Vendor Compliance Management

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MONTHLY NEWSLETTER

VOLUME: 14 OCTOBER 2017I

Establishment Compliance Management

Your Compliance work-Simplified

Outsourcing and

Temp Staffing

From Campus to Corporate-

Hassle Free Process

Recruitment & Talent

Management

Finding the right fit makes all the

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Consultant Review

Magazine, 2017

Top 5 Labour Law Consultants

Silicon India Magazine

Top 25 Global

Outsourcing Companies

Top 10 Indian LPO’s

Conference Asia 2015

Excellence in HR

Information System

Global HR Excellence Award 2013

Organization with

Innovative HR Practices

KArMAIs, AnD ALWAys

BE A GrEAt pLACE

tO WOrK!

IN THIS EDITION

► From the Director’s Desk

► Compliance

- From the world of Compliance

- Employees Provident Fund

- Minimum Wages

► Payroll

- 10 Questions to Ask When Choosing an Online Payroll Provider

► Human Resources

- The HR function in A World Of Bits and Bytes

► Karma Konnect

► Humour

RECKONER FOR OCTOBER 2017

► Payment of Stipend to Apprentices

on or before 10.10.17

► Submit PF on or before 15.10.17

► Pay ESIC on or before 15.10.17

► Pay PT on or before 30.10.17

From the Director’s Desk…

The month of September has brought in great promise for

us. We always knew that Karma is a great place to be, but

bagging an official ‘Great Place to Work’ certification has

been special, since it validates our principles and vision.

It has also helped tremendously in planning a way forward

for us. In addition, we have decided to change the way you

look and feel about Karma. We are proud to use this

plat form to unvei l the new Karma websi te,

www.karmamgmt.com. Close on its heels comes the

Karma mascot, who you will not only see prominently in this

edition of the newsletter, but also in subsequent

communication. He will not just be the voice and face of

Karma, but will also be a medium that helps inform and

guide on all matters related to HR.

We wish you all a very Happy Diwali and a prosperous

New Year. May this one bring greater highs and wins!

Best regards,

Pratik Vaidya

Compliance

From the world of Compliance

The Maharashtra Shops and Establishments Act undergoes significant modification as notification

is awaited for the published version. With the introduction of the modified version, the earlier Act

will prove redundant. The official copy of the published version of the New Act is available for view at

http://comply4hr.com/noti/2016/MHSAE2017Sep7.pdf

A welcome introduction has been that of the Paternity Benefit Act, which looks to provide relief to

male employees. With several initiatives in place, this covers several angles of Paternity benefits.

The Act can be accessed at

http://comply4hr.com/noti/2016/MBA2017Sep22.pdf

Under the ESI Rules, a move to take digitization a step further has been initiated. The Aadhar and

E-Pehchaan are now being used to enable employees to avail benefits and medical facilities

covered under the ESI Scheme. View this notification at

http://comply4hr.com/noti/2016/ESICR2017Sep14.pdf

There has been a sanction made to the Gratuity Bill, which now increases limit for employees

in public and private sectors from Rs. 10 lacs to Rs. 20 lacs. Avail the official notification at

http://comply4hr.com/noti/2016/PGA2017Sep12.pdf

Employees Provident Fund:- The introduction of a Composite Declaration form now replaces the existing Forms 11

and 13 under Section 34 and 57 of the Scheme. View the notification and new Form at

http://comply4hr.com/noti/2016/EPFS2017Sep20.pdf

- The ESI office has also placed amended guidelines to enable the transfer of

funds of employees. For the official notification visit

http://comply4hr.com/noti/2016/EPFS2017Sep19.pdf

- In a similar move, the physical submission of Form 9 under the Scheme has also been

discontinued. To know more details you may access

http://comply4hr.com/noti/2016/EPFS2017Sep18.pdf

Minimum WagesThe minimum wages have been revised for the states of Bihar and Madhya Pradesh, as well as for

the Central Government. The revised wage rates along with official documentation can be obtained

from the Minimum wages section of our compliance site www.comply4hr.com

Payroll

10 Questions to Ask When Choosing an Online Payroll Provider

The use of traditional, painstakingly manual payroll systems are on the decline, and for good reason --

they're repetitive, complicated and prone to human error.

If you're tired of slogging your way through payroll by hand, it might be time pass the tedious task off to an

automated online service. Switching to a cloud-based payroll solution can reduce costs, minimize

mistakes and free you up to focus on growing your business, says Joshua Reeves, co-founder and chief

executive of ZenPayroll, a cloud-based payroll solution provider headquartered out of San Francisco.

Here are 10 essential questions to ask when shopping for the right online payroll provider for your

company's needs:

1. What specific payroll services do you provide?

There are more than a dozen cloud-based payroll services to choose from, with additional providers

arriving on the market relatively often. To choose a service that's a strong fit for your company, identify your

specific payroll requirements and search for a vendor that delivers everything you need.

2. What is your pricing structure?

The majority of online payroll providers charge a base monthly subscription fee. Several providers offer

free trials, which typically range from one to two months in duration. That way you can test-drive the service

before committing your hard-earned cash.

3. How will I get set up?

Once you decide on and sign up with an online payroll vendor, you should be able to immediately log in to

your user dashboard, configure your account, and add employees and users. You should also have the

ability to access your account and run payroll from any internet-enabled device, including your laptop,

tablet or smartphone.

