Nov 2018
1
What are the biggest GDPR advantages of BrightPay Connect?
BrightPay Connect is an online payroll and HR tool that offers significant benefits to help your business comply with the GDPR legislation. BrightPay Connect is an add-on product to the payroll software. The main objective of BrightPay Connect is to increase the efficiency and effectiveness of payroll work within the remit of the GDPR guidelines.
Automatic Cloud Backup
Are you keeping your payroll files safe and protected? It is important to keep them protected in case of the event of fire, theft, cyber-attacks and damaged computers. BrightPay Connect is the solution. It is hosted on Microsoft Azure for ultimate performance and reliability. BrightPay Connect keeps a chronological history of all backups which can be restored at anytime.
Employee Self-Service Portal
Are you trying to find ways to improve your time-management skills? You can invite employees to their own self-service online portal which can be accessed using a smartphone app or any web browser. Employees will be able to securely access and download payslips, P60s, P45s, submit annual leave requests and view leave taken and leave remaining.
Bureau / Employer Dashboard
Are you looking for an easy and secure way to share documents? BrightPay Connect provides a self-service dashboard to both accountants and employers so they can access payslips, payroll reports, amounts due to HMRC, annual leave requests and employee contact details. You can also securely share resources, upload HR documents and get payroll data approval from the client electronically.
24/7 Online Access
Do you want to be in control at anytime and anywhere? BrightPay Connect allows mobile and online access at anytime of the day. This fulfils the GDPR best practice recommendation to provide remote access to a secure system where individuals have direct access to their personal payroll data.
Data Input (coming soon)
For bureaus, clients can upload or manually input their employees’ hours and payment details. This is offering an additional layer of GDPR protection. Once the hours are added/imported, information can be automatically synchronised to the employer file on the bureau’s PC, ready for processing. Bureaus can then securely send a payroll summary back to the client for approval through BrightPay Connect. This will eliminate the need to exchange emails, reduce the double entry requirement and minimise errors from manual data input.
HR & Annual Leave Management
BrightPay Connect also includes an employee calendar, which can keep record of all employees past and future leave including annual leave, unpaid leave, absence leave, sick leave and parenting leave. Employers can upload sensitive HR documents such as contracts of employment. Access can be restricted for certain users.
There is a considerable business opportunity for payroll bureaus to increase revenue while complying with the GDPR. There are significant discounts for bulk purchases.
If you are interested in BrightPay Connect, why not attend one of our free online demos!
Related articles:
- BrightPay Connect: The GDPR Survival Toolkit
- The benefits of offering BrightPay Connect to your clients
- GDPR - What is the right to rectification?
- 72 Hours: The timeline of a GDPR breach
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Aug 2018
3
GDPR - What is the right to rectification?
Under Article 16 of the GDPR, individuals have the right to rectify data that is inaccurate about them. An individual may also be able to have incomplete personal data completed. Although you may have already taken steps to ensure that the personal data was accurate when you first obtained it, this right imposes a specific obligation to reconsider the accuracy upon request.
What do we need to do?
If you receive a request from an individual to rectify their personal data, you should take reasonable steps to ensure that the data is accurate and rectified if necessary. The reasonable steps taken will depend on the nature of the personal data and what it will be used for. The more important the personal data is to be accurate, the greater the effort you should put into ensuring it’s accurate and if not, taking steps to rectify it.
When is data inaccurate?
The GDPR does not give a definition of the term accuracy. However, it states that personal data is inaccurate if it is incorrect or misleading in any way. It is the data controller's responsibility to ensure the personal data they manage is accurate and up-to-date.
Can we refuse to comply with the request for rectification for other reasons?
You can refuse to comply with a request for rectification if the request is excessive or manifestly unfounded, taking into account whether the request is repetitive in nature. There are two things you can do if you consider that a request is excessive or manifestly unfounded:
1. Request a “reasonable fee” to deal with the request
2. Refuse to deal with the request
You will need to justify your decision in either case. The reasonable fee should be based on the administrative costs of complying with the request. If you decide to charge a fee, it is advised that you contact the individual within one month. You do not need to comply with the request until you have received the fee.
In most cases, you cannot charge a fee to comply with a request for rectification. However, as noted above, if the request has been excessive or manifestly unfounded you may charge a reasonable fee to cover the administrative costs.
Related Articles:
HMRC and GDPR - Holding and using your personal information
GDPR to affect your employee payroll processing!
GDPR - Everything you need to know!
