Showtex

A Testimonial To Our Services

“HR Pay Solutions helped increase overall productivity by up to 24%”

Showtex Australia is a branch of Showtex Belgium and is a worldwide leader in inventing, manufacturing, selling, and installing the most innovative flame-retardant curtain fabrics, tracks, and motion control systems for achieving the creative vision of event and entertainment professionals.

Alan Scoley is the managing director here at Showtex Australia managing operations. He required a service that can manage his entire employee life cycle. “One of the reasons that we wanted something like HR Pay Solutions was to be have a company that can manage Showtex Australia’s time and attendance, payroll and HR requirements without the need to go to separate providers”, Says Alan. “We wanted a one stop shop”.

The Benefits

Accurate facial recognition time & attendance package

According to Alan, one of the main benefits of outsourcing to HR Pay Solutions was the ability to save time spent on Payroll and Human Resources to gain more efficient use of our existing management resources. We also needed to ensure Showtex Australia was compliant and in line with its Global requirements. Even though Alan did not take care of the payroll himself, he still noticed the many benefits of outsourcing payroll to HR Pay Solutions.

“The implementation was simple and straightforward – a number of forms were completed and employee details provided. It was a breeze,” explains Alan.

Great Service

Alan explains that the solution provided by HR Pay Solutions has assisted with Showtex Australia with error reduction, time savings and cost cutting. Through HR Pay Solution’s software and services, ShowTex is able to ensure they their compliance requirements while increasing productivity.

Alan believes the service his business receives from HR Pay Solutions is the reason for the strong relationship between the two companies. “I always get very personal service. My consultant always processes my payroll on time and accurately. The communication between Showtex Australia and HR Pay Solutions is very good and that’s important.”

“Furthermore we can review individual productivity with a quick comparison between individual labour costs and sales.” Alan suggests HR Pay Solutions also aids in keeping Showtex employees happy. “Staff are more confident about an external specialist doing the calculations. HR Pay Solutions also understand our confidentiality and security requirements, down to the way the payslips are provided.”

How we can help

HR and Payroll Experts Working As An Extension Of Your Business

We believe that Outsource providers and in-house payroll representatives should understand how payroll works and calculations are made to therefore ensure accurate input of data and compliance is achieved. HR Pay Solutions has worked with a wide array of Australian businesses across many industries and helped them achieve operational excellence and compliance. We are a Government licensed Payroll provider and our staff possess over 15 years in this field with the “know how” to deal with your requirements.

We provide our customers with a platform and services to mitigate compliance risk, deliver business insight and gain operational efficiencies. From software to outsourcing solutions, organisations of all sizes can take advantage of HR Pay Solutions deep expertise to free their team resources and help them focus on driving greater business results.

Information provided in this blog is not legal advice and should not be relied upon.

Yorgum

A Testimonial To Our Services

Yorgum Aboriginal Corporation is an Aboriginal Community Controlled, not for profit organisation providing community-based healing, counselling, support and referral services to all Indigenous people based in Perth . Yorgum’s vision is to provide a nurturing and safe place that promotes the strength and resilience of Aboriginal people through culturally appropriate healing.

Seamlessly manage multiple locations all from one platform

Dion Storey, Corporate Services Manager at Yorgum Aboriginal Corporation, has been with Yorgum for over three years and is responsible for the management of Human Resources and other business functions. With over 4 locations across WA, Yorgum Aboriginal Corporation possesses a high-functioning team, working with the public sector to provide culturally secure, trauma-informed services.

“Yorgum is in the not-for profit sector and we need to ensure our staff are able to effectively assist their clients,” Dion explains. “One of the reasons Yorgum required something like HR Pay Solutions was to be able to better manage our HR and Payroll Processes accurately and efficiently”, explains Dion.

What Payroll Solution was Used Previously

Yorgum Aboriginal Corporation migrated to HR Pay Solutions in May 2019. Previously, the payroll was completed internally via MYOB Account Right Live and a separate time and attendance system. The main issue with this was the time required by Yorgum staff to manage time and attendance and process the payroll.

HR Pay Solutions provided Yorgum with one software that manages onboarding, time and attendance, payroll and human resources.

Why The Switch

Yorgum Aboriginal Corporation underwent a rigorous process when evaluating their payroll options with three key assessment criteria:

Efficient labour and cost centre management

1. Ability to cost labour directly to jobs and cost centres within Yorgum

2. A system that would integrate as seamlessly as possible to the general ledger format used with Yorgum’s internal accounting system

3. Good value for money (considering the initial and recurring costs associated with the solution)

The Benefits

Savings in time – “We have saved over 3 hours a week on HR and Payroll related tasks,” Dion says.

