MontgomeryCounty employees will be able to check their payroll records
By LOU SESSINGER The Intelligencer
Employees of MontgomeryCounty will soon be able to access their payroll information and make changes in their benefits options in a matter of just a few mouse clicks, a convenience that comes with a hefty price tag.
The county commissioners on Thursday renewed a four-year contract with Ceridian Corp., an international business services company, to continue processing and providing payroll and human resources applications for the county at an average annual cost of $156,123 and an average maintenance fee of $57,352.
The contract also includes implementation of what’s called an “employee self-service module” at an additional initial installation fee of $277,020. That brings the total cost of the four-year package to more than $1.1 million. The county has the option of renewing the contract for a fifth and sixth year.
The employee self-service module permits county workers to log on via computer to access their payroll information, such as salary earned to date, taxes withheld, sick leave and vacation accumulated and the like. They can also enter such information as changes to marital status, dependents, address and other data, as well as review and make changes to employee benefit options.
County Controller Diane Morgan said the new employee self-service computer program would reduce paperwork and time within the human resources department whose workers have to retrieve and compute such information when employees request it.
Commissioner Bruce L. Castor questioned how much money the county could expect to save with the self-service program.
Morgan said she hadn’t calculated potential savings but added that the new program wasn’t designed to save money. Its purpose was to save time and provide convenience.
Commissioner Joseph M. Hoeffel spoke favorably of a similar employee access program available to state workers with which he was familiar. The new program is expected to be up and running in six to eight weeks.
