Payroll
Simplify Payroll, Amplify Support
About Our Payroll
Payroll can be a nightmare or a piece of cake depending on who you have processing it, but it is definitely one of the most crucial departments for ensuring your employees are happy and laws are being followed. When it comes to Payroll, you need to be confident in the person who is processing. Monster only employs Certified Payroll Professionals, CPP, which is the credentials you see behind their names. Having that professional designation means that they have passed the test and understand payroll laws in CA. California is the strictest state when it comes to employee wage and hour rules.
If you don’t have someone processing your payroll according to the laws, you could be headed for a disaster. That’s not to scare you but rather to make you aware of all the landmines out there that small and midsize employers just don’t know about until it’s too late. Don’t worry, we’ve got you covered! No payroll leaves our office until it has been audited by the Payroll Manager and your Account Manager. If there are any issues, they will contact you to resolve their questions before the payroll is released. There are so many areas of payroll to audit including regular rate, overtime, double time, minimum wage, tips, tip credits, benefit deductions, garnishments, and paid time off balances just to mention a few. How are you expected to know these laws without making this your career? Well lucky for you, we did make it our careers. Our payroll team loves numbers and systems. They process payroll daily for a number of clients and they audit every step of the way to ensure your workforce is paid on time and accurately. They work closely with your Account Manager who should know every nook and cranny about your company and its policies. We receive a lot of questions about payroll from current and potential clients; below are the most popular. If you are dealing with any of this, just give us a call and we will be happy to help.
Meal Break Penalty
A lot of smaller companies struggle with this subject so don’t feel bad if you are confused about when to pay a penalty. Labor codes are tricky, but we understand them, interpret them, and make sure that you are in compliance. Labor code 226.7 says that you must pay an additional hour of time at the employees’ regular rate if you failed to provide a meal break. The key words here are “regular rate” and “provide,” so if you know the law (as we do), these penalties are completely avoidable and surprisingly unpayable. But if you do legitimately owe the penalty, you better understand what the “regular rate” entails or you could have a class action suit heading your way.
Paid Time Off Policies
What you decide to offer your employees in the way of time off is not entirely your choice. The State of California has developed its own rules when it comes to Sick time; in fact, some cities within our great state have their own separate rules as well. Keeping up to date with the changes is our job. Are you compliant with the California Healthy Workplaces, Healthy Families Act? Do you understand the complexities of it? For example: Are you on the accrual method or frontload method, and do you know the law differences in the two methods for rollover, caps, and limits of use? We can help you decide the best method for your business and make sure you are meeting the requirements to be compliant. Vacation time on the other hand is up to you. You can offer it or not, and you can offer it to a certain class of employees and not others. A lot of smaller employers believe that holidays are mandatory- they are NOT! You get to decide what, if any, holidays you want to close for and/or pay your employees for.
Furloughs, Layoffs, Reduction in Force (RIF), and Reduction in Pay
Tough times call for tough decisions. We will help you make the right decision for your company and at the same time guide you in its execution so you remain compliant. The difference between furloughing an employee and laying off an employee are legally very different decisions. You want to make sure you understand the difference and that all employee profiles and all classifications are updated in the event of pay reductions. There are a lot of things to think about when needing to make cuts whether temporary or permanent.
Monster HR has been a vital part of our business operations from day one. Not only are they extremely knowledgeable with HR law, the entire team works at a high level of professionalism and functionality. Responses to issues are always handled in an expedited manner. Tough matters with staff are addressed effectively and efficiently by Monster leaving me free to work on the operational side of my business. Advisement is legally sound and provided with the best interest of the business in mind while always ensuring that my employees are cared for properly. Monster HR's support has allowed me to really focus on the clinical side of my business, the part of the business that I actually have decades of experience in. I have zero experience with HR but I have never had to worry about my lack of expertise in this area affecting my business because Monster has taken on that role for me. I truly appreciate the ease and flow my business can experience with this exceptional level of HR support I receive.