Payroll Assistant

Join The Upper Canada District School Board

Creating Futures, Leading and Learning for All

We are currently accepting applications for Payroll Assistant . Under the supervision of the Payroll Coordinator, the Payroll Assistant is responsible for processing pays and maintaining payroll records in the Board’s integrated Human Resources/Payroll computerized system. This includes the calculation, processing, verification, and analysis of employees’ pays while adhering to established policies and procedures, collective agreements, and government regulations. The Payroll Assistant is responsible for processing the pays of a specific group(s) of employees and also provides backup to other Payroll Assistants when required. Meeting strict deadlines, maintaining confidentiality, and providing excellent customer service are of great importance. 

This position is covered under the UCDSB/CUPE collective agreement.  For more information on employment information such as entitlements, pay, staffing, job protection, union security and dues information under the agreement please click here to view it on our external website.

Qualifications and Experience:

• Possesses a secondary school diploma and has successfully completed the first year of a college business program.
• Agrees to pursue the National Payroll Institute Payroll Compliance Practitioner Certification (PCP).
• Incumbent has two years of related work experience; preferably computerized payroll experience.
• An equivalent combination of education and experience may be considered.

Skills Required:

• Demonstrated intermediate proficiency in the use of spreadsheet and word processing software, e-mail, Internet
• Ability to apply common payroll knowledge and processes in a unionized environment with multiple collective agreements.
• Ability to learn the Board’s Payroll software.
• Attentive to detail and is able to work under pressure.
• Strong interpersonal skills with the ability to function effectively with staff, outside agencies and others.
• Respects confidentiality of information; practices tact and diplomacy.
• Demonstrates initiative and is willing to learn new systems and processes.
• Proven problem solving capabilities and well developed analytical abilities
• Well developed oral and written communication skills
• Ability to organize and prioritize workload to meet deadlines.
• Adaptable and able to work effectively as a member of the Payroll Team and the Finance Department.

Duties & Responsibilities:

The primary objective is to consistently ensure that all employees of the Board are paid accurately and on time by:

• Perform other related duties as required.
• Relieve Board Receptionist, as required.
• Demonstrate good attendance and work in a healthy and safe manner.
• Prepare routine correspondence and information for employees.
• Identify and recommend improvements to payroll procedures. Ensure that all job procedures are current and documented.
• Review and ensure the accuracy and completeness of year-to-date employee data to facilitate year end reporting.
• Annually or when necessary, update payroll forms, e.g. time sheets. Participate in the design and production of new forms when needed.
• File electronic and paper reports such as time sheets, daily action reports, audit reports, and payroll registers following each pay and file other information relating to employees in personnel files.
• Prepare necessary journal entries when required.
• Identify and bring to the attention of the Payroll Coordinator, any problems associated with the payroll operations and any information affecting remittances or monthly reconciliation work.
• Adhere to all manual and computerized internal controls and identify the need for new or improved controls.
• Performs the essential duties of absent Payroll Assistants to ensure that all employees are paid accurately and on time.
• Liaise with Human Resources staff on matters relating to the payroll process.
• At the beginning of deferred leaves, determine the bi-weekly gross pays based upon trust account balances. At the conclusion of the leave, determine final payout of trust account balances.
• Establish deferred leaves for employees participating in the Leave with Salary Holdback Plans. This includes opening individual bank trust accounts, configuring payroll system to withhold a portion of earnings, and reconciling monthly, the amounts being held in trust for employees.
• Collect benefit premiums from employees who maintain coverage while on approved leaves of absence by establishing/terminating withdrawal templates using the Board’s banking software.
• Review payroll registers for accuracy of gross and net pays. When required, refund or collect arrears
• Produce off-cycle pays separate from normal pay processing due to errors for reasons outside of the employee’s control. Each off-cycle pay involves, creating an individual pay sheet, calculating the pay, adjusting for taxes and benefits, and confirming the pay in preparation for payment.
• Communicate with the Family Responsibility Office, Canada Revenue Agency and other government agencies regarding court orders and garnishments which are confidential and affect employees of the Board.
• Prepare Records of Employment. Research and provide any other payroll information requested by Human Resources Development Canada.
• Ensure that appropriate earnings codes and general ledger account codes are assigned under specific circumstances when required.
• In software, assign appropriate union and voluntary deduction codes, as well as tax and banking information for new hires.
• Collect, receive and organize payroll information pertaining to employee additions, changes and terminations. Review information, including the HR/Payroll system, for accuracy and completeness and follow-up with the Human Resources Department when necessary.
• Respond to inquiries from employees and direct appropriate inquiries to Human Resources when appropriate.
• Provide pay calculation details to employees when changes to regular bi-weekly pays are processed. Respond to employees to explain and clarify paycalculations, adjustments and complex information to employees as required.
• Manage workload to meet frequent and strict deadlines.
• Reconciling bi-weekly actual pays with expected results.
• Ensuring that all benefit adjustments for employees whose status has changed are deducted/refunded appropriately.
• Reviewing and analyzing sick day reports. Calculate pay adjustments when required. Investigate and follow-up with the Rehabilitation Coordinators as necessary to determine if action is required.
• Ensuring the accurate calculation of hourly, salaried, and teaching pays by utilizing the appropriate method for each employee group and circumstance, i.e. gross pay, vacation pay, statutory, mandatory, and voluntary deductions, maternity sub-plan benefit payments, and adjustments.
• Reviewing and preparing time sheets for system input for overtime hours, designated teaching allowance for replacement of principals, marking, as well as other types of additional pay that are not recorded in the absence system. Input the time sheet data into the payroll system and review audit reports for input accuracy. When necessary, investigate and follow-up with schools, departments and/or Human Resources to confirm the accuracy of the data provided.
• Reviewing and analyzing the accuracy of the data uploaded from the Board’s absence reporting and replacement information system for temporary support staff, occasional and long-term occasional teachers. When necessary, investigate and follow-up with the schools, departments and/or Human Resources to confirm the accuracy of the data provided.
• Ensuring that the terms of the collective agreements are properly interpreted and implemented for all affected employees. Ensure that provisions of the Education Act, Employment Standards Act, and Canada Revenue Agency regulations relating to pay are adhered to for all employee groups and casual employees. Failure to do so could result in financial penalties to the Board and/or undue hardship to employees.

Application:

Your completed application on Apply to Education must include the following:

• Cover Letter
• Resume
• Updated Applicant Profile
• Complete responses to job related questions

You may also wish to attach relevant diplomas, certifications, reference letters, etc. relevant to your application.

References:

UCDSB requires your current and two most recent direct supervisors.

If your experience is in a day-to-day occasional capacity ensure that you list the length of time that you worked for that Supervisor and whether the assignment was casual day-to-day or in a long-term occasional capacity.

The UCDSB does not accept colleagues or personal references.

Selection Process:

The UCDSB selection process includes a review of required qualifications, interview and assessment process, and reference checks. All employment offers are conditional on candidates providing a valid criminal record check for the vulnerable sector.

The Upper Canada District School Board (UCDSB) is committed to equity in employment. As an equal opportunity employer, we are committed to establishing a qualified workforce that is reflective of the diverse population we serve. The UCDSB is committed to providing accommodations [for people with disabilities]. If you require an accommodation, we will work with you to meet your needs. This would be facilitated upon receiving an interview and would be done by contacting Human Resources at AskUCHR@ucdsb.on.ca

 The UCDSB may use Artificial Intelligence (AI) tools to screen, select and/or assess applicants in the hiring process.  AI is not used to make final hiring decisions.