Best payroll practices: Integration and streamlining
We came across a very useful article on payroll best practices, and wanted to share it with you – with updates.
According to Business Finance magazine, there are six important best-practice points to remember when aiming for the most efficient and accurate payroll process.
1. Integrate payroll with other systems and migrate to the Web.
Great advice, which is why it’s so important to choose a time and attendance tool that works with your existing or new payroll applications. We understand that today’s marketplace requires flexibility, and that’s why iEmployee has built an integration platform that allows you to choose and change providers as needed. See the full list of payroll providers we integrate with here.
2. Customize pay delivery for various employee segments.
Whether you cut checks, use direct deposit or issue payroll debit cards, you can allow your employees access to their own paystubs. With iEmployee Online Paystubs, you can easily and affordably transition to a 100% paperless solution and make paystubs available online to your employees. Learn more here.
3. Understand your culture and develop strategies to fuel adoption.
You can’t force employees to adapt to your pay system, and “success usually involves pursuing a variety of strategies” anyway, according to the article.
Again, iEmployee offers a variety of inputs for time and attendance - traditional punch clocks, online time entry and even IVR – and works well with whatever pay systems you implement.
4. Consolidate payroll processing and minimize pay cycles.
Whether you choose a biweekly, a monthly or other pay cycle, we work with you to customize iEmployee tools to your needs. It’s important for use to understand your payroll processes, and implementing iEmployee tools is a great opportunity for you to reconsider your pay cycles.
5. Outsource when appropriate.
If you’re completely overwhelmed and unable to optimize for efficiencies, it may be time to turn to an outside vendor to handle your payroll – even if it’s just for data entry.
6. Build effective reporting and analytics into payroll systems.
One of the benefits of an online payroll tool is that all data you see as an administrator is in real time. Assess PTO and eliminate buddy punching with a more transparent system that keeps employees honest and helps you identify ways to streamline payroll. And with iEmployee, you can even download reports to .csv or Excel to view it all at a glance.
Add comment February 16, 2010
We’re starting 2010 with improvements to our time and attendance tools
We’re back and better than ever! In fact, if you hadn’t heard, there’s a lot of “new” going on at iEmployee.
We’re really excited about our latest Winter Release, which features a brand new user interface and increased functionality. You can read more about the Winter Release on this official page, but here’s what it’s all about:
1. When you log on, the first thing you’ll notice is the new look-and-feel of the page. Clean, huh?
2. We’ve updated our design and improved navigation by introducing a global navigation bar across the top so that you can always access the functions you use the most. Take a look at this new Time Off Calendar page. It’s a little fuzzy but you can see it has a new navigation across the top and a nice, clean look.
3. Probably the best part about the Winter Release of our time and attendance application is that you don’t really have to do anything at all to start enjoying all the updated. Because it’s a hosted solution, the new release of iEmployee will be made available to you automatically during a scheduled maintenance window. The enhancements to iClock Advanced and Accruals don’t require any configuration or change management. Flexible Pay Schedules is a new feature set that can be configured by your Administrator, and we’re excited for you to learn more about that.
In fact, there are lot of ways to explore the new iEmployee time and attendance tools. For better screenshots, try this short slideshow. You might even take a quick walk-around with our new demo. Or browse our list of FAQs.
1 comment January 5, 2010
And now… cross-browser compatibility!
So far, so good!
Our recent Winter Release of the iEmployee Time & Attendance tools went very smoothly. Customers seem pleased, there are very few bugs, and the development, QA, and support teams even celebrated a little (after working through the night to make the upgrade and then verify functionality).
One thing we didn’t mention in a previous post, though, which is very big news for iEmployee is that it is now “cross-browser compatible.”
With this new release, iEmployee will now support Chrome, Firefox and Safari Web browsers in addition to Internet Explorer. This cross-browser compatibility allows both PC and Mac users to take advantage of iEmployee’s Time and Attendance application.
Says Mike Galyen, vice president of products & services, “Cross-browser compatibility is not common for many Web applications, but as more companies begin to adopt more diverse platforms, we recognized it was important for us to support them.”
See our recent press release or learn more about it here.
1 comment December 10, 2009
Yes, children can harm your career.
Of course they can. But there are obvious rebuttals, the most obvious being, “What’s the alternative? Do we think it’s better for our careers to harm our children?”
A recent survey conducted in the United Kingdom that finds that the more generous a company/country is with maternity leave, the less likely that company/country is to have women in managerial roles.
(In the U.K.) one in three women (39 per cent) said they found going back to work after having a baby ‘difficult’ or ‘very difficult’, with 31 per cent saying their relationship with their boss had deteriorated since they had become pregnant.
This is what all those women’s magazines are talking about when they talk about balance. The one thing they leave out, though, is that it’s almost impossible to achieve. But a human resources professional is supposed to avert these kinds of disasters… and violations. After all, maternity leave is more than just a payroll headache, right?
What do you think? Read more about the survey here: http://www.nctpregnancyandbabycare.com/press-office/press-releases/view/184
Add comment December 7, 2009
Coming soon: Even better time and attendance software
We’ve been in the automated time and attendance business for more than 10 years. And while that’s a long time, right now is the best time for iEmployee.
That’s because we have a renewed commitment to bringing you the most reliable, accurate, and best time and attendance solution available today.
Okay, companies say this all the time. But you’re about to see what we’re talking about next week.
On the night of December 9, we’ll shut down iEmployee for a couple of hours so that our programmers can make a few very important changes to our time and attendance tools. When you log in on December 10, you’ll notice a few slight changes to how iEmployee looks. But you’ll also notice a few key functionalities are better than ever.
(That’s the beauty of Web-based software. It’s like little elves come in and upgrade your software overnight – no IT staff needed. All you see is the best iEmployee version out there!)
The biggest change is that fantastic “global navigation” toolbar at the top of the screen. We’ve added this to every page so you can navigate the entire software from those selections.
There are other changes, too, and you can learn more about them on our special 2009 Winter Release webpage. On this webpage you’ll also be able to review the following:
- A list of FAQs about the changes
- A downloadable Word document you can use to send to employees and managers so they’ll know what’s going on when they log on
- A 3-minute demo that walks you through some of the changes.
SCROLL TO THE BOTTOM OF THE PAGE TO GET TO THESE LINKS
Of course, if you have any other questions, feel free to contact you support representative.
And here’s the best part: We want you to tell us what you think!
Seriously. Do you love it, hate it? What else can we improve? We’re committed to helping you have easier payroll days, and we can’t do it without your feedback.
Talk to your support representative or comment on this post, below.
We can’t wait to hear from you!
Add comment December 1, 2009
Hello, Texas Payroll Conference in San Antonio!
Greetings from San Antonio, Texas!
We’re at the Texas Payroll Conference 2009 in San Antonio, having a great time at Booth #28.
One of the best things about the Texas Payroll Conference is that we’re Texans, too. iEmployee is based in Austin, so we’re just a short drive up the road. We’re proud to have so many of our clients in Texas, and it’s fun to meet you all in person, shake hands, and talk payroll.
Lots of you have stopped by the booth already to say hi and learn a little about our time and attendance solution, which is fantastic because we know you’re busy in between sessions. If you only have a minute, here are the top three things you should know about iEmployee:
1. It’s Web based. That means no software to install, no IT department needed, no upgrades to worry about. Plus employees, managers and payroll administrators can access it from any computer at any time. Simple.
2. We customize it for you. Whether you have one office or several offices, whether each employee works for one client or several, whether you pay weekly, monthly… you get it. We learn about your business and how you do payroll, and we create iEmployee for you.
3. It’s the fastest way to eliminate the headache that can be payroll. Imagine … no more paper , no more entering data in Excel, no more wondering if an employee is coming into overtime. With iEmployee, all this information is automated and self-service. Entering time sheets, approving them, making payroll off of them is all done with a click.
We hope you’ll stop by the booth and ask us some questions. Or you can contact us at anytime here.
Add comment September 17, 2009
National Payroll Week, Sept 7-11!
It’s National Payroll Week 2009! Not sure what it is?
Here’s what it’s not: A week during which anyone who processes payroll can take a vacation. Too bad.
Here’s what it is: The American Payroll Association’s campaign to educate 156 million wager earners about their paychecks and celebrate the payroll professionals who pay them.
The website is a great resource for learning about how to get the most of their paycheck with savings, retirement planning, managing child support payments, and other deductions. There are also (ahem!) a number of ideas for celebrating that special payroll professional in your life.
