The Payroll Management and Effective Payroll Controls Program equips delegates with the tools necessary to meet demands of the current job market. Participants in this program will develop their skills in accounting beyond introductory principles.

The aim of this program is to provide Participants a combination of office administration skills with a practical foundation in accounting, computerized accounting systems, and payroll. In addition to accounting fundamentals, Participants will be able to: perform payroll practices covering an annual payroll cycle; effectively communicate payroll issues to all stakeholders; and understand the accounting function as it relates to the payroll practice.

Learning Outcomes

• How to effectively run a compliant payroll office
• Practical payroll implementation
• How to generate information and reports for internal and external use
• How to plan, organize, implement and monitor work within the payroll environment
• Data processing using software
• Integration of payroll into the HR and finance departments
• Mitigating risk and implementation of controls
• Performance of internal and external payroll audits

Course Outline

 Payroll Environment

• Types of payroll systems
• How to effectively run your payroll department/office
• The acts that govern payroll
• Integration with company policies
• Responsibility of the payroll administrator
• Internal payroll audit

Practical Payroll Implementation

• The key steps involved in payroll activities.
• Creating cost centres, pay points and job codes
• Maintaining employee data
• Processing leave
• Setting up payslips and ensuring regulatory compliance
• Capturing overtime and additional payment information
• Making amendments and accounting for specific transactions
• Updating to new pay period and month-end procedures

 Payroll Management

• Definition of an employee and how an employee designation impacts payroll
• Employee time management and tracking
• Employee compensation
• Additional employee benefits
• Types of deductions and why they are used
• Ethical considerations in the payroll function
• Linking payroll with the HR (Human Resource) function
• Setting up your payroll division

Corporate Integration

• Linking payroll with company finance department
• Recording of payroll transactions in the accounting records
• Application of payroll accruals
• Common payroll measurements and how they are used
• Contents of the various payroll reports and how to use them
• How to utilize payroll reports for problem solving
• Payroll and external audit procedures

 Effective Payroll Controls

• Protection of personal information
• What are internal controls?
• Identifying risks in the payroll cycle
• Implementation of payroll controls
• Evaluating payroll controls
• Outsourcing arrangements and responsibilities
• Common mistakes and how to avoid them

Who Should Attend

• Payroll administrators who wish to enhance their payroll knowledge and application
• Human Resource professionals who wish to gain a better understanding of the payroll system and how it is integrated into the corporate human resource environment
• Accountants who wish to diversify their skillset for career progression

Methodology

The Payroll Management and Effective Payroll Controls course will be taught in an interactive manner, using lectures, lessons learned, practical examples, video materials, case studies, shared participant experiences and practice sessions. There will be group work as well as individual exercises. Delegates will be encouraged to participate actively.