HR Knowledge: Running Payroll Back-Up adp for Your Employees

Consider this awful scenario for a moment: your HR suffers a huge setback that erases vital payroll data in an instant! You can’t even begin to comprehend that, right? Well, it happens. Life happens, which is why you need to take the issue of backing up your employees’ payroll data more seriously than ever.

If you run a corporate business that pays salaries to employees regularly, what contingency plans have you put in place to restore the company’s data when they are lost? As an organization, what happens if your HR benefits and payroll vendor suddenly suffers a cyber-attack that freezes their entire system and affects payroll?

Looming Cyber-Attack on Your Payroll Database

Instances of a company’s payroll being erased or compromised abound. No matter what we do, there’s always the possibility of losing sensitive company data just randomly. It can happen for a whole lot of reasons, and it doesn’t necessarily have to be fraud-related.

The HR department of any organization is therefore saddled with an important responsibility. They have to run clean in-house payroll services daily that covers workers’ salary and benefits, leaves, taxes, other deductibles, etc.

Theirs is a daily program of the maintenance process and servicing of the human resources of a company to ensure there’s no disruption in the operation. There are several HR, payroll, and benefits handling contractors online that gather and utilize sensitive data of employees on behalf of organizations.

In this case, the in-house HR provider will have to interface with the expert vendors to manage inherent payroll complexities and risk through due diligence and strong contractual provisions.

Important steps to take to forestall the loss of payroll data

As mentioned above, there’s the constant threat that your payroll data may suffer some type of attack that could destroy important records. A single compromise of your payroll system has the potential to affect payroll operations, and the damage could be substantial.

PrismHR, one of the most widely used HR Support providers, once got hit by a cyber-attack that disrupted its services. PrismHR provides online human resources services to several organizations. Ordinarily, an incident like that would certainly affect payroll service for the period.

But PrismHR management announced after the attack that the unfortunate event did not affect their operations. Payroll records were still accessible, and payments were on schedule. This was possible PrismHR had proactive backup plans in place all along.

Without further ado, let us consider some measures HR management can take to keep important data safe and secured, including the following:

Audit the entire payroll process: It is advisable to run an audit of your entire payroll process and ensure that data are well documented. This can help to lower the risk to the establishment. Also, it guarantees payroll continuity, as documenting payment policies can allow employers to check for inconsistencies in their procedures.

Furthermore, data garnered from the audit can enable a seamless transition process during upgrade periods.

Outsourcing HR Management: We all need a hand sometimes. In handling your payroll services, you can always get professional assistance from an outsourced payroll service provider. Outsourcing arrangement is always flexible and convenient and saves you the extra cost in the long run. Professional HR service companies may likely do a better job for you, as they tend to be more focused and detailed in the services they provide.

Install Fire-Resistant Safe: The business organization should not only store data in the cloud; they should have backups of their payroll stored on removable media and hard disc, which should be kept safe in a fire-resistant safe.

Payroll Management Contingency: Your systems are always open to the risk of various types and proportions. The only sure way you can safeguard sensitive data is to have a backup policy in place. Without contingency backup features installed into an organization’s HR system, they are open to malware and cyber-attacks that could compromise official data.

However, a cyber-attack is not the only thing that could affect your company’s payroll system. There are inadvertent human factors to consider. For example, what if your payroll management team is not on seat to perform their duties? For some reason, what if your payroll officer is marooned on a deserted island, and you can’t get to him? What next? No pay for anyone?

Audit Compliance for Your Payroll Back-up

If you’re involved in any kind of enterprise, most often, you find you need a Plan B. Sometimes, you have no control over what happens around you or to you. And even if you did, you still need a contingency plan. It’s like having an ace up your sleeves.

In audit compliance status of businesses, the primary focus of The Association for Payroll Specialists (TAPS) is confirming if a business has a payroll backup. So when you run a business at any capacity, and you regularly have to process payments for your workers, one of your HR’s most important responsibilities is to have a payroll backup for your employees.

Running your own company is both exhilarating and time-consuming. With your days full already, a backup strategy for your data may not seem like a high priority in the daily operations of your small business. However, it’s essential, even if it doesn’t seem urgent at the moment. While the loss of data could interrupt business for a larger company, it could bring the operations of a small business to a screeching halt.

Backup Strategy for Your Payroll

It’s always better to have a good backup strategy in place for your payroll data. As we mentioned already, anything can happen when you least expect it. So to get started, always make more than one copy of your employee’s payroll data stored at different locations – some HR experts have suggested three copies. This will safeguard your data even if your system suffers a data breach or malware attack.

Be sure that aside from the original copy of your payroll data, you have backup copies saved both on- and offline. With this strategy in place, you can always have access to your files no matter where they are stored or where you’re working out from.

