Frequently Asked Questions
Quick access to a list of helpful answers to questions related to the Payroll module.
How can I change the Payroll Number on the Certified Payroll Report?
- Go to .
- Call up an employee code for someone who worked on the certified job in question.
- Highlight the appropriate check and click the Time Card button.
- Change the Work
Date to the first day the job was certified. Note: These steps only have to be performed on one time card line. It is not necessary to perform these steps on multiple time card lines as the SQL view looks to find the first date payroll was charged to the job.
- Rerun the Certified Payroll Report. Notice that the week number has changed accordingly.
How can I make sure that the complete add-on was paid this month?
Add-on exceptions occur when a monthly limit is specified and the scheduled payment plus amounts already paid do not sum to the limit. The Exception format of the Add-on History Report is designed to show when the full amount is not scheduled to be paid.
For example, an employee is set up to receive $25 a week for healthcare reimbursement, with a $100 a month limit. This weekly add-on cost needs to be paid regardless of whether or not the employee works every week. If the employee works for the first week of the month but not the second week, running this report would show that the employee had only received $25 so far this month, that the scheduled amount the employee should have been paid was $50, and therefore there is a difference of $25 remaining.
How can I make sure that the complete deduction was taken this month?
The Exception format of the Deduction History Report is designed to provide information regarding recurring deductions that are set up with a monthly limit. It shows those employees that have not yet had sufficient deductions taken since the last month-end to assure that the full deduction amounts will be taken during the current period.
For example, if medical insurance premiums are taken as a fixed deduction each week but the employee does not receive a check one week, the deduction would not be taken and would then appear as an exception on this report. The report computes the scheduled amounts yet to be deducted during the month, adds deductions already taken, and compares the sum to the monthly limit. Any shortfall is reported as an exception.
How do I move a saved time card image back into the unassigned batch document?
- In Pre-Time Card Entry (or any of the pre-time card entry or time card entry screens that support the feature), and then open the record you want to move the image from.
- Click the Batch button to open the Batch Window.
- Click the Image button and select the option to Copy stored image into current unassigned batch.
- In the Batch Window, use the arrow icon to move the screens on the Current Document tab to the Batch Document tab.
- In Spectrum, save your invoice and when the Batch Document window displays, select the option to Save new image (in place of original).
Does Payroll support multi-company work order entries?
The Pre-Time Card Entry, Time Card Entry, Layoff Check Entry, and Pre-Time Card Import features all support multi-company work order cost entries. You will be able to charge time for an employee in one company (for example, HHC) to a work order in a different company (for example, ARC). During the Payroll Update, Spectrum stores the actual labor cost history in the ARC work order cost history table. Likewise, after entering pre-time cards for multi-company work (in HHC), the entry is available for billing selection on the work order (in ARC).
We are a non-union shop that does prevailing wage work. Should we use non-union pay groups or wage codes?
You can use wage codes or non-union pay groups. However, you may not use both at the same time.
Used together, union and wage codes can be used to create unlimited wage tables. Multiple wage codes can be assigned to a job and to a phase. Up to four add-on or deduction codes may be associated with the union code. This provides a way to automate recurring deductions for a specific type of work. This logic works for Davis-Bacon and prevailing wage jobs.
These tables can also be used to control pay rates when the employee is working on a piece of equipment. For example, the employee may earn $8/hour as a laborer and $15/hour when running the backhoe.
Pay groups provide a means to set up a series of default pay rates for non-union employees. Pay group features include the ability to set different burden rates (estimated) by employee, job, or phase. Only two add-ons or deduction codes may be associated with the pay group code. This is a wage table that works for Davis-Bacon, prevailing wage, and non-prevailing wage jobs.
If your company has both union and non-union employees, you will want to use the union and wage code system.
| Union & Wage Codes versus Non-union Pay Groups Features | Non-Union Pay Groups | Wage Codes |
|---|---|---|
| A wage table that assists in data entry by defaulting in the proper pay rate. | X | X |
| How many can be associated with a job? | One | Unlimited |
| Supports Davis-Bacon & prevailing wage jobs | X | X |
| Provides billing rates for the Time +Material module | X | X |
| Ability to set specific burden rates based on type of labor | X | |
| Accrue fringes based on type of labor | X | |
| Ability to set defaults by job | X | X |
| Ability to set pay defaults by phase | X | X |
| Ability to gross up wages for a certain benefit | X | |
| Can control the worker's compensation rate | X | |
| Can be used with union and non-union employees | X | |
| Defaults in equipment rates based on type of labor performed | X | |
| Ability to set an employee specific pay rate | X | |
| Supports employee specific pay rates when working on a specific phase | X | |
| Set a minimum pay percentage | X | |
| Pay an employee a lower rate for specific phases, even when their normal rate is higher. For example, an employee is paid less while traveling to the job site verses when he is working at the job site. | X |
How can we use the common paymaster approach to payroll to control pay rates and create certified payroll reports?
The following example outlines how to use the common paymaster approach to control pay rates and create reports.
Scenario
Company XYZ is the common paymaster. HHC has job 650 that is a certified job.
Setup for Company XYZ - Common Paymaster
- Set employees and all associated payroll information into this company.
- Create Pay Group 650. Remember to include any phase or employee overrides as needed.
Setup for Company HHC - Job Company
- Set up the "shell" for pay group 650 in this company. Specifically, create the pay group code and a description. Do not enter any pay information or other overrides. You are only creating the pay group code so you can "associate" it with the job.
- The rate information will default from the pay group set up in the common paymaster company (XYZ).
Payroll Processing - Common Paymaster Company
When processing multi-company payroll, Spectrum will look to the pay group within the common paymaster company (XYZ). In other words, the rates set up in XYZ's pay group will automatically default in during data entry.
