Issue 14, November 2007   SECTIONS Articles & Insights Case Study EmpCenter Archived Webinars Upcoming Events by Roger A. Smith, CPP & Payroll Consultant APA Statewide Conferences I recently had the opportunity to speak at a couple of Statewide Conferences hosted by local chapters of the American Payroll Association (APA). I have been to many of these conferences over the years, and they continue to get better and better. They are well organized and very professional, yet most of them are entirely run by volunteer members of local chapters. This is one of the great things about the payroll profession – there are literally dozens of people in each of these states who care enough about helping their peers to volunteer their time, effort, and expertise to present these conferences. [more]   OTHER ISSUES October 2007 September 2007 August 2007 July 2007 June 2007 May 2007 April 2007 March 2007 February 2007 January 2007 November 2006 October 2006 September 2006 SUBSCRIBE   Welcome to The Workforce Chronicle! In this edition of The Workforce Chronicle we'll take a look at how best practices for payroll differ from organization to organization. Also, our own Payroll Professional shares his experiences with Statewide Conferences from the American Payroll Association. Congratulations to Aileen Dargatz from Clackamas County, Oregon and Ann McElrath from Lee University for winning the BLR Special Report on FLSA Overtime: Making Your Way Through the Exempt/Nonexempt Minefield. Featured Article Payroll Best Practices – What Are They? What may be a best practice for one payroll department may differ for another payroll department, depending on the culture, goals, and opportunities for growth. As defined by Mr. Roger A. Smith, CPP, and payroll consultant, best practices are a collection of processes, policies, and technologies that have been adopted and have helped organizations achieve world-class performance. Ensuring your organization, or your department, is committed to supporting best practices is important in today’s world. There is more competition, so if you are not doing it better, faster, and cheaper, you lose business. Employers want HR and payroll departments to increase customer satisfaction, ensure labor law and union compliance, and increase productivity with less money – all of which can be accomplished with the use of the right technology. However, technology cannot go it alone. You have to look at individual steps to ensure you implement best practices. COMPLETE ARTICLE Articles & Insights Minden (LA) firefighters to receive unpaid wages Fourteen checks totaling more than $21,000 will go out to Minden's paid firefighters Monday to compensate for unpaid wages accrued during a 16-month period. A second round of checks totaling $4,785 should be in the mail by Nov. 15, representing five more months of owed wages. [more] (CA) State cracks down on exploitation of workers Kicking off a campaign to bust companies suspected of not paying minimum wage, overtime, payroll taxes and workers' compensation insurance premiums, the state on Wednesday sued a Southern California drywall installation contractor, seeking major financial penalties. In the first of an expected series of enforcement actions against what he calls "the underground economy," California Atty. Gen. Jerry Brown sued Brinas Corp. The Colorado-based firm has worked on major condominium and apartment complex projects throughout Los Angeles and San Diego counties, Brown's office said. [more] School bus drivers get $1.3 million OT settlement in Palm Beach County School bus drivers on their regular routes were bringing students home Wednesday afternoon when the Palm Beach County School Board approved a $1.3 million settlement that will be shared by 900 bus drivers and attendants. The agreement resolves a federal class-action lawsuit initiated by bus driver Evangeline Patterson, 45, of West Palm Beach, charging that drivers did not get overtime pay despite working more than 40 hours a week. [more]   WorkForce News WorkForce Software Named to Software Magazine’s 25th Annual Software 500 WorkForce Software to Demonstrate its EmpCenter for Higher Education Solution at the CUPA-HR National Conference & Exposition in Baltimore WorkForce Software In The News   Case Study Denver Metro Wastewater Reclamation District EmpCenter Fully Automates its Workforce Management Processes Customer Since: September 2005 No. of Employees: 360 Industry: Public Sector EmpCenter Solution: Time & Attendance Base, Activity Based Costing, Accruals & Absence Manager, FMLA Manager, Employee Self-Service Platform: Windows COMPLETE CASE STUDY   EmpCenter for Public Sector Public Sector organizations face many challenges that must be accomplished with fewer resources and smaller budgets; constituents today keep a close eye on tax dollars and budgets while at the same time they demand increased community services. EmpCenter for Public Sector is a comprehensive and proven software solution that helps local, state, and federal government better manage and lower employee costs. EmpCenter for Public Sector automates the complex time and labor policies in government, including accrual plans, compensatory time, labor allocation, overtime, and premium pay. It is designed to meet the unique needs of each department, including police, fire, public works, transportation, parks and recreation, and finance, while helping your payroll and HR departments to efficiently manage costs. Unique technology refined over many years working with cities such as the City of Raleigh and the City of Scottsdale ensures that EmpCenter for the Public Sector meets your needs without compromise. Contact WorkForce Software for more information at info@workforcesoftware.com.   Archived Webinars Change Management for the Payroll Professionals Time Collection for your Mobile, Field, Remote Workforce Process Modeling in the Payroll Department Strategic Planning in the Payroll Department Payroll Technologies: Past, Present and Emerging Top 5 Essential Practices for Payroll Professionals Controlling Overtime Pay with Scheduling Automation Trends and Myths of Workforce Management The Fair Labor Standards Act - A Review   Events Stop by the WorkForce Booth to receive your free gift and register for our drawings! CUPA-HR National Conference & Expo Baltimore Marriott Waterfront November 8 – 11, 2007 Booth 614     Sponsored by: