Pastel Evolution Payroll & HR's ESS module enables online interaction with staff

An employee self-service (ESS) module developed by payroll software specialist Softline Pastel Payroll is designed to provide companies, management, payroll administrators, the HR department and staff with significant benefits and advantages - even assisting with records such as business travel for tax deductions.

The objective of ESS software is to offer a user-friendly means of streamlining payroll and HR administration, while at the same time improving staff communications with department heads, administrators and management.

“The ESS module can be used with Pastel Evolution Payroll & HR and optimises Web technology to break down the barriers of distance. “It is an ideal communication solution for companies operating with remote branches or those that have sales representatives out on the road,” said Pastel Payroll managing director Grant Lloyd.

“It also offers sound control features that allow management to define staff access according to status and needs, so ESS is another step towards the paperless office, enabling staff to make online applications for leave, salary advances, loans, sponsorships, bursaries or other financial assistance.”

Staff can also view current and historic payslips, and securely keep records of their payslips in an electronic format.

Some of the major features of the ESS module are:

A “Documents” function that allows employees - at management's discretion -- to submit documents covering any workplace issue that they may wish to formally take up with the HR department, their own head of department or senior management, for example, submitting an application for a loan or advance, applying for bursaries or claiming overtime.

Employees can access and manage their own personal HR information to ensure home address, telephone numbers, marital status, dependants, next of kin, bank account, ID number, SARS office, tax number, photograph and other personal details are always correct. This ensures that accurate data is always available for compiling IRP5s, which can be a very time-consuming process.

This tax year, taxpayers claiming a deduction for business travel must keep, and produce on request, a detailed logbook. The ESS module offers an electronic logbook facility that fully records business travel claims for staff and makes it easy for them to submit to SARS at the end of the tax year in a format that meets SARS requirements.

Lloyd added that whenever individuals add new information or update existing information, the revisions are automatically routed to the appropriate department head or manager for authorisation, before being saved to the HR database. This feature ensures ongoing payroll accuracy and considerably eases the burden on payroll administrators.

“In developing the software, we focused on security and protecting the confidentiality of individual details and payslips. Each member of staff is allocated a login user name and password for access to the system, their individual details and payslips,” said Lloyd.

“They can view total remuneration for the year to date, total tax deductions, medical aid benefits, travel allowances, annual leave taken and leave due. Supervisors, department heads and managers have wider access within the system in relation to their position and job requirements.”

The software has powerful workflow capabilities. If a meeting is requested, all of the relevant details - place, time, agenda, participants and expected duration, are automatically routed to all of the staff involved for confirmation of attendance.

The workflow capability ensures that an individual leave request is automatically forwarded to the employee's head of department or manager who is able to view the leave application online and either approve or decline it. The individual is able to electronically trace the progress of the application.