With more and more vendor management systems popping up, the rules of healthcare staffing payroll seem to get increasingly complicated. We already know that Healthcare Staffing payroll could not be more different than ANY other industry’s payroll. Healthcare facilities have crazy billing and overtime rules that can make processing payroll a nightmare.
Not to mention the typical grueling schedule of weekly or even daily payroll. Nothing can be more stressful as having a group of employees lined up outside your office waiting for their check. Is this you??? If you are running weekly payroll it seems as soon as you have your invoicing done, it is time to start payroll again for the next week.
Does this sound Familar? How do you handle this?
Here are Nine tips that you can use to have a cleaner, easier, and more SUCCESSFUL payroll:
1. Build a Solid Foundation
Although planning seems to be the easiest thing to do, it is probably the most overlooked item during the payroll process. “A good payroll plan can go a million miles,” says Misty Severs, BlueSky Payroll Implementation Specialist, “Companies that don’t have a plan or have a plan and don’t stick to it seem to have the hardest time completing a successful healthcare staffing payroll.” Things to think include in to your payroll strategy are: a system to house all your time and attendance, a payroll company to manage taxes and garnishments, a fax machine or email address dedicated to timesheet collection and a scheduled plan of what a typical week should look like.
2. Have a Scalable System
Being organized is no brainer tip, right? The real question is, if you increase the number of caregivers can you keep up with your current process? Every company wants to grow, right? Make sure that what you are doing now can handle a sudden influx of caregivers. In my experience small companies miss out on big business because they cannot scale up quick enough. Each company’s system is slightly different based on pay week and when timesheets are received. Make sure your caregivers are aware of any changes to your procedures but most of all make sure you can take on new business without hurting your current business.
3. Over Communicate
Remember most of the people you pay are not in your office every day, therefore it is very important to over communicate processes and changes in procedures. Many companies that complete successful payroll’s send out reminder emails and text messages about timesheets. They also have recruiters call a caregiver if there are specific updates regarding processes. That leaves nothing open to the imagination!
4. Throw out the old Fax Machine
Scanning paper timesheets is history. The more you can automate payroll, the easier it is for you and your staff. There are some new systems that can help you streamline your processes. Receiving timesheets electronically is the most effective way of timesheet collection, especially if you are working with travelers. Even if your healthcare staffing software doesn’t allow for electronic timesheet collection, then setup a fax number that converts timesheets into a PDF or allow caregivers to email a picture of a signed timesheet from their smart phone if they have one.
5. Tough Love Timesheets
If your Timesheet isn’t in – You don’t get paid until next pay cycle. Period. This is probably the hardest, but most important thing you can do in healthcare staffing payroll. Being consistent and not giving in to will help you train your caregivers and therefore ensure a smoother payroll. The more exceptions you allow the less time you have for double checking your work therefore the more room you leave open for mistakes.
6. Holiday Planning
Holiday weeks are the hardest time in the day and life of a healthcare staffing payroll specialist. This is where tips 1 through 5 need to setup specific for this holiday. Planning around your staff’s time off as well as direct deposit cut off times is key.
7. Measure Twice Cut Once
My father always taught me to check and double check. The same holds true for payroll. Run reports and make sure that the time and pay rates are correct. Some of the most successful payrolls involve Recruiters. I have even seen company’s give recruiters a bonus when they have correct pay and bill rates prior to payroll processing. I know a crazy thought, right? It is actually pretty genius. This puts the responsibility on the recruiter and gives them a money motivator to make ensure it is correct!
8. Have a Set Pay Day or Time
If you processing Daily Payroll or are using Quickbooks to manage you tax calculations without direct deposit then this tip is for YOU!!! Have a time set or a day of the week planned on when you run payroll. Daily payroll folks should have a window to come in and get paid – it makes for a very hectic office to have people show up whenever they feel like it. If you don’t do this it will make for a perfect storm – trust me!
9. Audits can be scary unless you have it all
The IRS requires you keep records up to four years and unless you have a big office where you can have a lot of filing cabinets, it is imperative to have a server or a system that can house all of your pay data for four years. Also, if you or your client is audited due to joint commission or even a lawsuit, it is crucial that you have all of your timesheets easily accessible. Therefore there is no question on if you have the information they are looking for and then it only takes minutes or even seconds to find.
Are you processing a successful healthcare staffing payroll? Do you have any tips that you would include for payroll?
