4 Features of HR Payroll Solutions that Support Public Sector Compliance

by Alexandrea Davis on March 30, 2023

Public sector agencies must comply with employment and data privacy laws. HRMS payroll software does that by letting employees update their own data.

Article Highlights: 

Government agencies are often charged with ensuring companies and citizens comply with laws and regulations, but they have to comply with governmental rules and regulations, too.

HR managers are the front line of defense in ensuring compliance, following state and federal laws, treating employees fairly, and reducing risk. That starts with complying with the regulations that govern your department's own functions: core HR, payroll services, benefits, and time & attendance.

But public sector HR requirements are complex, which makes it hard to uphold compliance across the entire agency. With human resources management system (HRMS) payroll software, agencies can simplify their processes to better support HR payroll compliance. Integrated HR and payroll streamline employee data management, upkeep, and communication, making it all easier to manage and maintain.

This article discusses the features of HR payroll solutions that support public sector compliance, including centralized employee information, time-saving automated workflows, employee self-service data management, and HR data reporting that makes public sector compliance easier.

Why Public Sector Agencies Need HR Payroll Solutions

Public sector compliance means government agencies must follow the same employment laws, data privacy laws, and health and safety laws that private companies follow. It also requires complete information that is readily accessible.

Unfortunately, most government agencies have separate software solutions, each using copies of the same information. That information is often entered manually, which can lead to outdated, inconsistent, or incomplete data in different folders and programs.

Public sector compliance requires complete data in order to make quick, effective decisions. That means HR staff often wastes time trying to assemble data from several sources, cross-indexing, and double-checking to ensure everything is correct.

Generating reports can take days and weeks, and the information is often out-of-date by the time the reports are complete. HR payroll compliance becomes a time-consuming exercise that takes time away from larger projects, policy development, and improving employee engagement.

This is where an integrated HR payroll solutions system can help.

4 Features of HR Payroll Solutions that Support Public Sector Compliance

HRMS payroll software combines core HR functions, payroll, benefits, and time & attendance into a single platform that uses a single set of data. Rather than using several different applications to manage all of these functions – large HR departments have an average of 11 different systems – you can do it all with one platform.

Plus, there are different rules and laws that affect how timesheets and payroll are processed. Some employees may be governed by union rules, others by state and federal laws. A cloud-based HRMS payroll platform can manage all of these rules and be updated as rules change and new ones take effect.

Your government agency can use HRMS payroll software to help manage your compliance requirements with minimal effort.

Centralized Employee Information

First, HR payroll solutions software has centralized employee information, which stores and manages all your employee data in one place. This improves organization, helps your HR teams keep information organized, and makes finding and maintaining employee data more efficient. The data is entered once and populates all the other functions in the platform. No more hand-keying data into each application, which can lead to errors.

Automated Updates & Workflows

An HR payroll solution also has automated updates and workflows, such as automatically notifying employees about annual benefits elections, tax forms, PTO approvals, and so on. It further ensures data accuracy by automatically updating information in real-time about changes in employees' personal information, benefits, time tracking, and paystub calculations. This improves the accuracy of employee data and drives accountability in meeting important deadlines.

Employee Self-Service

Employees can update their own data through the employee self-service feature. They can view and update important information, print pay stubs, make benefits election changes, and more, all without needing HR staff help or sending emails back and forth to complete the changes. 

The self-service feature also lets employees quickly identify and fix errors, such as notifying HR about a timesheet miscalculation, which reduces bottlenecks and delays. This frees up HR staff to work on other things like training and development, onboarding new employees, creating new policies, and tracking licensing/certifications.

Most HRMS solutions are cloud-based, which means they are available on mobile phones, tablets, and laptops. That allows employees to access their information anytime and anywhere, as well as allowing HR staff to work remotely.

Data Integration & Reporting

Finally, with an HRMS you can share centralized data and reporting across your HR functions. That improves data accuracy by reducing errors from manual entry and duplicate efforts and provides real-time information. You can pull comprehensive HR reports with the latest accurate employee information and share the data using attractive, easy-to-understand report templates. That ensures HR data and reports always meet public sector compliance and can be completed with minimal effort.

Make Compliance Easier with HRMS Payroll Software for Government

HRMS payroll software helps government agencies meet complex compliance requirements. You can consolidate all employee information and processes, automate tasks, reduce errors, and comply with unique public sector requirements.

By having the most accurate, up-to-date employee information stored in a central location, you're able to save time and money with automated workflows. You're also able to create comprehensive reports for managers and auditors that show all of your compliance efforts.

Our HRIS software is a government-focused HR payroll compliance solution that centralizes your core HR functions, as well as payroll, benefits, and time & attendance. It's flexible and configurable to support public sector compliance and HR operations, regardless of the size of your government agency.

It includes a self-service portal and mobile app so employees can manage their own personal data, but it's still secure enough so that everyone else's data is protected. And it integrates with other NEOGOV products and offers APIs for third-party integration with other software solutions.

Visit our website to learn more about meeting public sector compliance with our integrated HRIS.

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Alexandrea Davis

Alexandrea Davis is a Content Marketing Specialist at NEOGOV, supporting content strategy and development. With a love for storytelling and commitment to making an impact, she aims to create meaningful content that builds trust and erodes challenges for public service professionals.

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