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Over the last six months, I’ve had the chance to talk to several bookkeepers and firm owners who’ve said the same thing: “I don’t take on clients with payroll.”
Which makes me question why? The reasons are consistent: I do not want to be tied down. It makes it hard to go on vacation. The rules are constantly changing. My clients are across Canada and every province has different rules. I tell clients to outsource it to payroll companies.
I get it — payroll can feel overwhelming. But for me, it’s something I’ll never say no to. I have always felt that employees getting paid is the most important part of our job as bookkeepers. Employees are what keeps business going and we must make sure they get paid.
So, how can we make payroll more manageable? What tools do we have in our back pockets as bookkeepers to keep up to payroll or take on new payrolls?
Automating salary payroll
Salary payroll is easier to run, since it’s the same as most payroll periods. However, with automation that is now available, we can be hands off with salary payroll and only need to touch the software for changes in salaries or at vacation times. Wagepoint has made it easy to enjoy our summer as payroll service providers, since we can set it and forget it!
Wagepoint completes our workflow while we enjoy the sun or a summer holiday. This includes running the payroll, paying the employees, paying the Canada Revenue Agency their source deductions, publishing the pay stub in the secure employee portal, and allowing employees to update their own banking and addresses. This allows us, as payroll practitioners, to let the system do what it does best so we can take time off.
Automations for hourly payroll
Processing payroll for hourly employees can be one of the most time consuming and error-prone parts of payroll. With varying hours, overtime, and complex compliance requirements, the work adds up quickly — especially when done manually.
Our team processes more than fifty payrolls each month, covering over five hundred employees. Without automation, that volume would require an enormous amount of time and leave significant room for error. Instead, we have worked with our clients to automate the key steps in their payroll process.
Approved hours flow directly into the payroll system. Calculations for overtime and statutory pay are handled automatically, approval processes are seamless, and payments to government agencies and employee direct deposits are accurate and on time.
For the majority of our small business clients, Wagepoint manages these automations perfectly. For clients with more advanced requirements, such as union rules or shift differentials, we explore additional tools to ensure the solution matches their specific needs.
Our goal is always to select the right system for each business. Automating hourly payroll not only saves time for our clients and our team. It also improves accuracy, reduces stress, and ensures employees are paid correctly and on time, every time
Digital timesheet automation
What started as a small change for each client has made a significant difference for everyone involved. The time saved by moving to digital timesheets feels endless. Illegible handwriting, lost timesheets found in trucks or shop drawers, and the need to manually summarize hours for approval are no longer part of the process.
Now, employees clock in and out digitally, using a mobile app, add notes as needed, and managers review and approve hours regularly. This has eliminated the need for second payroll runs due to missed or unclear hours. With approvals happening in real time, any issues are caught immediately while they are still fresh, ensuring that payroll is accurate the first time.
As more clients experience the benefits, it becomes easier to help others make the switch from manual time tracking to digital timesheets. The improvement in accuracy, efficiency, and communication is easy to see
Once approved, we simply import the time data from the timesheet software to our payroll system. This seamless integration not only reduces data entry errors but also ensures that payroll can be completed quickly and accurately, even during the busiest weeks.
Automating the people process
Managing the human resources side of payroll can quickly become one of the biggest sources of frustration and delays. Searching through emails, texts, or stacks of paperwork to track down vacation approvals, confirm leave balances, or manage onboarding stages is time consuming. It also often leads to errors, missed deadlines, and unnecessary back and forth.
To avoid this, at King Business Solutions, we have helped many of our clients adopt systems that centralize and digitize people processes — like managing time off or employee onboarding. With a digital record of paid time off accruals, and other types of leave, managers can approve requests confidently and immediately. It also ensures that requests from months ago are properly accounted for when the time comes to process payroll.
Streamlining employee onboarding is just as important. By digitizing key steps, such as collecting banking information, tax forms, and emergency contacts, we reduce manual input and ensure that payroll setup is accurate from day one. New hires can be added quickly, with all their details in place, which eliminates delays in their first pay cycle and helps create a smooth start for both the employee and the employer.
Having accurate and accessible employee information means fewer last minute questions, fewer surprises in payroll, and no more risk of overpaying or overlooking critical details. It also allows for better scheduling and workforce planning, especially during peak vacation periods like summer.
When HR processes like time off tracking and onboarding are integrated into your payroll workflow, everything runs more smoothly. The result is less back and forth, more accurate payroll, and more time for everyone to enjoy what really matters — whether that is time with family or simply a well deserved break.
Automated payroll reporting & compliance tracking
Even when payroll is running smoothly, reporting and compliance can still become time consuming and stressful. Especially when audits, reconciliations, or year end deadlines approach. One of the most overlooked time saving tools is automated reports and compliance tracking.
With payroll software like Wagepoint, key reports, including numerous payroll, source deduction, Worksafe, and deposit reports, are automatically generated and ready for any impending deadlines. Then at year-end, T4 and T4a forms are automatically generated, distributed, and filed with CRA.
We have also set up automated notifications that alert our team regarding important things like:
- New client payroll account creation
- Administrator changes
- Client account Invitation status
- Assignment or removal from a client account
- Billing updates
- Firm information changes
- Bank information changes
These reports and notifications help reduce last minute scrambling and keep our clients payroll records accurate throughout the year.
Work smarter, relax more: Let payroll automation do the heavy lifting
By embracing these five key payroll automations including salary payroll, hourly payroll, digital timesheets, people processes, and compliance tracking, you are not just streamlining operations. You are taking back your time.
With the right tools and workflows in place, payroll no longer needs to be the task that keeps you tied to your desk or makes you hesitant to take on new clients. Instead, it becomes a smooth and dependable part of your practice. So go ahead and plan that vacation or take on that growing business. Payroll will not hold you back this summer.
And to learn more about the automations and tools offered by Wagepoint, I suggest checking out a demo or signing up for their free trial.
