 2022/2023

We want to remind you that the Annual EMP501 Reconciliation Submission period will run from 1 April 2023 to 31 May 2023.

Worried about your tax-year end submissions? Subscribe to Paymaster’s submission support service. For a small fee we will make sure you submit accurately and on time.
Contact Ian on 082 898 5006 or ian@paymaster.co.za for more info or a quote.

In preparation for your submission:

  • Check your payments and reconciliations processed at the end of each month.
  • Post correction runs if any adjustments are needed to correct your employee financials.
  • Navigate to Payroll Cycle > Payslip Pay Dates
  • Check your Company demographic information and Employee personal information on the system.

Return of Earnings Submission 2023 – due date is 31 May 2023.

Skills Development Submission 2023 – due date is 30 April 2023.

In addition, the COIDA earnings threshold has increased to R563 520 per annum, effective 01 March 2023. We are pleased to confirm that this new limit has already been implemented in the system, effective March 2023.

Streamline Your Hospitality Business with

Paymaster’s Payroll Software –

Improve Efficiency, Reduce Costs, and Enhance the Guest Experience

Paymaster’s payroll software can help hotels and guest houses…

Streamline Your Hospitality Business

Using our online payroll system means employees of hotels can view and access their PAYSLIPS online eliminating the need to print payslips.

Other hospitality businesses using online payroll software are reducing their paper consumption with online tracking, reporting, and centralized document storage capabilities. The hotel and hospitality industry operates in a more efficient manner with online payroll software.

What are some major benefits of Paymaster’s payroll solution to the hospitality industry?

  • Cloud data storage
  • Better employee experience
  • Easy data access
  • Easy time tracking
  • Remote payroll
  • Flexible working, etc.

In addition, hotels and other multi-location businesses in the hospitality industry can provide real-time access to employee information with an excellent employee self-service portal, which also allows employees to view, access, and update their personal details wherever, whenever. This saves HR personnel a great deal of time and effort and increases productivity.

Employers are able to process payroll, run reports, and make changes from anywhere with an internet connection, which helps automate processes and improve efficiency across the HR department. This software means your staff are paid accurately and on time. Resulting in a happier, more productive workforce, and a fabulous guest experience.

– Provided by Ian Hurst –

Helpdesk Tips

How to add Additional Leave Application Overflow

The Company Workflow Setup Screen allows you to create rules for workflow items to move through a defined number of approval steps. Examples of workflow items are Claim Components, Employee Requests and Leave Applications. These workflow items need to be set-up before the workflow path can be created. Once the workflow path has been created, the workflow item is submitted via the Employee Self Service Portal.
Workflow roles may be created and used to accommodate exceptions in workflow paths. Click below for directions on how to add Additional Leave Application Overflow

 


How to add Additional Leave Application Overflow

Please call our Helpdesk for your queries –
021 712 7333 help@paymaster.co.za or
WhatsApp us – 081 711 1276

Why is the “Directly reports to” person on an employee’s Position screen reflecting as “Not Active”, when their employee record is active?

The Employee Position Screen stores information pertaining to the employee’s position. This includes the employee’s organisation unit, the person they report to directly and occupational level, to name a few. Sometimes the employee’s position effective date is earlier than the manager’s position effective date, which leaves the manager reflecting as ‘Not Active’ on the employee position screen. Click on below instructions to see if it’s possible to report to someone before they have started working for the compnay.

 


Why is the “Directly reports to” person on an employee’s Position screen reflecting as “Not Active”, when their employee record is active?

Staff Bio

Meet Keano Soule

This month we get to know the one and only Keano Soule! Keano has worked at Paymaster for nearly 2 years, and reports to Nafeesa, the office manager. He is a payroll administrator and quite the entertainer in the office.

Keano grew up in Steenberg, Cape Town with his adoptive parents and two older siblings. He matriculated from Steenberg High School in 2016 and went on to do a Financial Management diploma course at False Bay College. He majored in Financial Accounting, Computerised Financial Systems and Cost and Management Accounting. Because he enjoys working with numbers, he revelled in the responsibility of being the campus treasurer, working out budgets, planning and working with money. He graduated in 2018 and worked for a forex and current exchanges company for nearly 2 years.

Keano jumped at the opportunity to work for Paymaster with his usual optimistic attitude, since it was in his field of interest. Other than his payroll processing responsibilities, he is also a help desk agent at Paymaster. He says this task helps broaden his payroll knowledge, although it can be challenging at times. He needs to break things down in detail for clients, which helps him understand things better overall, and not just stick with his division of payroll processing.

He describes himself as ‘flamboyant’. And this is exactly what the Paymaster staff enjoy about this Gen-z ball of energy. He keeps the environment young and fun with his infectious enthusiasm. A real asset to the Paymaster office.

Keano Bio

New Product Features

New enhancements

Consolidate Tax Certificate Run

After several customer engagements, a new enhancement was made to allow customers with multiple frequencies and the same tax number to generate a consolidated tax file for import into e@syFile rather than to extract individual files for each frequency.

A new company setting has been added under General settings. Once activated, the tax file will be a consolidated file located on the current frequency you generate the file from.

An information message will also display when you run the file informing the user that the file will be stored on the currently selected frequency.

Consolidate Tax Certificate Run

Any issues can be directed to help@paymaster.co.za

Pacey – Message Templates

Want to communicate important updates to your employees, but short on time? Check out our latest Pacey update.