Sometimes, you may need to get your hands on important employee payroll information while you’re on the go. So you always need to keep a backup readily available on site, one that you can always access when you need to. Just be sure that your back-ups are in secure locations, safe from things like theft, malware attacks, weather, or even fire.

How Often Should You Run Back-Up?

You need to run back up of your data as often as you see fit. Do not keep it on hold until you sense there’s a breach in your company systems; run back up anyway. You just cannot afford to be taking chances on doze off on your system.

The reason you need to run back up as often as necessary, even on a daily basis, is that if there’s a loss of data for any reason, it all comes down to your last saved backup. When you restore your system, it typically takes you back to your last backup, so the more recent backup you ran, the better for you.

Types of Payroll Back-Up Media to Consider

Along with understanding the importance of creating multiple backups for your payroll files, it’s important that you also take cognizance of the various types of media you can use to create files back up.

Cloud Back-up

This is one of the best – perhaps the surest – backup method for your employees’ payroll. Cloud backups are highly reliable and are used by most payroll software service providers. However, they may not be the best when you’re dealing with big data.

When using the cloud to back up your files, you may likely encounter bandwidth issues and high costs of data transfer. Some companies mainly use cloud backup to create extra copies for their data while they still rely much on other methods of file backup.

Tape Method

One of the more commonly used media is tape. Although tape backup may not be the best idea when it comes to small businesses, it is pretty much still a reliable media, an inexpensive one that businesses like yours can take advantage of.

However, keep in mind that using tape to secure data does have its downside. Businesses that use tape backup have to run it very frequently; this could leave some data to upload vulnerable and open to attack.

Continuous Data Protection of Employees Pay / Wages

CDP is a backup method that works by sending the data to discs located in a backup appliance or server. This is a secured method, and you’re unlikely to lose data since they’re repeatedly running. One thing you need to have in mind, however, is that CDP systems are often large and pricey.

Easy Steps to Run Backup of your Employee’s Payroll using Payroll Management Software

The need to backup employee payroll to an external drive cannot be overemphasized. As an HR service company, you know what it means when sensitive payroll files are compromised. So to protect the payroll data of your employees, running regular back comes with the territory.

When you backup files to an external drive, it ensures that your payroll is saved elsewhere and can easily be retrieved and used when your main files or system has a meltdown from any kind of activity or incident.

Use a name consistent with the data you’re backing up, something you can remember easily. If not, you may find it a daunting task when you need to access saved files, and you can’t remember how and where you backed them up to.

Before you enter any data or process payments, the first thing you need to do at the beginning of each payroll period is back up. This will guarantee you have a clean backup to restore to when need be.

Run payroll back up again after payment has been set for employees before you process the payroll. This will give you a backup of your payroll state before processing the payments.

Run back up again after payment is done and before processing the period end. If something goes wrong at any step of the way, you’ll find it is much easier to restore to the period where you were rather than restoring to the beginning of the payroll data, and you have to process the data from the start again.

Best Small Business Payroll Servicing Software Available for Small Business Clients

There are all kinds of cloud-based payroll software, like Homebase and Paycor Payroll services, that small business can install in their system for accurate payroll management. They are designed to calculate employee wages and deductions. They also can automatically pay workers’ salaries and file payroll taxes.

Furthermore, a lot of this payroll software offers cloud protection, unlimited pay runs, self-service portals for employees, as well as access to employee benefits. All the software features here are outstanding in their rights. They have won awards for their excellence based on several considerations and the uniqueness and customer service experience they offer.

Gusto

Gusto ranks as one of the best payroll software apps around. Apart from running scheduled payroll automatically, this service sends reminders to new hires to complete their paperwork. Gusto has an impressive rating with HR services, although it has some drawbacks.

Aside from the fact that Gusto only provides limited health insurance coverage, users have to subscribe to a higher package of the service before they can use Gusto’s HR tools like time-tracking and online paid time off (PTO) requests.

Gusto grants you access to unlimited payroll runs, including bonus and off-cycle payments, at no extra cost. On top of that, you can even set payroll to run on autopilot. Furthermore, Gusto is designed to automatically withhold, pay, and file taxes at all levels – Federal, State, and local – on behalf of employees. Unlike ADP Run, Gusto takes care of preparing year-end tax reporting (W-2s and 1099s) at no extra cost.

With Gusto’s payroll software, businesses can pay benefits to employees and contractors across 50 states in the US and more than 80 other countries, including India, Canada, the UK, and the Philippines.

QuickBooks Payroll

QuickBooks Payroll program has impressive features as well. For one, it allows users to approve and set payroll to run automatically, with unlimited processing capability. Along with its premium advantages, QuickBooks Payroll helps take care of tax calculations and payments. It also has free provisions for handling Federal and State tax filings, while users will have to get on the Elite package if they want automated local tax filings.

