Teryl @ Work

I have been in Payroll a long time, as a developer, a supplier of software and a user, and this is only the second (as far as I know) National Payroll Week we have had in South Africa, so there are definitely thoughts arising: Will holding a National  Payroll Week raise awareness? Should we do it again next year, and how should it be publicised? The discussions over the past week have shown some main areas of interest: Formal qualifications Security of data in payroll departments Data Analytics / Business Intelligence Employee Self Service and Mobile Formal Qualifications Not everybody I spoke to realised that Recognition for Prior Learning (RPL) is available for payroll administrators who have deep experience. There were also concerns expressed by people who have never studied at a tertiary level whether they would cope with the material.   Years of adult training have shown that people undervalue the level of knowledge they have gained in the workpla...

Still in National Payroll Week, there is a lot happening in South Africa that affects Payroll Administrators.    Cathie Webb and I talked about the issues around Retirement Reform. Both the Payroll Author’s Group (PAG) and South African Payroll Association (SAPA) have held information sessions on the topic, and Cathie has found that not everyone is aware that the 1 st March 2015 heralds a change in the way in which our retirement funds are dealt with ·          by our employers while we are working, ·          by government (department of finance) once we retire. The change is said to be because of the South African culture of not saving for retirement adequately, which is creating increasing pressure on government to care for us post-retirement. These changes were announced in 2013. While the impact may not be great on all employers, it is worth determining the impact, if...

National Payroll Week has focused +Accsys (Pty) Ltd   on all things payroll. I sat down to talk to Cathie Webb, our Chief Operations Officer, who is a director of South African Payroll Association (SAPA), as well as on the executive of the Payroll Author’s Group (PAG). Having published articles and blogs on the Employment Tax Incentive (ETI) bill last year, I thought it would be a good idea to discuss this with Cathie. She confirms that, in late 2013 when the Minister of Finance approved the ETI Bill, it was designed to encourage business to employ youth, and to supplement the pool of employable and skilled workers available in South Africa. Cathie says “The ETI allows business to reduce their PAYE burden according to a formula which incentivises employment of people earning under R6000 per month.  According to SARS, in the first month of implementation, 56 000 new jobs were created*”. “As this number may include interns, who would have formed pa...

In the past, careers in payroll were not planned.   We believe that is starting to change. Formal education and training for payroll professionals has been a dream since I first managed a help desk back in the early 90s.   We were constantly dealing with operators and administrators who were perfectly proficient in the software they were using, but did not have a broader picture. About 7 or 8 years, we started a Saturday morning Payroll Diploma class, but we quickly saw that our students were struggling to give up family time. Cathie Webb (@CatiWeb), our Chief Operations Officer, decided to investigate eLearning. We spent a very interesting day with a group of government education specialists hearing all about the potential and came away with a way forward.  Of course, Cathie and her team have spent long hours over the years developing, fine tuning, liaising with SETAs, SAQA, SARS and SGBs and generally ensuring that the course is aligned with both the law and edu...

It is National Payroll Week, and choosing Payroll as a career has to be top of mind. From way back in the day when I wrote my first wages and salaries solution as a junior programmer, I never met a person who went into payroll as their career of choice (and we are talking the 70s.) But, hooray, it is starting to change. With the advent of formal qualifications in payroll, young people are starting to see a career in payroll as an option. Payroll people often talk of themselves as the Cinderellas of the business - stuck in a back office, with the oldest computers, piles of historical data that nobody has time to file, and ignored until something goes wrong... Today, green offices are becoming a reality, Employee Self Service (ESS) is getting rid of literally tons and tons of paper and real business intelligence about employees through data analytics is possible in both small and large businesses. Reporting on possible outcomes and future trends, instead of simply what has al...

I am really pleased about this wonderful initiative from South African Payroll Association to recognise the contribution of payroll people over the years.   While the formal recognition is limited to SAPA members, it would be great if we took the time to remember who mentored and taught us all about payroll, in the days before a professional qualification was available. This special week celebrates important aspects to each of us who are passionate about payroll. From the economic, cultural and social achievements of workers, to the significance of "an honest day's work for an honest day's pay," National Payroll Week is a celebration on many levels. To celebrate this important week we want to honour our loyal heroes of the payroll family. We call on you to remember your Hero in Payroll who had a fundamental impact on your career and inspired you to Payroll greatness. ...