Pre-defined message templates will allow users to initiate certain WhatsApp messages to selected employees…

Read here

Partnerships

Our partnership with Biosyn and Floatpays is another way that Paymaster endeavors to deliver greater value to our clients.

Tracking Hours, Leave and other HR Requests via the app

The solution to constant employee requests about leave availability etc is…go high tech. Paymaster’s Time and Attendance biometric clocks scan an employee’sBiometric clock fingerprints, facial & palm features, and registers when they start or leave work. That information is directly relayed to cloud-based payroll servers, eliminating the need for manual data entries. Paymaster’s integrated Time & Attendance software allows employees to submit leave requests and access other details….so, less time answering routine questions, and getting on with essential HR sevices.

Once your access points are setup, either fixed or mobile,

we collect the data into our cloud API and allow this to seamlessly flow into your employees’ payroll software.

So basically, they can apply for leave on the biometric clock or via the app.

If you are interested in learning more about Paymaster Time and Attendance system, be sure to visit our website for more information. There you can find detailed articles, product reviews etc to help you make an informed decision about your time and attendance system. For more information on

services

and

prices,

simply click here.

Discover the benefits of Paymaster Time and Attendance!


Free consultation

or contact Glen Coburn at glen@paymaster.co.za, or call +27 836791311.

Partnerships

continue…

Manage your Expenses this Season with Floatpays

Floatpays Earned wage access

Is your business gearing up for a busy holiday season in the tourism and hospitality industry?

Long shifts and manage expenses

With long hours and shift schedules, it can be tough to juggle your payroll demands and manage expenses during this time.

This is where Floatpays can assist!

With Floatpays, employees can access their earned wages ahead of payday, giving them the financial flexibility they need to cover unexpected expenses and make the most of their time off.

And for employers, Floatpays can help streamline the payroll process and reduce the administrative burden of managing a large, seasonal workforce.

So why not make this holiday season a little less stressful for your team? Get in touch with us if you want to ease your employees’ financial stress and boost their enjoyment of the holiday season.

As a Paymaster partner, Floatpays is already integrated into the Paymaster payroll system, so set-up is quick and easy! Get in touch with Glen Coburn at glen@paymaster.co.za, +27836791311, to book a free DEMO.


Book a DEMO here

Paymaster Updates

Welcome to the payroll news updates! Here, you will find the latest updates and information on all things payroll. We’ve got you covered from employee payroll and payroll tax to payroll management and payroll software.

You’ll find the weekly and Africa updates and resources to help you stay informed and on top of your payroll responsibilities and legislative changes you should know.


Weekly updates

April

  • Leave Balance Screen | View balances in hours
  • New Bulk Upload | Update Employee
  • Kenya | Body Type dropdown (Company Car Fringe Benefit)
  • South Africa | COIDA Reports Enhancements
  • South Africa | Updated COIDA Income Adjustment


Africa updates

April

  • Burkina Faso – CNSS Employer Rates

Paymaster Announcement


Welcome to our “Free Payroll Knowledge” webinar series! We understand that payroll can be a complex and challenging task for small businesses, which is why we want to help. We’re excited to announce that our webinars will take place twice a month, on a  Wednesday at 10:00-10:30. The series will be an open discussion format,

you ask any payroll question, we have the answer.

We will be announcing the details of each webinar on our social media channels, so be sure to follow us to stay updated. You can join the webinar using the link we will provide.


Facebook


Linkedin

Closed

  • Wednesday
  • 29 March 
  • 10:00

 


Schedule the next webinar

Register here

  • Wednesday
  • 12 April
  • 10:00

Who is this webinar for?

For payroll professionals increasing their skill base, or those new to this function. Or maybe you’re exploring Paymaster as a payroll option….this Webinar is aimed at all of you.

Click here to go to the previous Newsletter


– Monthly newsletter curated by Lezé Felton –

Please sign-up or invite someone to our Newsletters here to keep up-to-date

👉 Go check out our website- https://www.paymaster.co.za/ 👈


Facebook


Linkedin


Link

Paymaster Newsletter

Paymaster Newsletter March 2023

Curated by Lezé

1 March 2023

Overview

The many Hats worn by Payroll Professionals

Looking back at the many hats worn by the Payroll professional

Over the last few months we have unpacked the many hats the trusty Payroll professional wears as an essential part of the business they serve. Let’s have a look at them again. They are;

Hat 1: The interpreter of Legislation

They are rightly held accountable for accurate interpretation and implementation of legislation relating to the employer/employee relationship.

Hat 2: The keeper of records

Your reputation as a trustworthy Payroll professional is based on your ability to quickly, and efficiently, find requested documents or information. Even if they go back a few years, you are expected to locate the expense claim, leave form etc.

Hat 3: Gatekeeper of Compliance

To educate and inform employees around the fundamental importance of compliance with the company’s Policy and Procedures. High levels of compliance in an organisation, results in a positive impact on everyone.

Hat 4: Communicators of change

This is the only department able to explain how the changes will affect the employees’ take-home pay, or their benefits (eg. leave days or pension deductions). This is a unique opportunity to interact with the employees, and make sure there is complete understanding of how the changes will impact each one personally.

