Overview
This article compiles Frequently Asked Questions and answers for WFM regarding the Payroll Module, Pensions and Tronc in terms of COVID-19 legislation and guidance. A contents page which includes the full series of FAQs from the Webinar on the 31.3.2020, and the Webinar video, is linked at the bottom of this article.
Payroll Module, Pensions & Tronc
Q - Do I need to create a Furlough Payment Type?
You could create a ‘Furlough’ Payment Type and use this for loading the manual payments for hourly paid Furloughed employees. Also please see our article here for information on how to process salaried pay for Furlough if reducing down to 80% - WFM - Furloughed Employees - Paying Salaried Employees
Q - Will we be able to add any Additional Payments to the Furloughed employees, such as unpaid hours from a previous month?
As the Furlough payment for hourly paid employees is a manual payment, you can add any other payments which the employee was owed previously.
Q - Just to confirm, we will need to enter the 80% salary for Furloughed workers on an upload document?
Please refer to this article on how to process 80% for salaried employees on Furlough - WFM - Furloughed Employees - Paying Salaried Employees
Q - Can you confirm, as a Bureau customer, do I need to change salaries in each employee record, or send an upload sheet with the amount to be paid to each employee?
Please refer to this article on how to process salary payments for Furloughed staff - WFM - Furloughed Employees - Paying Salaried Employees
For hourly paid staff, you will need to calculate and upload a manual payment. The export we are working on releasing will help with these calculations and amounts.
Q - Once we put our employees in Furlough, will Fourth directly notify HMRC, or does the employer have to do it?
The employer will need to claim directly with HMRC. We suggest keeping up to date with the information provided by HMRC here:
https://www.gov.uk/guidance/claim-for-wage-costs-through-the-coronavirus-job-retention-scheme
Q - Will I have to manually delete all salaries in Payroll if adding Furlough Payment Type?
You can either manually delete them, or use the batch delete function in the Payroll module.
Q - Is 80% net or gross?
Gross.
Q - If an employee pays enhanced Pension contributions, will these need to be amended to the minimum amounts?
It depends on the employment contract. If the contract states the enhanced contributions, these should still be the same on the 80% amount – you just can’t claim back the enhanced amount.
Q - With the Government support, it states that employees can receive 80% of the salary, or up to £2,500 per month. Does this mean staff will get whichever is the lower?
The HMRC guidance is to pay the employees the lower of 80% of their regular wage, or £2500 per month.
Q - Is Tronc to be included in average earnings calculations?
We are not including Tronc in the calculations, as we have had guidance from the Chartered Institute of Payroll Professionals (CIPP) that it should not be included as it’s not an Employer expense. Customers can pay Tronc to Furloughed employees, but it is highly likely they will not be able to claim it back from HMRC.
WFM - COVID-19 Webinar from 31.3.2020 and FAQs
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