Payroll and Benefits Officer

The Payroll and Benefits Officer is responsible for accurately and timely processing payroll and managing employee benefits programs, including pensions, group life insurance, and health insurance.

Position Overview

The Payroll and Benefits Officer is responsible for ensuring accurate and timely processing of payroll and administering employee benefits programs, including pension, group life insurance, and health insurance. This role is critical in maintaining compliance with company policies, tax regulations, and benefits plan provisions. The incumbent will also handle employee inquiries related to payroll and benefits and ensure the seamless administration of all related activities.

Key Responsibilities

Payroll Management

• Payroll Processing: Prepare, process, and distribute employee payroll on a bi-weekly/monthly basis, ensuring accuracy in hours worked, overtime, deductions, and salary payments.
• Payroll Records: Maintain accurate and up-to-date payroll records, including earnings, deductions, taxes, and net pay.
• Compliance: Ensure payroll complies with government regulations, including income tax, statutory deductions (NIS, Education Tax, etc.), and reporting requirements.
• Tax Filings: Assist with the preparation and filing of monthly, quarterly, and annual payroll tax returns, including P45/P60 or other tax forms as applicable.
• Payroll Adjustments: Handle payroll discrepancies, adjustments, and corrections in a timely manner, including back pay, deductions, and employee reimbursements.
• System Updates: Update employee payroll information in the system as required, including salary adjustments, new hires, terminations, promotions, and other changes.

Pension Administration

• Enrollment & Termination: Administer employee enrollments and terminations in the company’s pension scheme, ensuring accurate and timely processing of pension contributions.
• Contribution Tracking: Ensure that pension contributions are accurately tracked and submitted to the relevant pension provider on time.
• Compliance: Ensure that pension administration complies with local laws and the company’s pension plan provisions.
• Employee Queries: Address employee queries regarding pension contributions, balances, and the retirement process.

Group Life Insurance Administration

• Employee Enrollments: Facilitate the enrollment of employees in the group life insurance plan, ensuring all required forms and documentation are accurately completed and submitted.
• Policy Management: Maintain records of all employees under the group life insurance plan and ensure accurate payroll deductions are applied.
• Beneficiary Updates: Assist employees with updating beneficiary information as needed.
• Claims Processing: Coordinate with the insurance provider to process claims related to group life insurance and assist employees or their beneficiaries with the required documentation.

Health Insurance Administration

• Enrollment & Termination: Manage the enrollment of new employees and termination of departing employees in the company’s health insurance plan.
• Premium Deductions: Ensure accurate calculation and deduction of employee health insurance premiums from payroll.
• Claims Support: Assist employees with filing health insurance claims and answer any inquiries related to coverage, benefits, or claims status.
• Policy Review: Work with the Group HR Manager to review and update health insurance policies as needed to ensure the plan remains competitive and cost-effective.

Employee Benefits Administration

• Benefit Inquiries: Serve as the primary point of contact for employee inquiries regarding payroll, pensions, group life insurance, and health insurance.
• Education & Communication: Communicate changes in benefits programs to employees and assist in educating them about their benefits and options.
• Leave Administration: Support the administration of employee leave (e.g., vacation, sick leave) and ensure accurate leave balances are maintained in the payroll system.

Reporting & Reconciliation

• Payroll Reports: Generate and distribute regular payroll reports, including gross-to-net summaries, tax deductions, and statutory reports to the HR and Finance departments.
• Benefits Reports: Prepare monthly reports on pension, group life, and health insurance contributions and premiums for reconciliation purposes.
• Reconciliation: Reconcile payroll records with benefits contributions (pension, insurance) and ensure that all payments to third-party providers are accurate and timely.

General Responsibilities

• Compliance: Stay updated on local tax, pension, and employment laws to ensure ongoing compliance in payroll and benefits administration.
• Audit Support: Assist with internal and external audits of payroll and benefits programs, providing documentation and reports as needed.
• Data Integrity: Maintain the integrity and confidentiality of payroll and benefits data in the HRIS and payroll systems.

Key Requirements

• Education:
• Associate’s or Bachelor’s degree in Accounting, Business Administration, Human Resources, or a related field.
• Experience:
• Minimum of 2 years of experience in payroll processing and benefits administration.
• Experience with payroll software and HRIS systems is required (experience with ERP systems such as Odoo is a plus).
• Skills:
• Strong numerical and analytical skills.
• Excellent attention to detail and accuracy in processing payroll and benefits data.
• Proficient in Microsoft Office Suite (especially Excel) and payroll management software.
• Good understanding of tax regulations and statutory deductions.
• Strong communication and interpersonal skills, with the ability to explain complex information clearly.

Key Reports

• Payroll Summary Reports: Detailing salary disbursements, taxes, and deductions.
• Benefits Contribution Reports: Including pension, group life, and health insurance contributions.
• Statutory Compliance Reports: Ensuring adherence to local laws regarding payroll taxes and contributions.
• Reconciliation Reports: Monthly payroll and benefits reconciliation, ensuring accuracy between payroll and provider payments.

Working Conditions

• Office-based position with occasional collaboration with the HR and Finance departments.
• Must maintain confidentiality of employee payroll and benefits data at all times.