Hat 5: The resonsibility of “What if”

When management wants to know how changes will affect staffing costs, the Payroll department is their “go to” for answers. We are trusted to give accurate information, so they know they can rely on our reports, projections and opinions to make decisions.

Hat 6: The importance of being Trustworthy

As a Payroll professional, take pride in the trust your company puts in you, and always act with integrity! Don’t let one careless mistake destroy all you have worked for. Remember, trust is EARNED, and very hard to restore once lost!

Hat 7: Offering Counselling

Payroll administrators handle private, often very sensitive information. For this reason they are usually trusted by the staff. Sometimes listening is enough. Or we will explain what the company policy is, and let them make up their own minds. Other times, when we give them advice, they go away knowing that we have their best interests at heart. We care.

Hat 8: We are problem-solvers

With a calm and steady approach, we confidently take charge of the situation and deliver the perfect solution. We take time to ponder over the most-appropriate solution, and to carefully deliberate over the various options, considering consequences that can be disastrous, or a perfect fit.

Hat 9: We are the moral compass

The Payroll professional uses the litmus test representing the values of an organisation. We are called to be brave and ethical, speaking out when necessary. Especially in ethically “grey” areas.

We should be proud of the important role we play in the organization. We are the backbone, serving the people who make the business achieve it’s stated goals as efficiently as possible. Stand tall, and wear your many hats professionally.

Coming next… A summary of the many hats worn by the Payroll professional

– Provided by Ian Hurst –

Breaking News

Budget Speech 2023/2024

The Minister of Finance, Mr. Enoch Godongwana, delivered the National Budget Speech 2023 in Parliament on the 22nd of February 2023.

To assist you in understanding the important highlights, we have compiled selected resources for your reference. You may download them by clicking on the links provided below.


New minimum wage


Budget Speech


Compact Payroll guide

The New Tax year – starts 1 March

New tax year

1 March is the day

From 1 March, you will be rolling over into the new tax year. Most payroll systems now “lock down the old tax year” and you can no longer change any of that information. So sort out any issues before the tax year-end. You really don’t want to start having to open the payroll to change earnings or deductions or add information once 7 March has come.

Here are five things that will make your life easier:

1) Check that your employees details are complete
Check that all the information required by the Receiver is correct and complete for all employees. To do this, you need to draw a report from your payroll system listing the following:

  1. Address of the employee.
  2. Banking details of the employee.
  3. Identity, work permit or passport number.
  4. Tax reference number.

2) That all reconciliations are done – payroll deductions to Emp 201 submitted and paid to SARS

Reconcile all Emp. 201 payments made to SARS to the figures declared on the monthly Emp. 201 form submitted to the Receiver. These must balance. (If not, correct the issue as soon as possible – or make a note of why there is a difference, so you can explain it on your annual submission).
The best way to check the balances is the EMPSA from SARS. This shows the actual payments that have been recorded for the year, and can be compared with the year-to-date totals from your payroll system. If this balances then the Emp.501 reconciliation on Easyfile should not be a problem.

3) Confirm all submissions to SARS

Check to make sure that SARS has received all your EMP.201 submissions and that there are no outstanding issues that need to be dealt with. It is ALWAYS a good idea to keep up to date with SARS documentation.

4) Remind company car and travel allowance holders

Remind all your employees who have company cars or car allowance to record their millage first thing on 1 March. Make sure all the details of the vehicle are recorded on the payroll. They will need to upload their log book or make sure that the logbook is complete for the tax year.

5) Resolve any outstanding issues

Make sure that all the earnings and deductions are listed under the right payroll codes. In addition, make sure you have all the information for any retirement annuity and medical aid tax deductions you have made.

It is a useful exercise to run a test IRP 5 upload, since this can show you any faulty issues, such as negative 3601 income or negative retirement funding income which can be corrected in the February payroll. It will also give you any area of incomplete or missing information. These all have to be corrected before Easyfile will accept the upload file.

Guide for codes – employee tax certificates 2023  (click here)

List of registered bargaining councils (click here)

If this feels too overwhelming, consider joining the many happy Paymaster clients. Contact our Helpdesk for additional information.

– Provided by Ian Hurst –

Helpdesk Tips

How to add a component based on a percentage of a different component

Automating payroll calculations can simplify the process of determining employee compensation, especially when it comes to calculating components based on percentages of other components. In this guide, we will explain how to set up automatic calculations, using the example of Component A, which is set to calculate 10% of Component B (Basic Pay). Click below for directions on how to add a component based on a percentage of a different component.

 


How to add a component based on a percentage of a different component

Please call our Helpdesk for your queries –
021 712 7333 help@paymaster.co.za or
WhatsApp us – 081 711 1276

Which Report to run to view Employee Financials

To view an employee’s payroll financials on a month-to-month basis, employers may need a year-to-date report, such as a 12-month report, for purposes like submitting supporting documents to SARS or analyzing the employee’s financial data, which can be found on the Component Variance Report. Click below on how to run the component variance report.

 


Which Report to run to view Employee Financials

Staff Bio

Meet Bronwyn Masters

Meet the friendly and spontaneous Bronwyn Masters. She has been the finance administrator at Paymaster for a year and a half, and reports to 3 people, depending on the task, they are Beverley the finance manager, Nafeesa the office manager and Ian the managing director. She says her responsibilities include doing the monthly SARS tax submissions, invoicing, and all the SARS queries and correspondence. She worked in big corporate before, but enjoys the more personal vibe at Paymaster. She is a divorcee and has 4 beautiful daughters, ranging in age from of 11-17 years old

.

