Payroll Accountant Job Description

Business management appeals to payroll professionals. They like to work with numbers and follow establish procedures. They like detailed, exacting activities requiring organization and thoroughness.

FUNCTIONS:

  • Payroll clerk / Payroll accountant
  • Senior payroll technician
  • Payroll supervisor

DESCRIPTION

Payroll professionals are part of the accounting or payroll departments. They are responsible for administering employee remuneration. They guarantee the proper operation, accuracy and compliance of the payroll procedure.

This profession has a high rate of female participation; 90% of payroll clerks are women.

This function is increasingly centralized in multinational companies, with a shared services centre often managing payroll for an entire geographic area.

The job outlook is excellent, with a lack of senior practitioners already being felt.

DUTIES

Payroll clerks handle employee compensation-related administrative tasks. Their responsibilities vary depending on the company’s activity and type of organization, i.e. external process or managed internally, unionized or non-unionized workers.

They record attendance, leave, and overtime for each employee. They edit and check payroll statements and take care of the formalities required to issue pay cheques.

They also handle employee files and notices of termination of employment. They keep employees abreast of changes having an impact on their pay. Their functions make them excellent people to turn to for questions about compensation and employee benefits.

They generally use specialized payroll software (Ceridian or ADP).

SENIOR TECHNICIAN AND SUPERVISOR

Technicians and supervisors oversee payroll clerks.

They make sure that regulations in force are observed, and apply the company’s payroll policies.

Several years of experience in payroll are required to hold this type of job.

SKILLS

Business management appeals to payroll professionals. They like to work with numbers and follow establish procedures. They like detailed, exacting activities requiring organization and thoroughness.

They are tactful and like to keep their co-workers informed.

The job of senior technician and supervisor requires good communication and personnel supervisory skills.

SALARY

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