Objective
Build a custom Workday interface file to streamline a Fortune 500 Company’s payroll reporting. Additionally, design an intuitive benefits processing interface within WHR’s Mobility and HR team portal, empowering them to efficiently manage relocation payments. These payments will seamlessly integrate into Workday and be promptly disbursed through their payroll system.
Challenge
HR and global mobility teams are responsible for quickly disbursing many types of benefits and allowances to a population of assignees. Across large organizations, it can be difficult to ensure employees are paid quickly and compliantly with all taxable benefits reported through company payroll; This is especially true for Fortune 50 companies such as a Fortune 500 Company which has 58,000 employees and annual revenue of $89 billion USD. These issues can be compounded due to the variety of benefits being processed and/or reported through payroll:
- Allowances paid through company payroll;
- Allowances paid through the relocation management company (WHR);
- Reimbursements paid from WHR to the employee;
- Invoices paid from WHR to a relocation supplier partner (e.g., movers, temporary housing, etc.).
“Now more than ever, our clients have a broad selection of Human Capital Management systems to choose from, including Workday. It’s critical for Relocation Management Companies such as WHR to create bespoke solutions where there may be barriers to true integrations.
This Workday interface solution enables HR and global mobility teams to process and report allowances quickly, compliantly, and with confidence to a global population of assignees.”
Impact
49% of American workers will seek new employment after just two payroll mistakes, such as being paid late or incorrectly. (The Workforce Institute at Kronos)
The IRS has estimated that around one-third of employers make a payroll mistake in any given year, collecting nearly $7 billion in penalties for 2021. (US Internal Revenue Service)
In a study of companies across the US, Ernst & Young (EY) found that fixing a single payroll error cost companies, on average, $291 to remedy directly and indirectly. (Ernst & Young)
Solutions
At no cost to theirs, the IT Department at WHR built a custom benefits processing screen within WHR’s Mobility & HR Team Portal. Each contact was given role-based access (e.g., Processor vs Approver). This important delegation of responsibilities prevents one individual from disbursing unauthorized funds to another employee. Once approved by two team members, these allowance payments flow to a Workday Interface screen, along with any additional relocation benefits which need to be reported for payroll.
At their preferred interval, their mobility team can click a button to automatically generate an interface file which can be imported to Workday. In addition to reporting taxable relocation benefits, this interface file instructs payments to the respective employees through company payroll. Examples include relocation allowances, three-year location cost differentials, travel allowances, and more.
Benefits
Employees Paid Quickly & Compliantly
By approving relocation allowances through WHR’s benefits processing screen, the company now has greater control over their program and processes. They dictates when and how employees get paid, with custom logic to disburse different amounts by benefit tier, salary grade, location, and more. Plus, new hires can receive funds from WHR before they’re even onboarded to payroll. All payments are included in WHR’s reporting.
Sync Payroll Data Across Systems
By interfacing WHR’s system with Workday, there’s no room for payments to slip through the cracks. Since implementation, the company has not needed to file a W-2C, significantly improving employee satisfaction and creating promoters within their relocation program.
WHR mapped its system with their Workday data fields, empowering them to capture and report on any data point they would like at no additional cost.
Reallocate Time & Budget Elsewhere
WHR’s Workday interface solution is a relocation enablement tool; It allows companies to process benefits faster, report to payroll at the click of a button, eliminate the headache of filing W-2Cs, and reallocate time elsewhere.
Rather than paying $200/hour for custom development, the benefits processing screens and Workday interface was built for free. Instead of delaying the process through contract negotiations, they were able to redeploy their time and overhead expenses toward other HR projects and improvements.
Workday data mapping may include: clawback dates for repayment agreements, on-cycle and off-cycle payments, one-time or multiple payments (monthly, annually), employee ID, & any other requested fields.
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