Bronwyn attended San Souci Girl’s High School and graduated with an accounting degree from UNISA. While working (and falling in love with numbers) she also achieved a Higher Diploma in Tax Law (via correspondence) at RAU, later the University of Johannesburg. Her corporate career started at an accounting firm as an admin assistance and eventually, she become a tax administrator. She was with this firm for quite a few years, until she moved on to a job as a creditors clerk in the liquor industry. Unfortunately, the alcohol ban during the Covid lockdown saw many people retrenched, including our lovely Bronwyn.

Fortunately, she found Paymaster. She is happier at a smaller company and says it gives her more flexibility, as it is not focused in one specific area, like a bigger firm. She explains that Paymaster has given her the opportunity to diversify her skills. Prior to this she hasn’t had any exposure to payroll, so she is grateful for this. She found the vibe at Paymaster was so welcoming ,and that management didn’t see her as just a number ,but as a person. This was a total game changer for her, compared to the corporate environment she worked in before.

In addition to her financial tasks, she also assists, on an ad hoc basis , with various tasks. These include helping with the wording of technical emails involving tax law and labour legislation. Bronwyn sums up her personality as emotionally stable, agreeable, intellectual, cheerful, empathetic, self-conscious and trustworthy. She is a precious gem and wonderful colleague to work with and Paymaster is fortunate to have her.

Meet Bronwyn

New Product Features

New enhancements

New UI [User interface] Enhancements

We are always looking for ways to improve the user experience of Paymaster. An area that was a candidate for improvement was the user interface when searching for a company or employee and accessing the configuration menu. These actions showed a pop-up form that completely overlayed and hid the working area of the application. We have improved this approach by rather having a more compact form slide out from the right-hand side of the application UI. This is an improved utilisation of the screen space that still keeps the application visible to the left-hand side of this slide-out form.
It is important to remember these changes are merely cosmetic and don’t impact the system’s functionality. The functionality and search results will be exactly the same as previously – they will be accessible in a new modern look.

Difference between the old and new look of the SCREENS

Company Search
Old Screen

New Screen

New landing page after logging in (company search slides in from the right instead of being full screen)

Employee Search
Old Screen

New screen

New employee search screen sliding in from the right.

Configuration Menu

Old Menu

New Menu
Configuration menu also slides in from the right.

Any issues can be directed to help@paymaster.co.za

Partnerships

Our partnership with Biosyn and Floatpays is another way that Paymaster endeavors to deliver greater value to our clients.

Paymaster is partnering with BioSyn, to bring you the latest, and best, in Time and Attendance Systems.

No readers needed. Log your hours via the app

Discover the benefits of Paymaster Time and Attendance!

Learn about the different biometric recognition options and find the perfect time and attendance solution for your business. Our consultant will guide you in maximizing your savings and ensure the right choice for your environment. Stay ahead with the latest facial recognition tips to ensure responsible and ethical usage.

For those who are interested in learning more about Paymaster time and attendance, be sure to visit our website for more information. On our site, you can find detailed articles, product reviews, and more to help you make an informed decision about your time and attendance system. For more information on

services

and

prices,

simply click here.


Free consultation

or contact Glen Coburn at glen@paymaster.co.za, or call +27 836791311.

Partnerships

continue…

Financial Stress in South Africa:
Understanding the impact of debt repayments on take-home pay.

Financial stress is bad for your staff and your bottom line!

The best way Floatpays can help reduce debt is by providing on-demand access to earned wages through integration with Paymaster payroll. Employees can access their earned-but-unpaid wages through EFT, instant money vouchers, or prepaid vouchers. If you want to improve financial stability and increase happiness and productivity among your employees, reach out to us.

As a Paymaster partner, Floatpays is already integrated into the Paymaster payroll system, so set-up is quick and easy! Get in touch with Glen Coburn at glen@paymaster.co.za, +27836791311, to book a free DEMO.


Book a DEMO here

Paymaster Updates

Welcome to the payroll news updates! Here, you will find the latest updates and information on all things payroll. We’ve got you covered from employee payroll and payroll tax to payroll management and payroll software.

You’ll find the weekly and Africa updates and resources to help you stay informed and on top of your payroll responsibilities and legislative changes you should know.


Weekly updates

March

  • Audit Trail | Icon moved to improve visibility
  • Job Management | Multiple Start and End dates
  • South Africa | ETI Period Count override via Costing
  • South Africa | Residential Accommodation Fringe Benefit


Africa updates

March

  • RSA – Budget Speech 2023/2024 Changes
  • Kenya – NSSF contribution increase
  • Namibia – Tax Changes 2022-2023 tax deduction limit increase
  • Zimbabwe – Finance Act changes

Paymaster Announcement


Welcome to our “Free Payroll Knowledge” webinar series! We understand that payroll can be a complex and challenging task for small businesses, which is why we want to help. We’re excited to announce that our webinars will take place twice a month, on a  Wednesday at 10:00-10:30. The series will be an open discussion format,

you ask any payroll question, we have the answer.

We will be announcing the details of each webinar on our social media channels, so be sure to follow us to stay updated. You can join the webinar using the link we will provide.