As an employer, you can pay employees through same-day direct deposit at no extra cost. With the QuickBooks Elite plan, employers stand to enjoy several cutting-edge advantages, including coverage for penalties and interests that may accrue for payroll tax errors for up to $25,000 a year. This is regardless of how the penalties were incurred. This feature alone sets QuickBooks apart; you don’t have any other payroll service provider offering to fix tax issues and cover mistakes they didn’t make.

Paychex Flex

Paychex service includes solutions for payroll and access to retirement plan options, as well as startup/incorporation services. Paychex provides health insurance benefits across all US states; although it doesn’t, its pricing policy is not upfront. Paychex charges users an extra amount for the same services – payroll tax administration and W-2/1099 filings – that other providers readily supply for free.

What makes Paychex unique is that it appears better suited for one-man businesses and those who are self-employed. Paychex will not only help users with running payroll programs, but it will also help them set up their business model as an employer.

Aside from direct deposits, Paychex payroll setting supports both direct deposits to employees’ bank accounts and payments made through checks. It even offers check logo and signing services.

Square Payroll

Square Payroll is an outstanding payroll service app when you’re talking about employers in the hospitality business. It allows users to pay employees and contractors from the Square POS and other third-party partners into its system.

In the same vein, Square Payroll has in-built features that let you record tip amounts, deduct taxes, and lodge those reports on your tax forms. You can run payroll as often as you need to at no extra cost, file quarterly and annual taxes, and also sign up for ‘pay-as-you-go’ compensation insurance for workers.

Other features of Square Payroll include a low-cost contractor-only plan, Square payroll seamless integration with Square POS, and Multiple employee payment options. In addition, Square Payroll offers both next-day and instant payment options through its Instant Payments feature, Online tax filing and reporting, and Employee benefits like access to health insurance.

OnPay

OnPay Payroll service manages your payroll service accurately and gives you unlimited payroll runs, letting you run payroll for both employees and contractors as many times as your operation requires you to at no added cost.

In addition, OnPay helps you generate year-end W-2s and 1099s without charging you an extra dime. For users with special tax requirements like those in the agricultural businesses, OnPay offers automated tax payments and filings of Form 943 as well.

Other features of OnPay service include multiple employee payment options, HR tools, HR resource library – letters, online I-9 and W-4 forms, e-signature tool, automated onboarding workflows, employee benefits (health insurance across all US states, dental, eye, disability, and retirement plans).

Finally, OnPay has excellent Payroll support service and customer care – phone, chat, and email support, where users to reach OnPay customer care to make inquiries about the service and lodge complaints if need be.

Rippling

Rippling Payroll application features a modular HR tool that’s just great for businesses. Its payroll and IT tools allow users the freedom to choose solutions tailored to their specific needs. The rippling workforce management platform is quite impressive, although it doesn’t come cheap.

Despite the cost, however, Rippling stands out as one of the best HR and payroll software to back up your employee’s data. It can help manage IT processes, like assigning tasks and deploying computers and business apps that employees can use.

As attested to by customers, Rippling offers much more than payroll and employee information management solutions; it goes further to offer to track applicants and new hires, administrative benefits, learning management tools, and IT solutions designed to streamline and automate device and apps management processes.

If an organization has new employees, Rippling will help assign the computer units as well as identify business apps that the employees have access to. When a staff or team member resigns and is no longer with the company, his access to a business app and computer can easily be disabled on his last day on the job.

Other important features of Rippling include: a flexible workforce management platform that allows employers to choose the payroll, HR, and IT features that they specifically need, employee benefits and applicant tracking, as well as payroll analytics that helps you identify errors quickly to prevent you from having to backtrack and fix them later.

Furthermore, Rippling’s service includes full-service payroll, no matter where your employees are located in the world – Asia, Africa, South Sudan, or even Comoros Island. With employees and contractors outside the US, Rippling can help you manage international payroll processes, so you can pay your workers accurately and on time without fail.

One of Rippling’s drawbacks is that it lacks free phone support; users are required to purchase its HR help desk, which comes with phone and email support from HR experts.

ADP Run

This is a great payroll system that’s designed to cater to mainly small businesses. This system covers the entire critical payroll plus automated payroll tax management tools that users require. In addition, its features provide full include new hire reporting, onboarding, background checks, and access to job postings.

ADP Run has great HR tools that provide a seamless process for users to switch their plans on the system, depending on your business goals and growth. Its elite packages come with added HR support that is not readily available on other payroll software for small businesses.

In the area of payroll and tax filing, ADP Run provides fast and accurate service delivery. Its payroll compliance tools give you a heads up on payroll errors. Also, ADP Run lets employers pay salaries of employees by direct deposit and paychecks, even as it offers secure paychecks with check signing services.

As an added service to employers, ADP handles physical envelopes for employee paychecks, delivering these to employers’ offices upon request. It comes with flexible plan options and can even cover midsize and large businesses, with a PEO option for companies looking to completely outsource their payroll and HR administration services.