Error reduction – Dion explains that the solution provided by HR Pay Solutions has assisted with Yorgum error reduction. “Yorgum has a complicated Industrial Relations systems and HR Pay Solutions is able to deliver. Through their software and services, Yorgum is able to ensure they meet their compliance requirements”.

A system working seamlessly with your business

Increased employee satisfaction – Dion says that, “The HR Pay Solution’s app and the Employee Self-Service (ESS) function has been well received by all Yorgum employees. They can see what leave they have owed and so on. Staff can jump in at any point in time. I think staff find it much easier to plan their leave when they know how much they can apply for. They can look at the calendar as they go.”

Ease of use – “I think most people find the HR Pay Solutions software easy to use. Yorgum Staff can go into the app and have a look at their own payslips and leave balances online.”

Reporting – Being able to see electronic HR document acknowledgement, leave reports and the like is really handy,” Dion says. Dion explains that “the HR Pay Solutions system provides advanced reporting that has actually improved how Yorgum manages costs and staff”.

Onboarding – Dion commented that, “the onboarding process is great, and employees have further commented that the HR Pay Solutions process is responsive, informative and easy”.

Compliance – “HR Pay Solution’s Human Resource services has assisted with legislative compliance requirements, specifically in relation to employment contracts, policies and procedures,” Dion explains.

How we can help

HR and Payroll Experts Working As An Extension Of Your Business

We believe that Outsource providers and in-house payroll representatives should understand how payroll works and calculations are made to therefore ensure accurate input of data and compliance is achieved. HR Pay Solutions has worked with a wide array of Australian businesses across many industries and helped them achieve operational excellence and compliance. We are a Government licensed Payroll provider and our staff possess over 15 years in this field with the “know how” to deal with your requirements.

We provide our customers with a platform and services to mitigate compliance risk, deliver business insight and gain operational efficiencies. From software to outsourcing solutions, organisations of all sizes can take advantage of HR Pay Solutions deep expertise to free their team resources and help them focus on driving greater business results.

Information provided in this blog is not legal advice and should not be relied upon.

The importance of paying employees correctly!

Sun glass hut to back pay part time staff 2.3 million

Bunnings underpaid staff super for almost 10 years

Ensure your business

pays correclty

If you run a business, you have to pay your employees and ensure it is done correctly. It’s that simple. Your payroll staff are human, so mistakes are likely to occur from time to time. However, habitual errors may foster mistrust in your employees and cause them to file a complaint against your business with the ATO and the Fair Work Commission.

Under Federal and State Laws, you must compensate your employees by the established payday and as per legal requirements, so if you make payroll errors, resolve them promptly and effectively. For best results, employ knowledgeable and reliable Government Licensed payroll companies and use up to date and accurate software to process payroll, super and meet Government reporting obligations.

How you decide to pay is complicated. There are seemingly endless payroll solutions and services out there for all types of businesses. From comprehensive solutions such as outsourcing to in-house payroll software providers, it’s hard to figure out what’s right for your business. Processing payroll by yourself can be difficult, and if it’s something you’re doing for the first time, it’s crucial that you consult with an expert before you get started. The challenge with processing your own payroll comes with what you may miss – if there are deductions or tax-related issues that you file incorrectly, you can expose your business to serious liability.

What to look out for

Failure to comply

will result in fines

When managing payroll, you must record, track and monitor your company’s payroll expenses. Your system must be able to accurately track all wages and salaries paid, allowances, deductions and other requirements thus ensuring compliance is met.

Fair Work states that you must pay your employees the required minimum wage for their time worked. The modern awards are in place to ensure areas such as overtime, allowances, termination payments etc are paid correctly. Failure to compensate employees and pay applicable taxes / super according to federal and state law may lead to audits and penalties from the ATO and Fair Work.

When it comes to reporting, businesses should ensure they understand their obligations. Single Touch Payroll, Tax File Declaration, PAYG and Payroll Tax are some of the few reporting requirements businesses need to make in terms of Payroll.

HR Pay Solutions can provide your business with expert knowledge in the payroll field ensuring your business pays employees correctly. When assessing your payroll situation, we recommend the following:

• If you are aiming to manage payroll in-house, you use the right software to ensure your business is paying employees correctly.
• If you are aiming to outsource, use Government registered payroll providers who are experts in their fields.

Why do you need outsource?

Outsourcing will

ensure compliance

Not every company has the budget to hire staff as and when they need them. For any company, outsourcing can help keep costs low. With outsourcing, you only need to pay for the services you require, unlike a permanent employee, who requires payment, regardless of whether they’re constantly working or whether it’s tasks that only needs doing every so often. It makes sense that outsourcing is probably going to be a better option.

Outsourced payroll services can be relied on to maintain a consistent approach to payroll management and ensure compliance is met, while keeping costs low. In summary, outsourcing achieves three main goals:

• Frees up time and resources therefore allowing a greater focus on core business activities.
• A reduction in costs and risks.
• Gives your business access to better technology and expertise

The importance of using the right payroll system

Payroll is directly associated with employee compensation. If the system you use to process your payroll has a weakness, it could affect accuracy. Payroll involves more than simply compensating your employees for time worked, and inaccuracy may lead to severe consequences.

It’s easy to pay employees once a job is completed, however having a proper system in place mitigates risk and vastly improves your business operations.

It may sound counter-intuitive, but payroll systems aren’t just about paying employees. Payroll processing is a detailed documentation system that tracks who is working for your company, how long they’ve worked for you and how much money you’re spending on labor. Terms like “payroll processing” and “payroll system” can make this sound complicated, but it’s actually quite simple. If you work with a payroll provider, your “system” will be automatically set up through the company. If you’re on your own, you’ll have to set up your own system.

HR Pay Solutions can provide your business with a leading cloud payroll software that ensures you remain complaint with payroll practices and legal requirements. Our software is customised to your business requirements thus ensuring compliance is met.

How we can help

We believe that Outsource providers and or in-house payroll representatives should understand how payroll works, calculations are made, not only to ensure accurate input and compliance, but also so you can explain to employees how their pay is calculated.

HR Pay Solutions has worked with a wide array of Australian businesses across many industries. We are a Government licensed Payroll provider and can assist your business with all payroll services. Our staff possess over 15 years in this field and have the “know how” on how to deal your payroll requirement.

We provide our customers with a platform and services to mitigate compliance risk, deliver business insight and gain operational efficiencies. From software to outsourcing solutions, organisations of all sizes take advantage of HR Pay Solutions deep expertise to free their team resources and help them focus on driving greater business results.

Information provided in this blog is not legal advice and should not be relied upon.

Do you employ less than 19 employees?

STP is coming….Again

The new reporting requirement has now begun. As of 01 July 2019, businesses with 19 or less employees are required to report to the ATO each pay cycle.

In this article, we explore the important elements of the changes, with a focus on how to ensure your business can remain compliant.

What is single touch payroll?

 STP is

Coming….Again

Single touch payroll is also called real-time payroll reporting meaning every time a business pays their workers, all salary information is sent to the ATO. This includes wages, deductions and super information, eliminating the need for Pay-As-You-Go withholding activity statements throughout the year.

This real-time reporting is generally done through accounting software platforms such as MYOB, Xero or Quickbooks. In fact, this is so prevalent the ATO’s own explainer on the regime repeatedly advises businesses to talk to their third-party software providers.

Each pay run, also known as a “Pay Event”, must be reported every time you pay employees. Businesses must also notify the ATO of any changes to a previous pay run, also known as a “Update Event”.

Reporting is conducted from our Single Touch Payroll (STP) enabled payroll software. This was first introduced in July 2019 for businesses with 20 or more employees

What can’t be reported?

 Be Specific

There are some payments that can’t be reported via the STP. It includes the payments that are not paid in the payroll process. Also, if the payments were made to those that aren’t employees, you don’t have to include it in your STP.

For instance, payments that were made on investment funds or purchases that are considered taxable. For these things, businesses will still be required to provide payment summaries as well as an annual report to the Commissioner for these types of payments.

You also can’t include those that are not considered withholding payment even if it is made via the payroll software.

Why is this happenning?

Firstly, it’s a much more efficient way to run the taxation system, which means it costs taxpayers less.

It also makes black economy activity harder — at least in theory — because the ATO has a better idea of who is being paid what, and when. For businesses, STP reporting can make things easier and more efficient, particularly if the process becomes automated to a degree.

There’s no shortage of concerns about the extension of STP reporting to smaller employers. Worries range from businesses not being aware of the changes to micro-employers (four or fewer workers) not having digital payroll software or access to reliable internet (more on that below).

What is the scale of this change?

 45,000 Businesses

Currently Reporting

The ATO has said about 730,000 businesses will need to start doing STP reporting under the changes. To put that in perspective, there are about 45,000 businesses currently doing STP reporting after it became a requirement for businesses with more than 20 workers in July 2018.

About 15,000 businesses with less than 19 workers are already using STP. This means the ATO will need to increase the size of the STP regime tenfold, an undertaking described by BDO partner Brian Greenacre as a big job.

It’s the biggest compliance undertaking since the GST.

How will it work?

For businesses with digital payroll software, enabling STP reporting can be as easy as a few clicks. For those without it, the ATO has said it won’t be forcing anyone to get it, although they have strongly implied businesses should.

Businesses without digital software will need to comply with the new regime through business activity statement filings, submitted to the ATO. Compliance requirements are increasing and such a change will be a “big step” for many small businesses which don’t have digitised payroll systems.

We encourage businesses to get ahead of the curve and sign up for STP before any legislation passes.

