Getting payroll done does not make for a fun day or two for many small business owners. This is especially true if the company is still using handwritten time cards with its remote workforce. Does this look familiar?
In this last installment of our Managing Remote Employees series, we are going to cover how to prepare for payroll. The first and best way to prepare for payroll is to begin using a timekeeping solution that automates the time card collection process. With accurate time cards automatically stored in one place (instead of driving all over town to collect them), life gets a lot simpler.
Now, assuming that you’ve made the wise leap into technology (to spare your hair) or you are an existing customer, preparation steps for payroll can begin before the day checks are printed. It’s easier to keep up than catch up. Automated time cards make this possible.
Each morning look for red flags on the Edit Time Card screen. The red flags indicate missed clock outs. You may have ditched the handwritten time cards for an automated clock-in system, but you still have human employees, who will forget to punch out every now and then. It is easier to monitor and fix these daily, than to wait until the end of the pay period when you may have several employees to contact. Besides, 5 days later the employee may not remember what time he left the worksite. We had one customer with an employee who routinely ‘failed’ to clock out; and she got tired of chasing him down, so she ‘failed’ to direct deposit his paycheck. His wife called that morning and that problem was solved.
Along this same line, if you use our actual or Google map estimated travel time feature, we recommend to approve the travel records every couple of days. The approved travel time is automatically factored in the employee’s total accumulated time so you can keep tabs on overtime, and prevent the overage before it happens.
Now, when you get to your desk on payroll processing day, most of the work is done. Simply double check for errors and run the time card report. Payroll hours are automatically calculated and can be easily viewed as a .PDF or a .CSV, or exported in our timesaving Payroll Snapshot tool.
If your company routinely has overtime issues, and particularly if you have a semi-monthly payroll, and/or are in California with expanded overtime settings, the Payroll Snapshot reports can accurately calculate payroll hours for regular, overtime, and other set pay types. The automated overtime calculation is a true a life-saver for those with semi-monthly overtime calculations. We have been told the Payroll Snapshot feature alone is worth the price of admission.
The Payroll Snapshot also integrates with QuickBooks seamlessly. By using the Payroll Snapshot, Chronotek directly exports your time cards into the Weekly Timesheets section of QuickBooks. With the click of a button, send the calculated shift hours (including overtime and other pay types) to QuickBooks with absolutely no file handling. The Payroll Snapshot can also be used to create exports for payroll companies, such as ADP, Paychex and Paycom.
One of our goals as an app-based and phone timekeeping solution is to simplify the lives of small business owners. With our suggestions for preparing payroll, we hope to give you back time you can use to really grow your business, or spend time with family, or get your hair done.