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Mar 2018
6
Auto Enrolment - Integration between payroll & pension providers
This year we will see an increasing number of key pension providers developing an API option that will allow payroll software to fully integrate with them. Certain pension providers such as NEST, have made real head way in terms of automation. Direct API integration allows payroll software and the pension scheme to communicate or talk directly to each other, which is a similar concept to RTI.
API integration means that users no longer need to export and save the data file to their PC and then log into the pension provider web portal to upload the data. Instead, data can be sent directly to the pension provider at the click of a button from within the payroll software.
This method of sending information between two systems will be of particular interest to payroll bureaus who could have a large number of payroll clients. The integration will enable bureaus to reduce errors and minimise the time spent submitting their clients’ files to the pension provider each pay period.
NEST have two other APIs to validate groups and payment sources, and to approve contribution payments from within the software. This integration further streamlines the setup and ongoing tasks involved when using NEST as your pension provider. Again any good payroll software will offer all three of these NEST API’s.
BrightPay offers csv support for 18 pension providers. We are now proud to say we offer API integration with NEST, Smart Pension and we’re the very first payroll provider to offer API integration with Aviva.
BrightPay Newsletter - Are you missing out?
GDPR is changing how we communicate with you. After May 2018, we will not be able to email you about webinar events, special offers, legislation changes, other group products and payroll related news without you subscribing to our newsletter. You will be able to unsubscribe at anytime. Don’t miss out - sign up to our newsletter today!
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Feb 2018
27
Next stop: Accountex Summit North! Find out why you should attend
Accountex Summit North is the NEW one-day conference dedicated to the accounting profession. This conference is all about learning, connecting and networking. It will take place at Manchester Central on 6th March 2018 and will attract over 1,000 people.
In today’s world it’s so easy to attend and watch a webinar from the comforts of your own bed or even while relaxing on holidays from practically anywhere in the world. But, there are many benefits and reasons why we choose to attend these conferences. Although, you can conduct meetings, watch online software demos, interviews and provide training without leaving your home/office, nothing can substitute for live, in peron business conferences.
Face-to-Face Networking
At BrightPay payroll, we believe that one of the most important aspects of a business conference is your ability to network and form relationships with other businesses and attendees. You become more than just an email address or a screen name by meeting face-to-face. When reaching out to people you met at a conference in the future, they will be more receptive if you left a good impression when you met in person.
Observe Visual Cues
These non-verbal communication elements such as body language and the overall atmosphere and environment allows you to remember knowledge from a previous experience. At Accountex Summit North, there is a range of high profile keynote speakers offering the latest insights, focusing around a main auditorium.
Direct Contact
Attending conferences such as Accountex Summit North puts you in direct contact with potential clients, software providers and customers in a setting where they will be receptive to hearing about your business ideas or recommendations.
Observe your Competitors
One of the reasons you attend a business conference is to learn the best ways to improve and grow your business. Your competitors are there for the exact same reason. Live events allow you to observe and learn what strengths and weaknesses your competitors may have. You can use this information to gain a competitive edge.
Promote Creativity & Innovation
Taking a break from your day-to-day activities to attend a live event helps you develop new ideas in a change of scenery, because being in business doesn’t mean all work no fun!
Visit BrightPay’s stand
Come visit us at stand number 33 at Accountex Summit North on the 6th March 2018 to see for yourself how our payroll software, BrightPay can benefit you and your business. BrightPay is incredibly flexible, letting you run your payroll with ease, no matter what type of employer you are or what your situation is.
We will run live demos at Accountex. Call over and speak to one of our experts to see just how useful BrightPay can be.
Alternatively Click here to book a demo of our software.
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Jan 2018
19
Recognised Overseas Pension Schemes notification list
The list of Recognised Overseas Pension Schemes (ROPS) notifications has been updated. 17 schemes have been added and 1 scheme has been removed. This is a list of workplace pension schemes that have told HMRC they meet conditions to be a ROPS and have been asked to be included on the list.
The ROPS notifications list is updated and published on the 1st and 15th day of each month. The list will be published on the next working day if this date falls on a weekend or UK public holiday. From time to time, the list is updated at short notice to temporarily remove schemes while reviews are carried out. For example, this could be when there is suspected fraudulent activity.
The requirements for ROPS changes from 6th April 2017.
You need to meet the new requirements on or after the date you transfer from one scheme to another. HMRC can’t guarantee these are ROPS or that any transfers to them will be free of UK tax. The responsibility lies with you to find out if you have to pay tax on any transfer of pension savings.
HMRC will usually pursue any UK tax charges (and interest for late payment) arising from transfers to overseas entities that don’t meet the ROPS requirements even when they appear on this list. This includes where the ROPS requirements have changed and where taxpayers are overseas. HMRC will also charge penalties in appropriate cases.
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