Facebook


Linkedin

Closed

  • Wednesday
  • 15 February 
  • 10:00

 


Schedule the next webinar

Register here

  • Wednesday
  • 1 March
  • 10:00

Who is this webinar for?

For payroll professionals increasing their skill base, or those new to this function. Or maybe you’re exploring Paymaster as a payroll option….this Webinar is aimed at all of you.

Click here to go to the previous Newsletter


– Monthly newsletter curated by Lezé Felton –

Please sign-up or invite someone to our Newsletters here to keep up-to-date

👉 Go check out our website- https://www.paymaster.co.za/ 👈


Facebook


Linkedin


Link

Time and Attendance

Paymaster Time and Attendance

About Paymaster’s time and attendance

Part 1

Let us guide your time and attendance search!

If you’re looking for a clock system that is tailored to your specific needs, look no further than Paymaster. Our skilled consultants will be able to analyze your needs and recommend the best solution for your business.

Determine your level of savings!

Implementing access control in your business can have a significant impact on your bottom line. Careful planning and research are crucial in order to ensure optimal efficiency and budget usage. It’s important to take into account the type of environment, the level of security required and the type of access control system that will best fit your business. By considering these factors, you can achieve a balance between security, efficiency and budget usage.

Pick the right time and attendance

Fingerprint, Facial & Palm Recognition

It’s important to evaluate the different types of biometric recognition devices and consider the specific needs of your business and environment before making a decision. Fingerprint recognition can be cost-effective but may not be suitable for employees who work with their hands on a daily basis. Facial and palm recognition, while more expensive, are touchless and may be more suitable in light of the current pandemic. By carefully evaluating the options and considering the specific needs of your business, you can choose the right biometric recognition device for your organization.

Selecting The Right Time & Attendance System

While biometric devices are a convenient method of recording time and attendance, it is important to note that they alone will not pay salaries. A time and attendance software solution is required to fully utilize the benefits of biometric technology. When selecting a provider, make sure to consider the cost, features and support provided, and ensure the solution caters for all your specific needs and requirements.

Important Facial Recognition Tips

While biometric facial recognition is a convenient and touchless option for identification and security purposes, it is important to consider the technical requirements and potential privacy concerns before implementing it. Non-visible light devices are more expensive but can cater for a much wider range of environments and it’s important to ensure that the technology is being used in a responsible and ethical manner.

Part 2

Covering your time and attendance needs

Paymaster has a powerful and versatile clock system that caters to all your basic and advanced clocking system needs. Whether you have been using a clock system for ages or are new to it, Paymaster will ensure that you are able to use your clock system capabilities to the maximum.

The Paymaster Clock System Support Mentality

At Paymaster we believe that our system is only as good as our support and ability to train you, which is why we provide in-depth training, in-system help videos and articles, and in-system support tickets, so that you have the help you need at your fingertips. We will be guiding you from beginning to end to ensure that your implementation of Paymaster is a success, and that you are protected by strong backing from your provider.

Time and Attendance Wellness Module

Our Time and Attendance Wellness Module is designed to give you a unique overview of your company, departments, and employees, and to help you identify problem areas before they become an issue. With our module, you can take a more proactive and preventative approach to managing time and attendance, which can ultimately save your organization time and resources.

The best way to experience our clock system

A demonstration is the best way to experience the capabilities of Paymaster, our user-friendly and easy to use clock system that can export or integrate with your favorite payroll systems such as Paymaster, Sage (VIP), PaySpace, Pastel, SimplePay, PSIber, and many more. Contact Glen Coburn today to arrange for an online demonstration and see how Paymaster time and attendance can help your business.

Part 3

Control access on multiple levels

Paymaster has software that has been designed to help you manage access and approvals on multiple levels. With its powerful access management features, it can help you to maintain the security of your data and prevent unauthorized access. Additionally, the Export Module enables you to distribute accountability for approvals across multiple departments and users, making the process more efficient and accurate. Whether you are a small business owner or a large corporation, Paymaster is the perfect solution for managing your access and approvals.

Features:

Clock System Reports
Standardized Time and Attendance Reports

Paymaster has powerful software that offers a wide range of basic and standard reports that can help you to stay informed about your workforce. With its powerful reporting system, it can help you to make better decisions about how to manage your employees, and improve the efficiency and accuracy of your data collection. Whether you are a small business owner or a large corporation, Paymaster is the perfect solution for managing your workforce.

Clock System Reports Dashboard

Paymaster’s Reports Dashboard is a powerful tool that can help you to stay informed about your workforce. With its wide range of reports, it can help you to gain a deeper understanding of your workforce and identify areas where improvements can be made. Whether you’re a small business owner or a large corporation, the Reports Dashboard is the perfect solution for managing your workforce.

Time and Attendance Departmental Reports Drill-downs

Paymaster’s departmental reports offer a powerful tool for analyzing data on a departmental level. With their ability to compare the efficiency of different departments and identify poor-performing managers, they can help you to set goals for the time and attendance system and systematically work towards a more optimized and well-performing company. Whether you’re a small business owner or a large corporation, Paymaster’s departmental reports are the perfect solution for managing your workforce.