How can HR Pay Solutions help?

HR Pay Solutions is a Licensed Payroll Provider that provides businesses with Employment life-cycle services spanning Payroll advice & outsourcing, Human Resources advice & outsourcing as well as Safety documentation all through our cloud based customised software solution.

Through our software “HRPAY”, you can report your STP directly to the ATO. Our software integrates directly into leading accounting platforms such as MYOB and Xero. Our software is also capable of other payroll and HR capabilities such as time and attendance, onboarding, tax file declarations, documentation and much more.

Set up?

Set up is easy! Simply notify the ATO and link the software with them via the Software ID or let us do it for you. Once ready, the reporting capabilities will be available for every pay run and the information will be filed directly with the ATO.

• Single Touch electronically reporting directly through to the ATO
• Report each “pay event” and provide the ATO with an “update event” for any changes made to past pay events
• Electronically upload Tax File Declaration forms
• Review and update details such as ABN, addresses, business Tax File number and more!
• Review and update employee details including date of birth tax file numbers and addresses
• You can also outsource directly with us and we will ensure your business meets its reporting requirements

Information provided in this blog is not legal advice and should not be relied upon.

The Employment Relationship

Consider these points the next time you create an Employment Contract

The relationship between employee and employer is a complex and vital element to any employment arrangement. To manage this, most businesses attempt to cement the terms of the employment arrangement in a single document known as the Employment Contract however employers may go wrong if they don’t mention the important elements of an employment arrangement, such as location of work, duties of the parties and, critically, termination of employment. Such elements, if not mentioned, can be essential to the function and eventual termination of the employment relationship.

In this article, we explore the important elements of the employment contract, with a focus on the termination clause.

National Employment Standards

 Regularly review

Legislative Changes

As a general rule of thumb, the employment contract must not and cannot provide less than what is set out in National Employment Standards (NES) and any applicable Award. These legislative terms and instruments are designed to protect employees and ensure that everyone is paid at least the minimum wage.

Other industrial instruments such as Workplace Health and Safety legislation and Discrimination legislation will also apply to your employment relationship.  Any employment contract that does not comply, or attempts to circumvent legislation, will be rendered void and possibly give rise to criminal and personal penalties.

Remuneration

 Be Specific

The employment contract should not only confirm wages, but should clearly define whether wages include bonuses, commission, overtime hours, penalty hours and/or any other payment made such as incentives and employee expenses

Straight forward annual or hourly contracts may be simple enough to draft, but if the employment contract contains performance-based payments, commissions or other complex formulas it may be wise to get some expert advice.

Role and Location

The employment contract should clearly define the role, including where and when the work is to be performed. If the role so requires, then outcomes and targets should be defined and measurable.

We recommend a detailed Job Description to cover the requirements of the role.

Termination and Notice

 Set out the

Notice Period

Notice of termination clauses set out the amount of notice a party is required to give the other before they end the employment relationship. This clause should set out the notice that both the employer and the employee must provide so that each knows exactly what to expect from the other. The issue of reasonable notice usually arises in circumstance where an employer has decided they wish to terminate the employment relationship, but they have no notice of termination clause in a contract to refer to.

For example, in 2014, the Fair Work Commission (FWC) held that an employee was entitled to four months’ notice (or payment in lieu). To provide a summary, the employee was a founder, shareholder and the managing director of a small printing company. He was a party to a shareholder’s deed that did not contain a notice of termination clause. The employee was summarily dismissed for allegedly diverting business away. He was successful in claiming that his summary dismissal was harsh. The FWC stated that a dismissal with notice would have been appropriate and went on to consider that the employee was entitled to four months’ notice (or payment in lieu). The FWC further commented that in this situation, a longer notice period was appropriate and reasonable and that the minimum notice periods will not apply.

In 2010, an employee filed an unfair dismissal claim with the FWC. He was employed in a fixed-term arrangement and was ended before its expiry . The contract of employment stated that, if the employment was not renewed, the employee would be entitled to payment of notice and redundancy. However, the period of notice was not specified. The FWC stated that he was entitled to payment in lieu of eight months’ notice. The Commission noted that the primary purpose of reasonable notice is to allow the employee enough time to find work of a similar kind. The FWC further noted that the minimum notice periods within the Fair Work Act 2009, state only the minimum periods of entitlement and in this case, were not appropriate.

How can we Help

When a court or tribunal implies the common law term of reasonable notice into an employment contract, it usually results in providing months of notice for the employee. For this reason, we recommend businesses ensure that their employment contracts contain a notice of termination clause which sets out in clear terms how much notice the employer will provide the employee upon termination of their employment. We can assist your business to ensure it remains compliant. Our staff possess the experience in this field and have the “know how” on how to deal your HR requirements.

Information provided in this blog is not legal advice and should not be relied upon.