South Africa's leading developer and implementor of payroll and human resource management software, VIP Personnel & Payroll Systems, a member of the Softline Limited group, has launched a complete solution for the Employment Equity reporting requirements of small and medium enterprises (SMEs).
The offering from VIP encompasses an Employment Equity Module which integrates seamlessly with the VIP Payroll System; comprehensive and practical seminars on government's employment equity requirements; hands-on workshops that empower people to implement the software in their organisations; and the availability of VIP consultants for onsite assistance.
Anton van Heerden, MD of VIP, says small and medium enterprises (SMEs) are under pressure to computerise their human resource and payroll functions to help them meet the exacting reporting requirements set out in new labour legislation. He says the Employment Equity Act and the Skills Development Act demand that SMEs compile complex and time-consuming reports for submission to the Department of Labour.
The repercussions for organisations that fail to meet the reporting requirements set out in the new laws are severe. Penalties for non-compliance with Equity Act requirements include fines ranging from R500 000 to R900 000, while companies that do not meet the requirements of the Skills Development Levies Act can be disqualified from claiming back skills levies.
Most SMEs do not have (and often cannot afford) an in-house HR function with the necessary skills required to complete these reports, making automation through an integrated payroll equity software application an attractive option, notes Van Heerden.
"The VIP Employment Equity Module integrates tightly with our Payroll System and includes an optional link into the Personnel History Module. This means that any changes to your payroll automatically and seamlessly updates your Equity Information screen, so that you only need to input information once.
"This level of integration between a payroll system and an employment equity tool is unique to VIP. In addition, the Equity Module provides a single Equity screen per employee offering an at-a-glance view of all equity-related fields," says Van Heerden.
The system also allows users to base equity reports on existing payroll fields and print the reports out in the format required by the Department of Labour.
The VIP Employment Equity Module provides the tools an organisation needs to track its Equity progress against the numerical goals it set out in its Equity Plan. In addition, disciplinary actions, equity training and skills training can be defined to automatically update the Employment Equity fields required in the organisation's Equity plan.
The package allows larger organisations to consolidate equity reports from branches and subsidiaries into a single report for the entire group.
Flexible single and multi user licensing that are based on the size of the company makes the package affordable for even the smallest companies, says Van Heerden.
In addition to VIP's Equity Payroll module, VIP's practical and comprehensive Employment Equity and Skills Development seminars have been designed to assist SMEs with implementing the new legislation into their businesses.
"We have created the seminars as a medium to educate users about the new legislation. The seminars are cost effective, short and practical and provide SMEs with the necessary skills and tools required to understand the legislation and its impact on their business."
Van Heerden sums up, "VIP are able to keep an SME business up-to-date with the latest developments in new legislation and to offer them a cost-effective, complete solution."
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