Practice English Speaking&Listening with: Pay News Network: Payroll Certification, Learning Paths, Compliance Updates and Paycards
Hi, and welcome to the February edition of Pay News Network.
We have some great news for payroll professionals looking to get certified.
You now have many more opportunities to take APA’s certification exams.
Details from PNN’s Rachel Black, FPC
Until recently, professionals attending select APA Learning Center classes
could sit for their certification exam at the end of the 5-day courses,
but only during the spring and fall certification testing windows.
Now, for the first time, the exams are available year-round
at both the San Antonio Learning Center and the White House Las Vegas Learning Center.
so, attendees at any session of
Payroll 101 – Standard Foundation of Payroll Administration course
may take the Fundamental Payroll Certification exam on Friday.
And, those attending any session of
Payroll 201- the Payroll Administration Course may sit for the Certified Payroll Professional exam on Friday.
These courses are an excellent way to refresh your knowledge in advance of the exams.
You must register for the FPC or CPP exam separately from your course registration.
Now you can take your certification exam when it’s convenient for you.
Get details on the APA website.
Do you need help choosing the education options that match your job responsibilities?
Are you looking to maximize your education dollars?
APA’s Learning Paths are designed to guide you through the association’s educational offerings
so you can build a professional development plan that is right for you and your staff.
Let’s take a guided tour of the Learning Paths with APA’s Director of Education Solutions, David Ross.
The Learning Paths are hosted on the home page of the APA website.
There are 7 Learning Paths, covering the 5 major payroll-related job categories,
from payroll essentials to payroll management, plus two recertification goals.
Each Learning Path is matched with specific education programs, with several modes of delivery.
Whichever Learning Path you select,
there are 6 steps to follow on your way to your learning goals.
Step 1 - Match your job responsibilities with the listed job titles
to be sure you’re on the right path.
Click on each job title for a description of that job.
Step 2 - Assess your knowledge by taking one of the
Knowledge Assessment Calculator assessments.
Assess yourself at the start to set a baseline of your current knowledge.
You can assess later to measure progress on your learning path.
Step 3 - Increase your knowledge by choosing a core training program that’s right for you.
Your options include instructor-led programs taught in a city near you.
Or computer-based education at one of APA’s Learning Centers.
Or online training programs.
Step 4 - You’re ready to expand the depth of your knowledge with
Specialty seminars, Specialty webinars, or On-demand learning options
including prerecorded webinars and audio seminars
Step 5 – Complete your learning path by attaining APA certification.
Step 6 – Continue your professional development and networking by attending APA conferences,
like the Annual Congress, where you can earn recertification credit hours.
The Learning Paths make it easy to create a professional development plan that fits your career goals,
your budget, and your learning style.
Visit the APA website and begin your journey down your own Learning Path.
With a new administration and newly elected officials in Washington, what new initiatives will we see?
And how will they impact the payroll and accounts payable process?
Find out at APA’s Capital Summit in Washington, DC, March 19th and 20th.
Leading officials from top federal agencies will discuss their plans and programs.
You’ll want to be there!
Register now for the Capital Summit on the APA website.
Employers have another way to verify that an employee is eligible to work
and a major state is simplifying its tax collection process.
PNN’s Jim Hocker has our compliance update.
The new U.S. passport CARD may be used by employers to verify employment eligibility.
That’s the official word from U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services.
Employers may use the passport card to prove identity and work authorization
of newly hired employees when completing Form I-9.
The new passport card is more portable than the traditional passport.
It’s intended to expedite document processing at U.S. ports of entry
for American citizens traveling to Canada, Mexico, the Caribbean, and Bermuda.
Visit the U-S-C-I-S website for details.
If you pay employees in Pennsylvania,
your administrative burden will be lighter in the years ahead.
A new state law will greatly simplify the Earned Income Tax collection process.
The number of E-I-T tax collectors will be reduced from 560 down to 69, roughly one for every county.
Uniform standards for withholding and remittance will be established statewide.
APA and Pennsylvania local chapters fought hard for these changes, which will be fully in place by 20-12.
Meanwhile, the U.S. Department of Labor has issued final revised regulations
under the Family and Medical Leave Act. Among other things,
the F-M-L-A rules include new leave entitlements for military families.
Details on both items are found in recent issues of Payroll Currently, APA’s membership publication.
Could your organization be the victim of fraud?
Could it be an inside job?
Accounts payable professionals can play a role in reducing the costly impact of insider fraud.
Read all about it in the AP Journal Online article:
“Who is ripping off your company? How to SPOT them and how to STOP them.”
AP Journal Online is a benefit of membership in the American Accounts Payable Association.
Learn more, and join the A-A-P-A today at American-A-P-dot-org.
APA’s Government Affairs Task Force lobbies on many fronts to help reduce administrative burdens
for payroll professionals and their employers.
The task force has several subcommittees.
APA Government Relations Manager Bill Dunn, CPP reports on the work of the Paycard Subcommittee.
For the past three years, the paycard subcommittee has been lobbying states to develop
legislation regarding payroll debit cards – or paycards as we call them.
A Paycard is a terrific tool that allows you to make electronic wage payments even to employees
who do not have bank accounts.
Now, as it stands less than a third of states have laws on their use. With only a couple exceptions,
that’s been OK because state departments of labor have recognized them.
So why do we want laws?
Because, as so many of you who work for multistate employers know, the more uniformity we have
from state to state, the easier it will be for you to comply with state wage payment laws.
And the easier it will be for you to do your jobs.
So not only do we want legislation. We want the right legislation.
This year, we’ll be focusing on Connecticut early on.
Last year the state came close to passing some very favorable legislation, and we’d like to see
them succeed this year.
And if things work out, we’ll suggest other states use the law as a guide to develop their own legislation.
Cruise to compliance at APA’s Annual Congress in Long Beach, California, May 19th through the 23rd.
You’ll save $100 when you register by March 17th.
Set sail and network with your peers in payroll and accounts payable.
Choose from a superb menu of 190 workshops, and drop anchor in the huge exhibit hall.
Register for Congress now on the APA website and claim your $100 savings!
Thanks for joining us for this edition of PNN.
We’d like to hear from you.
E-mail us at Info-at-Pay News Network-dot-org.
Join us next time on Pay News Network!
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