Paymaster Case Study

The Paymaster Company-Wide Overview case study is a powerful tool that allows you to keep a bird’s-eye view over your company. With its ability to monitor important criteria and drill down deeper into the data, it can help you to identify problematic departments or sectors within your company and set yearly and monthly budgets to monitor progress and efficiency. Whether you’re a small business owner or a large corporation, the Paymaster Company-Wide Overview case study is the perfect solution for managing your company.

Export to Payroll

Exporting to payroll is a powerful feature that is included in our LITE, PRO, and ENTERPRISE packages. It allows you to easily transfer data from Paymaster time and attendance to your payroll system, and improve the accuracy and efficiency of your payroll process. With the Export Overview screen, you can monitor the status of batches, and exporting is available to various payroll systems, making it more versatile. Whether you’re a small business owner or a large corporation, exporting to payroll is the perfect solution for managing your payroll process.

Export Data Management

Paymaster’s export features are designed to help you easily transfer data from the system to your payroll system and improve the accuracy and efficiency of the process. With the option to manually override values, FiF (Find it Fast!) feature, the ability to approve and unlock data per department, and display progress with various departments, the export feature ensures that no stone is left unturned, and that the data is accurate and reliable.

Access control and audit trails

Paymaster offers a powerful solution for managing access and approvals on multiple levels. With its full audit trail feature, it can help you to maintain the security and integrity of your data, and prevent unauthorized access or breaches of confidentiality. Additionally, by granting access on multiple levels, you can ensure that only the right people have access to the information they need and that everyone else is restricted to only what they need to know. This can help you to manage your access and approvals more efficiently and effectively.

Export Auditing

Paymaster offers a powerful solution for managing your payroll process by allowing users to run comparative audits between reports and export batches. These audits can help to highlight any inconsistencies between reports and final payroll data, which can give you the peace of mind that data integrity is maintained across all batches. Additionally, additional reports are available for a more in-depth audit of exports and values, which can help to improve the overall accuracy and reliability of your payroll process.

Part 4

Paymaster Time & Attendance Wellness

Our unique time and attendance wellness module is a powerful tool that allows you to take a completely new approach towards time and attendance management. By utilizing your clock system to become proactive rather than policing, you can set different levels or zones of performance, and monitor your company and department from a unique perspective, which can help to improve the overall performance of your company.

Support your employees, rather than policing

The Wellness Module is a powerful feature that allows you to monitor the performance of employees and departments over a 3-month, 6-month or 12-month period. With the ability to set thresholds for performance averages, and the system capability to respond proactively, it allows you to manage departmental or individual employee cases well before they become a threat or issue, which can help to improve the overall performance of your company.

Optionally place control in Employee hands

The next phase of the Wellness Module allows employees to measure and monitor their own performance.

By linking bonuses or incentives with these performances, companies can shift away from a negative, “policing” mentality and instead adopt a self-measured approach that empowers employees to take ownership of their actions and to strive for improvement. This approach helps the company to achieve better performance while also helping employees to become more self-aware and responsible.

 

 

Monitor Company, Departments and Employees

The Wellness Module is a powerful tool that allows you to measure and compare the performance of employees, departments, and the company as a whole. By identifying under-performing departments early, it enables you to take action to address the issue and improve performance. Additionally, by setting targets and goals, it allows you to track progress and monitor performance over time, which can help to ensure that your company is operating at its best.

FREE Time and Attendance Reports & Statistics

When you use Paymaster time and attendance, you gain access to all the standard reports that are essential to managing your employees‘ time and attendance. These reports include:

Standard Employee Report (breakdown): This report provides detailed information about an employee’s attendance, including their hours worked, overtime, and absences.

Employee Summary Report: This report provides a summary of an employee’s attendance, including the total number of hours worked, overtime, and absences.

Attendance Register (daily or summary): This report provides a record of an employee’s attendance, including the time they clocked in and out each day.

Latecomers Report: This report provides a list of employees who were late to work, along with the number of minutes they were late.

Leave Transaction Report: This report provides a record of an employee’s leave transactions, including the dates of the leave and the type of leave taken.

Leave Summary: This report provides a summary of an employee’s leave transactions, including the total number of days taken and the type of leave.

Company Overview: This report provides an overview of the company’s attendance, including the total number of hours worked, overtime, and absences.

In addition to these standard reports, there are hundreds of other reports available in the LITE, PRO and ENTERPRISE packages of Paymaster time and attendance. To find out more about the features and reports available in each package, you can consult our features comparison. With Paymaster, you can ensure that you have access to all the information you need to manage your employees’ time and attendance effectively.

Contact Glen at Paymaster at glen@paymaster.co.za or 083 679 1311 for help to achieve your Time and Attendance goals for 2023.

Paymaster Newsletter

Paymaster Newsletter Feb 2023

Curated by Lezé

1 February 2023

Overview

The many Hats worn by Payroll Professionals

Hat 9: The Payroll professional as moral compass

Moral duty

It often starts with a small decision. We agree to something that falls within a “grey” area, legally or ethically. Decisions that may be marginally legal, but are in principle, unethical. Then it is easier to choose the decision with least resistance. And before we know it, we have “crossed the line”, and it is too late to turn around and change the course of events.
To compound matters, we might become silent accomplices, if we don’t speak up and challenge management on these types of decisions. The Payroll professional cannot stay quiet on moral and ethical matters. Our position as moral compass, and trusted professional, is at stake.