4. How does your service handle payroll taxes?

In addition to payroll processing services, a good online payroll service should also handle all of your

payroll tax compliance needs accurately and on time. Ideally a full-service provider should take care of all

of your tax compliance requirements, quarterly and annual filings -- automatically and paperlessly -- with

no actions required on your end.

5. How secure is your service?

Being completely confident that your company's private accounting information stays out of the hands of

hackers is paramount when it comes to storing your sensitive, critical payroll data in the cloud. You'll want

to verify that vendors keep data safe using the highest encryption standards available.

6. Where is your data center and how safe is it?

It's important to know how a potential online payroll provider protectsits data centers -- which will hold your

sensitive financial information –-from break-ins and natural disasters.

Payroll

7. What customer support services do you offer?

Business owners should expect live, real-person support via email, phone and chat, in addition to detailed

online FAQs and tutorials, Reeves says. If you expect 24/7 customer service, even on holidays, be sure to

ask if the vendor can accommodate that.

However, if you're calling a support line on a regular basis, then that means the product is not doing its job.

If you choose an online payroll solution that's designed to be simple and has an easy-to-use interface,

payroll should just work.

8. Will my employees and contractors be able to access their payroll information?

They absolutely should be able to, without exception. Online payroll providers usually give employees and

contractors personal portals where they can access their pay stubs.

9. Will I be able to integrate my existing accounting systems with yours?

Most online payroll solutions should quickly, seamlessly integrate with today's most widely used small-

business accounting software systems. You should be able to connect your existing accounting software

directly from your online payroll provider's user dashboard. Once it's integrated, you won't have to

manually enter or reconcile payroll again.

10. Can your service scale up to meet my business needs?

Your payroll needs will grow proportionate to your business and staff growth, so you'll want to make sure

that your online payroll vendor offers the ability to add additional users and employees to your account.

ANNOUNCEMENT

Bringing you an opportunity you cannot miss.A special 2 day workshop is being conducted by award winning Thought Leader Dr. Jack Phillips. This covers Measuring ROI in Learning and Development, and will span 2 days each in Mumbai and Begaluru. Karma is proud to be Compliance Partner to the event, and promises tremendous opportunity to learn from these insights. Contact the Karma office to avail special discounted rates on the same. Bloack your dates: Mumbai - 13th and 14th November, Bengaluru

th th 16 and 17 November.

Human Resources

THE HR FUNCTION IN A WORLD OF BITS AND BYTES

Over the last decade, the human resources function has undergone a remarkable change, moving from a tactical to a strategic domain. Factors contributing to this shift in focus are: a hyper-competitive marketplace, transformation in organisational design and evolution of a new workforce. All of these are riding on the back of a digital revolution.

So, this question has to be asked: How should HR leaders shape the new digital world of work? Consider this: Technology in HR is currently a USD 54 billion industry. In India, “digitalisation” of HR is at a nascent stage and it contributes USD 600-700 million to this global industry.

Though India may be a late starter, there are signs that it will soon begin to take huge strides in this area.

According to a 2017 India Human Capital Trends survey report by Deloitte, 96 percent of companies believe they need to redesign their organisations to succeed in the digital age and look for strategic intelligence and leadership from human resources professionals to become a digitally-inclusive and people-centric organisation.

While seeking to create such organisations, the following elements have to be factored in.

Talent-related decisions

Talent management has to be become more strategic. Tactical functions such as on-boarding, pay-rolling and employee data management have to be assigned to smart technological solutions. Doing so will ensure enough time and mind space for HR leaders to work closely with other business units and help them make talent and business decisions using real-time data. It is high time we get this right: Technology will act as a valuable tool, but the ultimate decision makers will be people.

Brand-building efforts

Thanks to social media, now everyone knows what it is like to work in a particular company. This has led to a trend of employer branding. HR leaders have to empower employees with a strong employer brand, great company narrative and an inspiring work environment. Besides that, with the aid of technology which has opened up an overwhelming world of data, HR leaders have to formulate workforce strategies backed by data and insights. Therefore, today’s HR leader is truly a brand builder, an analyst, a communicator, a motivator and a collaborator.

Digital skill gaps

Several of the credible research studies indicate that employees are aware of digital disruption and the speed with which it is going to transform work. Today's workforce, consisting largely of millennials, does not fear change and is well aware of the benefits digital technology brings to their work, organisation and life at large. They are actively seeking digital skills.

Therefore, waste no time and channelise this positivity by formulating a clear digital vision that broadly begins by first accessing the digital skill gaps existing and then identifying the right channel of digital training — in-house or through a third-party specialist.

A measurement metric aimed at understanding how well this has been delivered to your employees has to be developed.

The journey from traditional to digital is not as complex as we imagine it to be. It does not demand a 360-degree transformation. It only requires us to take a ‘digital leap of faith’ and let progressive technological solutions show us a more clear, unbiased and true picture of a situation. What makes this journey a super interesting one is how compassionately HR leaders will spread this ‘digital’ wisdom to the workforce.

The nine days of Navratri are special. Karma embodied its spirit fully, and displayed its every facet - whether in prayer and devotion, in vibrance and grandeur, or in song and dance. We bring you the colours of Navratri, and the colours of Karma - a special peek into our togetherness.