How the Merchant Bill of Rights Payroll Act helps business owners manage payroll expenses and operations

Business owners now have a new resource to help them better manage their payroll. The Merchant Bill of Rights Payroll Act is designed to promote fairness and transparency in payroll processing. It educates business owners about the many facets of payroll and what they should expect from their processor.
“Payroll is more than just paying employees. It’s a critical business function that — if not managed properly — can be a significant drain on a business owner’s time and resources,” explains Mark Strippy, executive director of payroll services at Heartland Payment Systems®, one of the nation’s largest payments processors.
“That’s why we created The Payroll Act. By educating business owners about the fundamentals of payroll processing as well as what they should expect — and deserve — from their processor, this tool helps them make well-informed business decisions that can significantly impact their payroll-related expenses and operations.”
Smart Business spoke to Strippy about how owners can ensure they receive the payroll services they need.
What is the Payroll Act?
The Payroll Act is an extension of The Merchant Bill of Rights (MBOR), a public advocacy initiative introduced by Heartland in 2006 to promote fair credit, debit and prepaid card processing practices on behalf of owners of small and mid-sized businesses. The MBOR proposes 10 fundamental rights to protect business owners, enabling merchants who don’t have the resources of large purchasing organizations to effectively manage their costs, determine which processor best meets their needs and ultimately realize significant savings.
What are some of the fundamental rights to protect business owners?
1)   Full disclosure of all fees associated with your payroll processing
2)   Delivery of accurate, timely paychecks for all employees
3)   Access to your payroll any time via secure Internet technology
4)   Compliance with 100 percent of federal, state and local payroll legislation
5)   Knowledgeable service support — available when you need it
6)   Detailed, accurate reporting
How can business owners make sure they are receiving the best service possible?
Don’t forget to do your homework. Ask fellow business owners, chamber of commerce or trade association members if they use a payroll processor. Find out what services they receive and if their provider meets or exceeds their needs. Also ask them what their frustrations are.
To learn more about the Merchant Bill of Rights Payroll Act, visit http://MerchantBillofRights.org/PayrollAct.
Heartland Payment Systems (NYSE: HPY), the fifth largest payments processor in the United States, delivers credit/debit/prepaid card processing, gift marketing and loyalty programs, payroll, check management and related business solutions to more than 250,000 business locations nationwide. A Fortune 1000 company, Heartland is a leader in the development of end-to-end encryption technology designed to protect cardholder data, rendering it useless to cybercriminals.
For more information, please visit HeartlandPaymentSystems.com, MerchantBillOfRights.com, CostOfABurger.com and E3Secure.com.