Crossing that line

Once the line has been crossed, it is very difficult to rebuild our purity and reputation.
Please note; I am not referring to obvious, and blatant fraud, or other illegal actions. I mean those decisions that evoke the faintest feeling of unease or unhappiness inside us. It is these issues (categorized as grey areas) that demand of us an ethical assessment of the situation.

This way we can know what the right decision ought to be. It is here that the Payroll professional’s job comes to the fore. We are called to provide up-front ethical leadership. To serve as a litmus test on borderline, grey areas.

 

Legally right, or morally right

A decision that is legal, is not necessarily morally right. For the Payroll professional, this is often the most demanding aspect of decision-making. Sometimes the easiest option is not the right option. And decisions like these cannot be ignored. Here we as Payroll professionals are required to stand firm, knowing that while the decision being considered might be legal, it is not morally right at all. Here we are obligated to listen to our conscience and apply the “litmus” test to help with the decision.

An example: different salaries, same position.
An excellent example that comes to mind involves discriminatory remuneration practices. Salaries for employees doing the same job often varies. Despite both employees performing the exact same set of tasks and having the same job description. They produce the same (or similar) sets of results, ….yet they earn vastly different salaries!

In this case, although this may not be an illegal practice (based on the breach of some or other labour law). However, it certainly does constitute a morally reprehensible practice (based on the simple argument of moral ethics). This, and many other examples, are the kinds of questions that all Payroll administrators would do well to regularly ponder on and/or raise with their superiors.

The primary, overriding question

What ought we, the payroll professional, to be doing about this?

Here are some suggestions:

  • Gather all relevant data to support your argument towards making a morally astute decision.
  • Seek to engage with your line manager in a private meeting. Do not openly dispute the merits of the issue or contest the decision with an audience.
  • By carefully explaining the underlying rationale and showing the reasons you think a particular issue is morally and/or ethically challenging, you can calmly state your case.
  • Be ready to clearly present an alternative, suitable solution that you believe to be the right decision.
  • Expect, with positive intention, to receive a revised final outcome that (fairly) takes your positive contribution into account.

Payroll professionals as the litmus test

Remember that in these types of situations, management is well within its right to insist upon only that which is legal as the basis for decisions. The job, however, of all proud Payroll professionals, is to be the moral compass, pointing management in the right ethical direction. To make our voices heard, calmy and rationally.

The Payroll professional is the litmus test representing the values of an organisation. We are called to be brave and ethical, speaking out when necessary. Building on our reputation as the moral compass.

Coming next… A summary of the many hats worn by the Payroll professional

– Provided by Ian Hurst –

Helpdesk Tips

How to download the Statistics SA report

The Statistics SA report from Paymaster provides a report in the format required by Statistics SA that is submitted quarterly. The statistics provides data essential for estimating key economic statistics of employment and gross earnings. These economic data are used by a wide range of private and governmental organisations to monitor South Africa’s Economy. Click below for directions on how to download the Stats SA report.

 


How to download the Stats SA report

Please call our Helpdesk for your queries –
021 712 7333 help@paymaster.co.za or
WhatsApp us – 081 711 1276

UIF Declaration error fix

Code 8270

Paymaster automatically generates the UIF Declaration File on the 7th of each month and sends the file to the Department of Labour on the customer’s behalf. Sometimes one receives a UIF error message which can be fixed on the system. The UIF Declaration File can be resent to the Department of Labour by regenerating the file on the system. Click below to see instructions on this particular error message.

 


How to fix UIF declaration error code: 8270

Staff Bio

Meet Abigail Bester

Please meet the friendly and engaging Abigail Bester, a fairly new employee to Paymaster. Abigail processes payrolls for about 13 clients at Paymaster and is a junior payroll administrator. She is a member of team Dynamic energy and reports to Nafeesa, the office manager. Apart from her payroll duties, she is also a helpdesk agent to assist clients with any payroll related queries. She feels most at home when she listens to music. She loves singing and was even part of a choir once.

Abigail attended Sibelius High School, Steenberg in Cape Town, and went on to study Accounting at UWC, and Financial Management at False Bay College (up to N6). She is determined to complete the 3 years of her 4 year degree in the near future. She went on to work for numerous call centres, processing loans and assisting customers with their loan applications for 2 years. False Bay College facilitated her first intern job as a junior accountant for 2 years. After the covid pandemic period, Abigail found another job at a property management company, working as a bookkeeper for a year. She enjoyed this job as it was in the field that she is studying. But due to complications, she had to leave and, fortunately for Paymaster, found the Paymaster vacancy on social media.

Abigail summed up her personality as trustworthy, helpful, caring, introverted and shy. She explained, she’s an empathetic person as she knows how it feels to be alone. The lovely Abigail is a good fit for the Paymaster team. She is friendly and humble, and we know we can depend on her professionalism and passion for the field of finance.

Abigail Bio

New Product Features

New enhancements

Happy New year and welcome back!

Medical Aid Rates – 2023

We are pleased to inform you that the Medical Aid tables for 2023 have been updated on our system. However, if you have any medical aid rates that have not been updated, please email help@paymaster.co.za for assistance.

The below medical aid premiums have been updated effective 1 January 2023:

[read more] Best Med,
Bonitas,
CAMAF,
Cape Medical Aid,
Genesis,
Healthsquared,
Imperial and Motus Medical Aid,
Medihelp,
MediMed,
Medshield,
Moto Health Care,
Platinum Health,
Remedi,
SAB Medical,
Suremed,
ThebeMed,
Umvuzo Health,
Zestlife,
Health 4Me Health,
Stratum Benefits Gap Cover,
Turnberry Insurance Group,
Zestlife,
Liberty Health (Lesotho),
Mauritius Union Insurance Medical Aid,
Liberty Health Lesotho,
Namibia Health Plan (NHP),
Namibia Medical Care (NMC)[/read]

Annual Increases

As we approach the time of year when many of you process annual increases, we remind you to follow these guidelines when capturing the increases:

Do not override the existing employee pay rate record.
Create a new pay rate record.
Increases can be captured via Employee > Payroll Processing > Pay Rate Details
Or using Bulk Actions > Action Type: Pay Rate Details

Company Cars

For those of you whose employees make use of company cars, we encourage you to update the following fields when changing vehicles:

Employee > Payroll Processing > Recurring Payroll Components > Fringe Benefits > Company Car Fringe Benefit

The ‘Determined Car Value Excluding Vat’ must be updated with the new vehicle’s value to ensure that the Fringe Benefit calculates correctly.


Leave

On Company Settings under the Leave tab, there has been an update to the below setting. When enabled, an email notification will be sent to Employee Self Service Users notifying them that leave will expire in the number of days specified.

There has been an update to the below Leave settings on Company Settings under the Leave tab. When enabled, an email notification will be sent to Employee Self Service Users notifying them that leave will expire in the number of days specified.

Config > Basic Settings > Company Settings > Leave

Please refer to ‘What’s New’ for more details.

Company Financial Statements

You can view and export your Company Financial Statement on the system by navigating to Config > Financial > Invoices and Receipts.

Any issues can be directed to help@paymaster.co.za

Pacey

With WhatsApp

Our employee self-service bot that will assist you with your payroll and HR requests.


Pacey uses interactive WhatsApp messages, giving users a more straightforward and consistent way to select the options available, resulting in significantly higher response rates than text-based (USSD) lists.

 


Contact us if you want Pacey for your employees…

For more info or to request a quote

Easy and secure registration. Employees can register themselves.

Partnerships

Our partnership with Floatpays and Biosyn is another way that Paymaster endeavors to deliver greater value to our clients.

Your employees have most probably just experienced ‘Januworry’ – a time when financial stress often peaks. Financial stress is bad for your staff and your bottom line!

Now is the perfect time to be reminded of what employees find useful in helping them reduce their financial stress. Research conducted by our earned wage access partner, FloatPays provides some insight:

Reduce financial stress

FloatPays can help you support your employees in building financial wellness
and avoiding future ‘Januworries’.

If you like what you hear and want to get your employees on the path towards financial wellness, get in touch.

As a Paymaster partner, Floatpays is already integrated into the Paymaster payroll system, so set-up is quick and easy! Get in touch with Glen Coburn at glen@paymaster.co.za, +27836791311, to book a free DEMO.


Book a DEMO here

Partnerships

continue…

Paymaster is partnering with BioSyn, to bring you the latest, and best, in Time and Attendance Systems.

A versatile clock-in system tailored to your company’s specific requirements. Access control that boosts your bottom-line, we offer excellent support, and in-depth training.

Be pro-active, and rather than policing your employees, this Time and Attendance system helps you monitor them from a unique perspective.

To find out more or for a free consultation,

contact Glen Coburn at glen@paymaster.co.za, or call +27 836791311.

Paymaster Updates

Welcome to the payroll news updates! Here, you will find the latest updates and information on all things payroll. We’ve got you covered from employee payroll and payroll tax to payroll management and payroll software.

You’ll find the weekly and Africa updates and resources to help you stay informed and on top of your payroll responsibilities and legislative changes you should know.


Weekly updates

February

  • Employee Tax Drilldown | New fields added to Excel download
  • Standard payslip | ID number masked on non-confidential header
  • South Africa | Frequency Consolidation of Tax Submission File


Africa updates

February

  • Zambia NAPSA Ceiling Update
  • Zambia Tax Table Changes 2023
  • Ivory Coast CNPS Ceiling Increase
  • Ghana – SNNIT minimum and maximum contributions
  • Namibia – Tax Changes 2022-2023 tax deduction limit increase

Paymaster Announcement


Welcome to our “Free Payroll Knowledge” webinar series! We understand that payroll can be a complex and challenging task for small businesses, which is why we want to help. We’re excited to announce that our webinars will take place twice a month, every Wednesday at 10:00-10:30. The series will be an open discussion format, you ask any payroll question, we have the answer.

We will be announcing the details of each webinar on our social media channels, so be sure to follow us to stay updated. You can join the webinar using the link we will provide.


Facebook


Linkedin

Closed

  • Wednesday
  • 1 February 
  • 10:00

Schedule the next webinar

  • Wednesday
  • 15 February 
  • 10:00

Who is this webinar for?

For payroll professionals increasing their skill base, or those new to this function. Or maybe you’re exploring Paymaster as a payroll option….this Webinar is aimed at all of you.

Click here to go to the previous Newsletter


– Monthly newsletter curated by Lezé Felton –

Please sign-up or invite someone to our Newsletters here to keep up-to-date

👉 Go check out our website- https://www.paymaster.co.za/ 👈


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