Payroll Specialist

$45,760 - $52,000/Yr

Tcat - Ithaca, NY

Full-time

Ithaca, NY

Real Estate

About the position

The Payroll Specialist plays a crucial role in supporting the HR Department by ensuring the accurate and timely processing of payroll. This position involves a variety of responsibilities, including preparing, processing, and reconciling payroll, managing taxation forms, handling garnishments of wages, tracking attendance, and overseeing employee benefits. As a key point of contact for the HR Department, the Payroll Specialist provides essential information to employees regarding payroll and benefits, including 401(k) plans, leave management, direct deposit procedures, and the use of Paycom software. The role also includes creating reports, maintaining files, and managing the department's intranet pages to ensure that all payroll-related information is accessible and up-to-date. Essential functions of the Payroll Specialist include processing biweekly payroll, reviewing employee time worked, and managing absence requests. The specialist collaborates with supervisors to clarify any questions regarding employee time, including overtime and shift differentials. Maintaining both physical and electronic payroll files is critical, as is tracking attendance records and providing reports to employees. The Payroll Specialist is responsible for processing child support deductions and garnishments, ensuring compliance with all federal, state, and local tax regulations, and preparing various reports for state and federal agencies, auditors, and internal departments. Additionally, the Payroll Specialist manages the W-2 process at the end of the year and oversees the TCAT paid time off process, including vacation and sick leave requests. Collaboration with HR Generalists, department managers, and Leave Management Representatives is essential to ensure that all necessary paperwork is completed and followed up on. The role requires a commitment to professional development to stay current with payroll compliance and best practices.

Responsibilities

• Process biweekly payroll.
• Review employee time worked and manage absence requests.
• Collaborate with supervisors to clarify questions on employee time, including overtime and shift differentials.
• Maintain payroll files both physical and electronic.
• Track and compile attendance records, providing attendance reports to all employees.
• Maintain perfect attendance process.
• Receive and process child support deductions and garnishments, and request checks for appropriate recipients.
• Create and maintain spreadsheets to establish deadlines and changes to benefits, pay, and status.
• Maintain a calendar indicating scheduled pay dates, pay increase dates, and dates for employee benefit program enrollments.
• Audit payroll register to ensure accuracy before finalizing payroll.
• Distribute checks and prepare manual payroll check requests with appropriate documentation.
• Research payroll changes, taxes, and wage and labor laws to ensure compliance with regulations.
• Prepare and generate various reports for state and federal agencies, auditors, and internal departments.
• Manage the W-2 process at the end of the year.
• Create and maintain all employee files, including medical, payroll, personnel, I-9, and 401k documentation.
• Manage the TCAT paid time off process, including requests and balances.
• Provide reports and audit assistance to the Accounting Department as needed.
• Seek out professional development programs to stay updated on payroll compliance.

Requirements

• High school diploma or GED with 3-5 years of administrative, business, HR, and/or payroll experience.
• Associates Degree preferred.
• Understanding of basic HR/Payroll laws and regulations, best practices, and procedures.
• Self-directed and detail-oriented with the ability to work collaboratively in a team setting.
• Excellent computer skills and data management experience, particularly with MS Office and HRIS.
• Ability and willingness to learn new systems.
• Integrity, professionalism, and confidentiality are essential.
• Strong organizational, analytical, and problem-solving skills.
• Excellent time management skills.
• Strong oral and written communication skills; customer-service oriented.

Nice-to-haves

• Knowledgeable in employment law and various local, state, and federal laws.

Benefits

• 401(k)