Certified Payroll Reporting - Job Company
Print the Certified Payroll Report from the job company (in this example HHC).
What are "Covered Earnings" on the Worker's Compensation Rate per $100 Report and how do the "Covered Earnings" differ from the Total Earnings?
If the worker's compensation method is Straight time equivalent, the covered earnings are the regular and straight time equivalent of the employee wages.
Example: John Doe worked 43 hours this week.
40 Regular hours @ $25/hour $1000
2 Overtime hours @ $37.50/hour 75
1 Double time hours @ $50/hour 50
Total Earnings $1125
Covered Earnings:
43 hours @ $25/hour$1075
(this amount does not include the premium value of overtime and double time earnings)
Covered Earnings may also include any other pay type earnings NOT specifically excluded in the for this state.
The Total Earnings column on this report does not necessarily equal Regular Earnings plus Overtime Earnings. Total Earnings includes other pay types, such as Vacation, Sick, Holiday pay, and so forth; which may not be subject to worker's compensation tax.
- First, check the worker's compensation method in the Worker's Compensation Code Maintenance screen in the Method field. If it's Straight time equivalent, review the information above.
- If the method is Total earnings, or the total earnings source is unknown, print the employee's Wage and Tax History Report for the same date range, and the Add-On History Report or the Deduction History Report for the same date range.
The Payroll module states that the current processing date is 8/15/XX when the true system date is 8/14/XX. Why don't the dates match?
To understand the resolution, you must first understand the Spectrum Processing Date Change screen.
The Processing Date Change screen (AdminProcessing Date Change) allows you to define a minimum, maximum, and current date for each module.
Each computer's operating system has a built-in clock, which keeps track of the actual calendar date. Spectrum reads this date when the first user logs on each day. The current processing date is set using the following rules:
Computer Date: Use the computer's date when it is within the minimum/maximum date range, and it is greater than the current processing date previously entered.
Current Processing Date: If the computer's date is less than the existing current processing date, do not change the date.
Maximum Date: If the computer's date is past the maximum date, use the maximum date as the current processing date.
Why?
The current processing date is set based on the first user to log on to Spectrum each day. If the computer date is earlier than the current processing date, then it is assumed that the date on the computer is incorrect and is not used. The theory is that you would not want to use an earlier date just because the first person that logged in that day manually changed his/her computer system date.
Spectrum has always used this logic. If this is not desired, then manually change the current processing date accordingly.
Examples:
What will the current processing date be, based on the following scenarios? All assume these minimum and maximum dates:
Minimum Date 8/01/XX
Maximum Date 8/31/XX
| Scenario | What's the Current Processing Date? | Reason |
|---|---|---|
| On 8/05/XX, I log on to Spectrum. The current processing date is 8/04/XX. | 8/05/XX | The computer date is within the minimum/maximum dates and it is greater than the previous current processing date. |
| On 8/10/XX, I manually change the current processing date to 8/31/XX. | 8/31/XX | You can reset the date with manual entry. |
| On 8/15/XX, I log into Spectrum. The current processing date is 8/31/XX. | 8/31/XX | Current processing date does not reset to the computer date because it is earlier than the previous current processing date. |
| On 9/05/XX, I log into Spectrum. The current processing date is 8/31/XX. | 8/31/XX | The computer date is past the maximum date; therefore, the maximum date is used. |
I want a certain deduction to be taken out on the first and third weeks of the month. How can I set this up in Spectrum?
Use the Week Numbers field when setting up deductions and add-ons. Here you can tell Spectrum which payroll weeks you would like the item to be used on. Once this is set up, you will need to tell Spectrum which week you are processing for payroll.
Setup Steps
- On the Site Map screen, select .
- On the Properties tab, locate the Week Numbers field.
- Enter the week number that you want the add-on or deduction to be taken on. For example, you would enter 13 or 31 for a deduction that is taken on the first and third weeks of the month.
Processing Payroll
When setting a new pay cycle (), you will need to tell Spectrum what week number you are processing. Continuing with our example, if this was the first payroll week of the month, you would enter 1. If this was the second week, you would enter 2.
Any deduction or add-on codes with week numbers that are blank are assumed to be ALL payroll weeks and will be processed accordingly.
How does Spectrum calculate tax on bonus checks based on how the cycle is set?
Select this checkbox if you want the software to annualize the standard pay plus the bonus amount to determine the Federal income tax amount, otherwise leave this checkbox clear.
How does Spectrum calculate tax on bonus checks based on how the cycle is set?
How does Spectrum calculate tax on bonus checks based on how the cycle is set? - Example #1
If the Pay annual bonus check box is selected:
Hourly employee paid weekly, single ($20/hr or $41,600 annualized) zero exemptions, bonus $7500.00.
Total earnings including bonus = $49,100.00
$49,100.00-zero exemption ($3,100x0) = $49,100.00
$7,500.00 divided by $49,100.00 = .15. This is the portion of the annualized income included bonus that is attributable to the bonus (rounded to two decimals).
Calculate tax for $49,100.00 = $8,445.00
(based on 2003 tax rates: $3870.00 + 25% above $30,800.00 = $8,445.00)
$8,445.00 x .15 = $1,266.75 tax on bonus check
How does Spectrum calculate tax on bonus checks based on how the cycle is set? - Example #2
If the Pay annual bonus check box is NOT selected:
Hourly employee paid weekly, single ($20/hr or $41,600 annualized) zero exemptions, bonus $7500.00.
If you do not choose to annualize the bonus, the calculation will be $7,500.00 x 52 = $390,000 (based on the 2003 tax rate: $92,676.00 + 35% above $36,751 divided by 52 = $2,245.30).