With ADP’s great features, customers who need extra services like time tracking, pay-as-you-go workers’ compensation, and benefits can get ADP Run’s payroll plan as paid add-ons. Although ADP Run is quite easy to use, its major drawback is its high setup costs.

Other outstanding cloud-based Payroll servicing software to give you great backup protection for your small business includes the following:

APS Payroll Solution for your business

APS Solution is one of the best payroll software used in the industry. Their user interface is designed to simplify workforce management tasks, targeting mainly mid-market businesses. APS comes with personalized client service support that helps businesses to accomplish their corporate goals.

SurePayroll

The goal of this service provider is to target mainly small businesses located within the US. They offer quality online payroll service with speed and accuracy. With SurePayroll service, users can run payroll in a record time of 2 minutes. SurePayroll service also guarantees to keep your employee’s data safe, secure, and accessible, whenever and wherever.

Remote

Remote features tools that help companies of all sizes to manage their full-time and contract workers around the world. They handle international payroll, benefits, taxes, stock options, and compliance across several countries.

Regardless of where you have your remote teams in the world, Remote assures their users of the best experience for your employees.

RUN Solution

RUN Solution is designed to grant small businesses easy payroll management. It features a well-structured process running on powerful technology, capable of helping companies take care of payroll quickly and efficiently. The offer plans ranging from the basic payroll functions to a total package that includes HR tools and services to ensure you’re well covered.

With RUN, taxes are calculated on workers’ salaries, deducted, and remitted to the appropriate accounts automatically. You can even process payroll on RUN solution software even while you’re on the go, in the middle of work, or meeting. It doesn’t take many minutes to complete payroll when you’re on RUN.

iSolved

iSolved is one of the best software for payroll service, providing intuitive, people-drive HCM technology. Also, iSolved offers services cuts across all US states, reaching over five million employees and 145,000 employers relying on their advanced tech to increase productivity and corporate excellence.

With the advantage of their HCM platform, iSolved People Cloud can optimize employee experience, covering talent acquisition and management, HR & payroll handling, employee benefits, and workforce management. This is regardless of the size of your organization or which industry you operate in.

Ceridian Dayforce

Ceridian Dayforce is a global Human Capital Management (HCM) company that caters to payroll servicing and employee benefits, HR, talent, and workforce management, on behalf of their client. Ceridian works with cloud technology, ensuring your company’s data are always safe. In addition, this solution delivers a unique people experience across the full spectrum of HCM, with guaranteed payroll compliance.

CAVU HCM

CAVU HCM (Ceiling and Visibility Unlimited) is another HCM technology firm that offers payroll and HR services to its customers. Their platform is people-oriented, eliminating barriers and boundaries that are likely to affect payroll operations. CAVU HCM promises their clients a unique experience, whether they are on- or offline.

Deluxe Payroll and HR Solutions

The Deluxe Payroll and HR Solutions is a payroll solution provider that lets users create unique, easy-to-use solutions where they can have their employee payroll, HR, and tax systems all in one place. A great feature of the Deluxe Payroll solution is that it doesn’t matter if users have subscribed to a different service previously; this platform is designed to integrate with the user’s current solution provider easily.

Inova Payroll

Inova is a platform that helps users set up automated processes for their payroll and HR requirements. They have a people-driven service as well, supporting an ever-evolving and vibrant workforce whilst being compliant with standard employer regulations. Inova offers comprehensive payroll and tax filing, talent recruitment and applicant tracking, onboarding, benefits enrollment, performance management, as well as compliance reporting on one platform.

Pilot

This Solution Provider is great for managing international payroll and employee benefits and ensuring compliance for US-based businesses. Pilot’s feature also helps companies with the hiring of remote employees and professional contractors worldwide. They handle the onboarding and payment of international employees in a secure, cloud-based platform. In addition, a Pilot customer-based service is built to send payments to overseas workers across over 240 countries, with the best exchange rates for those countries. And guess what, clients are not charged anything extra for this service!

The Bottom Line

There are many more payroll software to make your choice from, each with its uniqueness and advantages. It’s hard to say if there’s a perfect platform or system. The underlying factor should be that you’re subscribing to a plan and solution provider that’s just right for your organization, one that ensures that your payroll information and employee data are safe and secured.

Generally, the top payroll software offers direct deposit, tax filing, and year-end tax report preparation. Some even provide benefits and HR support. In today’s digital age, there is software available to help HR departments and service companies run solid checks and back-ups for any type of business outfit, be it large, small, or midsize.

No matter the size of the organization, whether it’s a small business or a big organization, their staff strength, and the type of employment they offer – either full-time remote or part-time – you can find software that fits the bill. If you’re in doubt, you can find helpful tips about the best payroll software from blogs and experts in the HR industry.