If you’re doing something to celebrate National Payroll Week, please share.We especially want to hear from our iEmployee customers. How has automated time and attendance made payroll easier for you? That’s worth celebrating!
PS: Don’t forget to join us on our new Facebook page! We want to build a community of payroll pros – and the people who love them – so we can share/commiserate about the highs and lows of processing payroll.
We’ve been following lots of you out there on Twitter – you’re hilarious! I hope we can get together online and learn a little more about each other. (http://twitter.com/iemployee
Add comment September 8, 2009
Walmart employees to receive check cards, not paychecks
The news today that Walmart would issue payroll cards for employees not on direct deposit – as opposed to checks and stubs – struck us as innovative… at first. Then a million questions came into our heads.
I spoke to Jeff Vogt, FPC, iEmployee Product Specialist about the postives and negatives of this move.
“Obviously this is going to save them a lot of money,” said Vogt. ”From an employer perspective, you setup direct deposit to payroll cards the same way you handle traditional direct deposit to a checking account.”
According to the American Payroll Association, about 30 percent of the U.S. population in unbanked. That means they’re more likely to cash their paychecks, pay a fee, then carry around a dangerous amount of cash.
Payroll cards eliminate many of these problems, says Vogt. So there are definitely upsides for employees, too.
But what would be a downside to using payroll cards? “Change,” says Vogt.
“I remember when people were nervous about direct deposit. Employees just really want to see that check. So I imagine it would be difficult to break employees of the habit of expecting a paper check or stub.”
Here’s more data from the American Payroll Association:
- As much as 30% of the U.S. population does not have a bank account
- More than four million paychecks are lost or stolen each year
- Lost paycheck replacement costs are estimated to be $48 million annually
- Companies can save up to $1.25 per payment using electronic disbursement instead of checks
- The chance of having a problem with a check is 20 times greater than with direct deposit
- Studies show that employees may spend the equivalent of three work days each year going to the bank
If you’re considering using a payroll card system, here is an overview of guidelines for choosing a vendor. (For the complete list, go to ConsumersUnion.org.)
1. Don’t use a payroll card vendor unless you know it is financially sound.
2. Use your contract with the issuer to require consumer protection equal to bank debit cards.
3. Pay the monthly fee or negotiate a contract with the issuer that there will be no monthly fee.
4. Identify and restrict the fees to employees in your contract with the issuer.
5. Check whether the card gives your employees money management choices, such as a direct debit to pay regular bills, or a direct transfer every month into a savings account.
6. Can the account be overdrawn, and if so, what happens?
7. Give employees a choice.
8. Require protections for your employees’ financial information in the payroll card contract.
9. Make the payroll card a first step toward improved financial stability for your employees.
10. Choose a payroll card that does not encourage your employees to borrow from future paychecks.
11. Will your employees be able to receive all card information, and telephone customer service, in a primary language other than English?
Add comment September 3, 2009
Compare and contrast time & attendance tools
One of the best services the American Payroll Association offers its members is its annual buyer’s guides. These aren’t rankings or reviews, rather they’re charts denoting the platforms, features and other elements of dozens of products side-by-side so you can compare and contrast. It’s a great place to start if you’re shopping for payroll solutions.
In case you missed it, the 2009 Time & Attendance Buyer’s Guide is available. You can download it here: http://www.americanpayroll.org/pdfs/pto/bg_0901.pdf
If you take a look at the iEmployee entry, you’ll see we offer one of the most comprehensive solutions for time and attendance. But what this chart doesn’t show are things like ease of implementation or excellent customer service. We know those are important considerations, too, and we’d love to tell you more about it.
Add comment August 25, 2009
Great to hear from happy customers
We just got off the phone with a new customer from Texas who raved about the implementation experience with iEmployee’s time and attendance product.
She puts together a very complicated payroll with multiple divisions and multiple clients, and as a result, multiple types of timesheets. When she signed up for iEmployee she was sure she would overwhelm our implementation team.
And yet, she said, our team was “totally professional, totally attentive,” taking in the entire history of her company and setting up iEmployee to perfectly accommodate their needs.
Of course, this story makes us proud. We realize there are many time and attendance solutions out there, so we try to differentiate ourselves through service. It’s good to hear directly from our customers that this strategy is working.
Add comment August 6, 2009
