Payroll Benchmarking --Best Practice

I have been finishing up my latest project this week.  The benchmarking report for my publisher.  It is a lot of work but really an enjoyable venture.  It is very interesting to see all of the statistics on the costs etc associated with payroll just laid out to review at my leisure.  When I was first working full time in payroll I would have killed to see some of these numbers.  But back in those days no one had heard of benchmarking. So I had to guess how well I was doing.  There was nothing to compare it to.

But it wasn't really necessary to benchmark back in those days either.  Since we only paid by check or cash, had only a few fringe benefits--no 401(k) or cafeteria plans, and very few garnishments what was there to benchmark.  All anyone cared about is that I got the payroll out on time.  Compliance wasn't even an issue with the company--just me!  Just get it out on time, don't make too many mistakes or tick any of the employees off and they were satisfied.

But times certainly have changed.  Now they want you to get it out on time, don't make too many mistakes, don't tick off any employees, keep in compliance (still not as strict as it should be), and on top of all that--keep the costs down.

So today I guess my suggestion for a best practice is to check out how well you are doing.  Think about adding benchmarking to your project list next year.  You will find places to save costs, improve functions and processes and maybe even impress the bosses.  Who knows, might even surprise yourself at how well you are doing.

How many out there are benchmarking already?  Let us know what you have found.

New Forms are Everywhere These Days

It amazes me sometimes how the world of  payroll goes in cycles.  For years we use the same old forms--941, DE 6 and DE 7 in California, etc.  Then suddenly everyone is bored or something and new forms start popping up.  Remember when the 941 had nonpayroll related stuff on it?  They broke that out with the 945.  Then smaller employers got the 944.  Then the 941 stayed the same for quite a while year in and year out the same lines with the same things until last year.  Then we got 2 forms in the same year last year and then again this year and it will be changing again next year.

Well now CA is doing the same.  They are changing quarterly returns starting in January of 2011.  Gone is the lovely DE 6 and the equally as lovely DE 7.  Now we will have the DE 9 and the continuation DE 9C. Note: For more details on what each form does see our website under State News.  It just seems that as soon as you get complacent knowing all the forms you have to submit along comes a new one.

Oh well, at least it gives me something to write about anyway.