Canadian HR Reporter - Readers' Choice Awards

D id you know that payroll comprises as much as 70% of an orga- nization's expenses? 1 Administering payroll correctly can save you and your organization time and money, keep employees happy, and reduce the risk of government audits and penalties. My respect for the Canadian Payroll Association (CPA) runs deep. I en- rolled in my fi rst CPA course back in 2013, as a HR professional with no knowledge of payroll. Before my CPA training, I did not appreciate how mission-critical payroll really is. Nor did I realize that Canada's 1.5 million employers annually pay $901 billion in wages and taxable benefi ts, $305 billion in statutory remittances and $169 billion in health and retirement benefi ts, all while complying with over 200 federal and provincial regulatory requirements. All I knew at the time was that my employer had asked me to recom- mend and improve our vacation policy, benefi ts plan, and termination practices (among other things). While performing these HR tasks, I noticed gaps in my knowledge. For example, I could propose a new vacation policy, but I didn't know how to calculate the potential additional cost to my organization, nor did I know which earnings were considered 'vacationable'. My concerns grew. How could I propose alterations to a benefi ts plan without understanding which benefi ts were taxable? How could I conduct a new hire orientation without knowing how to explain TD1 forms? How could I draft a compliant termination letter or propose a severance package without understanding constantly-changing legisla- tive and regulatory requirements? In fact, how could any HR practitioner design compensation pro- grams without fully understanding payroll compliance rules? A quote from Confucius came to mind: "To know what you know and what you do not know, that is true knowledge." What I did not know at the time was payroll. My lack of payroll knowl- edge was affecting my ability to grow as an HR professional and take on more responsibility. It was hindering my successful performance. I did not feel I had the knowledge I needed to make important busi- ness decisions. And I refused to guess, because the consequences would be too severe if I did. It is common knowledge that we make poorer decisions when we believe we know something about which we truly have no idea. This realization set me on the path to CPA membership and to my Payroll Compliance Practitioner (PCP) certifi cation. I decided to enroll in the CPA's Payroll Compliance Legislation course, thinking at the time that this would suffi ce, and that it would give me all the knowledge I needed in order to ensure my company's policies and practices were compliant. I was wrong! The more I learned about payroll, the more I learned how much there was to learn about payroll. And so I kept studying payroll, and I'm so glad I did! In 2014, I obtained the PCP certifi cation from the CPA (the only one of its kind in Canada) and achieved one of the highest marks in the country. Having my PCP certifi cation exposed me to many new career op- portunities. It gave me confi dence, as well as the knowledge and cre- dentials to be listened to by others and for my recommendations and proposals to be considered. It enabled me to actively participate in discussions with senior management. Basically, it enabled me to do my job even better. Looking ahead, my goal one day is to be a HR & Payroll Manager. I'm currently pursuing my CHRL designation, and I plan to pursue my Certifi ed Payroll Manager (CPM) designation as well. My advice to others is to push yourself. Test your limits, and don't give up. Keep learning. If you already have one designation, why not make it two? It is so important to be the best you can be. That's the ticket to competing with others, fi nding and holding a job, getting promoted and more! You'll be surprised at what you can achieve if you put your mind to it. You can always do more, and you can always be better. HR practitioners are encouraged to fi nd out more about The Canadian Payroll Association. Individual and organizational memberships are available for $220 annually and the benefi ts of membership are numerous. In addition to the PCP and CPM certifi cation programs (which accept HRPA learning as part of Continuing Professional Education requirements), the Association offers Professional Development Seminar on more than 20 topics that are relevant to HR practitioners – including employment and labour standards, year-end requirements, garnishments, terminations, special payments, international assignments, pensions & benefi ts, learning payroll, payroll essentials for HR practitioners, and more. CPA members and non-members are welcome. Learn more at payroll.ca / paie.ca. Payroll Knowledge Enhances HR Effectiveness: An HR Generalist Shares Her Journey to Payroll Compliance Practitioner Certification ADVERTISING FEATURE By Madura Sooriyadevan, PCP, CHRP, HR Generalist, Mircom Group of Companies HOW COULD I PROPOSE A NEW VACATION POLICY WHEN I DID NOT KNOW WHICH EARNINGS WERE 'VACATIONABLE'? "THE MORE I LEARNED ABOUT PAYROLL, THE MORE I LEARNED HOW MUCH THERE WAS TO LEARN ABOUT PAYROLL." "HOW COULD I PROPOSE TERMINATION LETTERS AND SEVERANCE PACKAGES WITHOUT UNDERSTANDING LEGISLATION?" "HOW COULD I PROPOSE ALTERATIONS TO A BENEFITS PLAN WITHOUT UNDERSTANDING WHICH BENEFITS WERE TAXABLE?" 1 Richard J. Long, Strategic Compensation in Canada. 5th Ed. (Toronto: Nelson Thompson Learning, 2013), p 5.

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