Teryl @ Work

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. ...

What are the risks in a payroll department?   There are many variations of the three below, but it all comes down to them. Fraud Error Confidentiality Good processes and governance go a long way to preventing all of them, and, of course, the positive effect of getting it right the first time, is so much better than having to constantly correct problems.   Payroll errors have a very negative impact on morale. Fraud    From ghost employees to duplicate bank accounts, payroll fraud is wide ranging and yet we are frequently told that payroll administrators manage the full process from data entry to EFT without anybody else checking the output.   While it is clearly not good governance, it is also quite simply putting temptation on the table. Another concern is that there are many repeat offenders out there, protected by the employer who chooses to not take action, and by the companies who do not insist on full background checks when hiring into such a s...

+Accsys (PTY) Ltd  held our 4th Annual Payroll Diploma Graduation last week, both in Sandton and East London.  Our top graduate is from Port Elizabeth.  Congratulations to her, as well as to all our graduates, nationally. Adult learners face many difficulties and challenges, not least because most are both studying and working full time.   Life long learning was a discussion point in the speeches at the event, as well as in the discussions around the great food.   The feedback was wonderful, and the atmosphere was positive and uplifting. The Graduates! Just as exciting was how many of our graduates were delighted to hear there is a next step and that they can shortly work towards a B. Com Degree at The Da Vinci Institute with Payroll Administration as one of their majors.     As the degree is going to be offered via eLearning too, it opens it up nationally and internationally, As part of our focus on life long learning, in interviews we alw...