From the February 2011 issue of Ceridian Connection.

Wage and hour compliance, the rising cost of internal payroll processing and rapidly evolving payroll/workforce technology are the key factors business leaders and HR managers need to consider when building a payroll organization. In an economic landscape of changing legislation, layoffs and pay cuts, even the most experienced payroll staff is subject to the possibility of making tax and filing errors that can result in costly IRS penalties. The shocking downturn of 2009 is over, and the weak economy of 2010 is likely to continue well into 2011, according to a January 2011 Forrester report: Trends 2011: HRM Processes and Applications Move Ahead Despite Mixed Employment Outlook.

Take this quick survey to find out which methods other HR administrators use to process payroll and what business factors might cause them to make a change in their method of payroll processing.

What to watch for in 2011

Although U.S. Labor Department data indicates employment activity is improving, companies will continue to focus on staff replacement rather than expansion in 2011, Forrester predicts. HRM process and application trends to look for this year include mobile technology, social media, cloud computing and software as a service (SaaS).

Now with a seamless upgrade process, SaaS will emerge as the default deployment model for HRM solutions, Forrester forecasts. Whether it's a blizzard that leaves you without an administrator, a disaster recovery situation or a telecommuting employee who has payroll questions, you'll experience "worry-free safety and reliability when you use a SaaS model," said Eric Schuster, director of product management for Ceridian. "You can access the data anywhere and you can feel secure knowing that you can be in compliance with the latest government regulations and requirements."

It's time to outsource your payroll processing if you:

• Face the expense of upgrading your legacy technology infrastructure.
• Are not on the latest software product with your current payroll processing vendor.
• Struggle to get the payroll information you need to make data driven decisions.
• Know your administrators spend an inordinate amount of time working on payroll issues.
• Need to hire more employees to handle your company's payroll processing.
• Are over your head in keeping up with the ever-changing legislation.
• Received IRS penalties for errors or late filing.

If any of these situations apply to you, it's time to seriously consider the benefits of outsourcing your payroll processing. "Why should you be investing in the overhead, infrastructure and the people necessary to do all this in-house?" asked Schuster. There are only a handful of companies in the United States where payroll is a core competency.

With Ceridian, the solutions are in the sophisticated, leading edge software -- and in the world-class customer support. Why take a chance on less than the best?

Call Ceridian today at 800-729-7655 to discover how we can offer you a better value proposition with the scale, reach and know-how you need to succeed.