Oct 2017
19
Customer Update
Free Webinar: What you NEED to know about PAYE Modernisation
PAYE Modernisation is probably the biggest overhaul of the PAYE system since PAYE itself was introduced back in 1960. It will have wide ranging effects on all employers. Register now for our free webinar to find out what you need to know about PAYE Modernisation. Speakers include Paul Byrne (Thesaurus Software) & Sinead Sweeney (Revenue)
CPD Webinar: GDPR for your Payroll Bureau (Bureaus Only)
Data protection and how personal data is managed is changing forever. On 25 May 2018 the new General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) will come into force. The GDPR is a European privacy regulation replacing all existing data protection regulations. Register now for our free, CPD accredited webinar to find out how this new legislation will affect your payroll bureau.
"What do you mean... Do I have a backup?” - A day in the life of Customer Support
One of the most common calls on the support line is from a distressed customer who tells us they have lost their payroll information. Reasons for the loss of this information are varied and could be anything from a laptop being stolen, a virus attacking the computer or fire or water damage to the computers in the office.
Thesaurus Connect - Try for Free
We are giving customers one free Thesaurus Connect 2017 licence. With Thesaurus Connect, employers can login to their own personal employer dashboard where they can access employee payslips, payroll reports and a company wide calendar. It also includes a self-service portal for employees to view payslips and request annual leave.
Redeem your free licence / Book a demo
New Automatic Enrolment Pension System to be in place by 2021?
Brian Hayes MEP has called on Minister for Social Protection, Regina Doherty to start work on the introduction of an automatic enrolment pension system, whereby all Irish private sector employees would be automatically enrolled into a pension scheme.
Thesaurus Customer Survey: The Results are in!
In our recent survey, we were delighted to discover that Thesaurus has a 99.6% customer satisfaction rate. Customers are also highly satisfied with our customer support team, with a satisfaction rate of 99.5%.
Oct 2017
17
Should employers pay staff that missed work due to Ophelia?
As Hurricane Ophelia hit Ireland yesterday bringing with it a red status weather warning across the country, many Irish businesses closed their doors advising staff to stay at home. The decision came after it was announced that all schools and universities were to shut for the duration of the weather warning. Transport services across the nation were cancelled, while major supermarkets chains and large stores closed their doors.
Are employers obliged to pay an employee during this time?
Where an employer closes its doors for the day or has asked the employee not to come into work/or leave early due to safety concerns, then the employee should be paid as normal.
However, if the business were to remain open but the employee was unable to make the journey to work, or if a parent had to remain at home to look after their children when the schools are closed, then strictly speaking in these circumstances the employer has no obligation to pay the employee. We would advise employers to be as flexible as possible in these situations and to consider the effect it may have on staff morale if you were to deduct pay due to circumstances beyond the employee's control.
So what options are there for employers when employees miss work due to bad weather?
• To pay staff as normal for the time off
• To allow employees to work from home where possible
• To allow employees to work up the time missed at a later date
• To allow employees to be paid from their paid annual leave entitlement. It should be noted that although a good solution, forcing this option without prior agreement with the employee is not best practice.
Employers are advised to have a policy in place to cover absence due to inclement weather events addressing what would happen in the event of an employee being unable to attend work due to bad weather conditions. Including such a policy in your company handbook and ensuring all staff is aware of it will limit confusion and disagreements when such situations arise.
Oct 2017
11
Budget 2018 - Employer Payroll Focus
Pay As You Earn (PAYE)
- There was no change to tax rates for 2018, the standard rate will remain at 20% and the higher rate at 40%.
- Standard Rate Cut Off Points (SRCOPs) will be increased by €750 from 1st January 2018.
Emergency Basis of PAYE
Employee provides PPS Number:
Where an employee does not provide their PPS Number the higher rate of 40% tax applies to all earnings.
Earned Income Tax Credit
The Earned Income Tax Credit will be increased by €200 from €950 to €1,150.
Home Carer Tax Credit
The Home Carer Tax Credit will be increased from €1,100 to €1,200.
Universal Social Charge (USC)
- Exemption threshold remains at €13,000
- 2.5% rate reduced to 2%, threshold for this rate increased from €18,772 to €19,372
- 5% rate reduced by 0.25% to 4.75%
- No change to 8% rate
Medical card holders and individuals aged 70 years and older whose aggregate income does not exceed €60,000 will pay a maximum rate of 2%.
The emergency rate of USC remains at 8%.
PRSI & USC
The Minister outlined his intention to establish a working group in 2018 to carry out a review of the possible integration of PRSI and USC.
National Training Levy
The National Training Levy of 0.7% which is currently collected as part of the employer PRSI contribution will increase to fund further and higher education, the increases are as follows:
- 0.8% in 2018
- 0.9% in 2019
- 1% in 2020
Pay Related Social Insurance (PRSI)
There were no changes to general PRSI thresholds or employee PRSI announced in the Budget. However, as the National Training Levy is increasing and it is collected as part of the employer PRSI contribution, employer PRSI will increase as follows:
- 8.5% increased to 8.6%
- 10.75% increased to 10.85%
Benefit in Kind (BIK) - Electric Cars
A 0% rate of BIK will apply to electric vehicles provided by an employer to an employee in 2018 which is available for private use. Electricity used by the employee in the workplace to charge the car will also be exempt from BIK.
PAYE Modernisation
PAYE Modernisation will be effective from 1st January 2019. Budget 2018 has allocated €50 million for a project to enhance Revenue's IT capacity and to ensure employer compliance.
National Minimum Wage
The National Minimum Wage will increase from €9.25 to €9.55 per hour in respect of hours worked on or after 1st January 2018.
- Workers under age 18 will be entitled to €6.69 per working hour
- Workers in their first year of employment over the age of 18 will be entitled to €7.64 per working hour
- Workers in their second year of employment over the age of 18 will be entitled to €8.60 per working hour
Social Welfare Payments
There will be a €5 increase in all weekly Social Welfare payments with effect from 26th March 2018. The maximum personal rate of Illness Benefit will be increased to €198 per week. Maternity Benefit and Paternity Benefit will be increased to €240 per week.
Oct 2017
10
Thesaurus Payroll Manager - Customer Survey - The Results are in!
Opinions and feedback from our customers matter to us. We love to hear comments and suggestions from users in order to improve the customer experience. Last month we conducted a customer survey to get an insight into what customers think about Thesaurus Payroll Manager and find out what new features our customers want.
The survey also looked at customer satisfaction rates, software performance and customer support. We were delighted to discover that Thesaurus Payroll Manager has a 99.6% customer satisfaction rate. Customers are also highly satisfied with our customer support team, with a satisfaction rate of 99.5%. Many customers agree that BrightPay saves them time (99.4%) and offers good value for money (99.6%).
Surprisingly, 43% of customers were not aware that Thesaurus Payroll Manager includes integration with One4all. This new feature was added last year and enables employers to seamlessly purchase One4all gift cards for employees.
The survey also looked at awareness of PAYE Modernisation. Nine out of ten accountants, bookkeepers and payroll bureaus said that they were aware of this new PAYE system, which will be effective from 1st January 2019. Meanwhile, one in five employers were unaware of this upcoming change. Thesaurus recently hosted a number of free PAYE Modernisation webinars, with a guest speaker from Revenue. The webinars incorporated everything you need to know about PAYE Modernisation. Watch the PAYE Modernisation training session on demand.
Customer Testimonials
We also received a number of customer testimonials from the survey - all of which will be added to the Thesaurus website in due course. Some of our favourite testimonials received include:
- "We have used Thesaurus for our payroll since 2001. Over the last 17 years our general accounting software has been changed 3 times but we have never found a better payroll system or had a reason for wanting to change..."
- "I found the support I was given by Thesaurus to be of the highest quality, with the empathy shown by Thesaurus employees to be extraordinary."
- "I have used Thesaurus Payroll in a number of companies and I found it much easier to use than any other payroll software I have encountered. It has always provided updates and changes required quickly without fuss. The newest addition, Thesaurus Connect has made life easy for me. Payslips automatically sent out to employees and the facility for them to view and print payslips as required has freed up a lot of management time for other duties."
- "The support staff are brilliant, they answer questions in everyday language and are committed to staying with you until you have a total understanding of the query."
- "Thesaurus Payroll Manager is the most cost effective change we have made to our business. From the standard paying wages to being able to email payslips, work out holiday entitlement and much more, this software package is worth its weight in gold. Saving us time and money. I wouldn't be without it."
Prize Winners
As a thank you for taking part in the survey, we are giving away four €50 One4all vouchers. We are delighted to announce that the winners are:
- John Ganly - Blanchardstown Amalgamated Sports Ltd
- Geraldine Grennan - PJ Grennan Ltd
- Elaine Donnelly - Irish Theatre Institute
- Eugene O'Donovan - SME Finance
The Thesaurus team will be in contact with the winners shortly.
We appreciate all the feedback received from this year’s survey and would like to say a massive thank you to everyone who took part.
Useful Links
Aug 2017
30
Customer Update - August
Revenue moves to PAYE Modernisation
In October 2016, the Minister for Finance announced that the current Pay As You Earn (PAYE) system would be revamped and modernised. This is known as PAYE Modernisation. This new system will enable Revenue to ensure that employees are receiving their correct tax credits and cut-off points throughout the year in real time. This compares with the current PAYE reporting which is done through P35s on a yearly basis.
Find out more / Register for webinar
Watch our video to see how you can benefit from Thesaurus Connect
Thesaurus Connect is a cloud add-on that works alongside Thesaurus Payroll Manager. Payroll information is stored in the cloud and can be accessed online by bureaus, employers and employees on any device. Thesaurus Connect offers additional innovative payroll and HR features that streamline annual leave management and payroll processing.
Free Webinar: What you NEED to know about PAYE Modernisation | Guest Speaker: Revenue
PAYE Modernisation is probably the biggest overhaul of the PAYE system since PAYE itself was introduced back in 1960. It will have wide ranging effects on all employers.
- Main Speaker: Paul Byrne (Managing Director at Thesaurus Software)
- Guest Speaker: Sinead Sweeney (PAYE Modernisation Change Manager, Revenue)
Register here: 3rd October (bureaus) / 4th October (bureaus) / 24th October (employers)
Webinar: Employee Dismissal - How Easy Is It?
80% of unfair dismissal cases are won by the employee, not because the reason for dismissal was unfair but because the employer did not follow fair procedures. In this webinar we discuss the dangers of dismissing an employee, what rights you have as an employer and the relevant steps you need to take to protect your business against an unfair dismissal claim.
GDPR: What Businesses need to know
Data protection and how personal data is managed is changing forever. On 25 May 2018 the new General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) will come into force. The GDPR is a European privacy regulation replacing all existing data protection regulations.
Apr 2017
19
April Customer Update
Sunday Working - what employers need to know
In today’s world, the reality is that many businesses are open on Sundays, requiring employees to work Sundays. Employers of these businesses need to be aware of the additional responsibilities that apply to Sunday working.
Review Thesaurus Software
We work hard to ensure we offer the best payroll software products and knowledgeable customer service that we can. We are currently building our online presence. As part of this, we are looking for our customers to review Thesaurus Software on google reviews. Would you be willing to take a few minutes to provide a review of Thesaurus Software?
Have you tried our latest cloud add-on?
Thesaurus Cloud is our newest optional add-on that offers powerful automatic backup features and annual leave management facilities. Give your client and their employees online access to their payroll data. Discounts are available for bureaus who wish to purchase multiple licences.
Free Webinar - Keeping your Business Compliant with Employment Legislation
Employment regulations in Ireland are constantly changing. Employers need to keep up if they are to remain compliant as getting it wrong can be extremely costly. Our free webinar will peel back the legislation, giving you the key facts you need to know and easy-to-follow tips on how to manage your employer obligations.
Have you tried our sister product, Bright Contracts?
Bright Contracts has everything you need to create and manage up-to-date staff policies and procedures and contracts of employment. Ideal for your own in-house use, or for offering additional services to your clients.
Auto Enrolment for Ireland? Do you offer a pension scheme?
On a number of occasions, Leo Varadkar, the Minister for Social Protection, has mentioned his desire to introduce auto enrolment in Ireland. This will be a welcome and necessary development as it is unlikely that the current levels of state pension will be sustainable in the medium to long term.
Bright Contracts – Employment Contracts and Handbooks.
BrightPay – Payroll & Software.
