Payroll processing is just a fact of life if you own a business. However, there are steps that you can take to make this required business step a little easier.

Way #1: Keep Accurate Employee Time Records

First, you need to keep accurate employee records. You need to have a precise system for keeping track of employees' work time. You may use an old-school punch clock, a self-reporting system, or a digital system for employees to sign in and sign out. Just make sure that you are keeping long-term accurate records of when employees work, and make sure employees are not working when they should be off the clock.

You also need to make sure you know if an employee is exempt or non-exempt and how that impacts the records you keep.

Way #2: Always Pay Employees on Time

Second, make sure you always pay your employees on time. Paying your employees is not like paying a bill; you can't just take a late fee because you forget. Your employees depend on their paycheck, and not paying your employees on time not only hurts them; it can result in both state and federal penalties for you as well.

You can choose how often you pay your employees, but make sure that they know the payroll schedule. Print out and share a yearly payroll schedule with your employees. This is a good idea even if you are on a set schedule, as holidays can impact paydays.

Way #3: Get W-4 Paperwork

Third, make sure that you are withholding the right amounts for each employee's paycheck. You need to make sure that you are following the rules and withholding the right amounts.

Way #4: Hire a Professional

Finally, this is not a task that you have to take care of all on your own. You can hire a bookkeeper to take care of processing your payroll each month. You still need to make sure you have an accurate way to keep track of the time employees work and collect their W-4 paperwork, but you can leave the actual labor of processing payroll each pay period to your bookkeeper.

Make the payroll process easier on yourself by setting up a timecard system, getting W-4 paperwork from your employees, and hiring a bookkeeper to ensure you pay your payroll on time. Taking these steps will help ensure your payroll process runs as smoothly as possible, without putting extra stress on you. 

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