Did you know, if you outsource your payroll functions, you have just become a socially conscious business owner, whether you know it or not.  It is true! You may have not thought about it, but handing out paper checks has a much larger footprint on the environment than the paper check in itself.  Setting up online payroll is really setting up a green payroll solution.

Green Payroll: Save the Environment and Save Money

If you run a small business with at least 10 employees, you know how crazy your days become on paydays. Employee's productivity goes down as they wait outside your office waiting for that paper check. Additionally, a few employees will slip out to cash their check on company time.  Of course, there are the employees, who on their day off, will jump in their car and drive to work to get their paycheck.  By implementing an online green payroll system, you can reduce the craziness of payday while at the same time helping the environment.

Here are some green payroll functions that, through outsourcing, can save you money and helps you to become a good steward of planet earth.

1. Direct Deposit: Eliminating paper checks can save your employees money too. For example, your employees will save gas and reduce carbon emissions, as they will not need to drive from home to pick up their check and drive to the bank to deposit. 
2. Paycard: If your employees do not have a bank account, a paycard is also an excellent green payroll alternative.
3. Retirement Account: Decrease the need for excessive paperwork by allowing your employees to check their 401k retirement accounts and make investment elections and contribution rates online.
4. Health Insurance: Eliminate the need to send out paper E.O.B statements in the mail.  Employees now can look up medical claims online.
5. Online Tax Reporting: Filing, forms are frustrating enough, but you are required to fill out and file the forms so the Internal Revenue Service knows what employees were paid and the amount paid to each.  Online payroll processing can reduce the hassle of filling out these forms and reminds you when deadlines are fast approaching. This will help you to avoid penalties and not to mention keep you in step with your green payroll function by not having to use a lot of paper to handle this process.

All the above examples, if done correctly, can help you reduce your time spent on payroll, save money and save the planet.

Reducing the "Learning Curve" using Online Payroll Management

Like any new software that you are trying to figure out, there can be a huge "learning curve."  Although, many software solutions are more intuitive for the average software user, it is always good to have someone to assist you in the beginning.  If you have questions, you want them answered now instead of going through a long string of prompts on the phone before you connect to a live person.

Sometimes bigger is not always better, because the larger a company seems to lose that personal one-on-one connection. As a small business yourself, it would be prudent to work with a smaller (I.e. Local or family owned) payroll company that understands their small business clients. If you have concerns, you want a point of contact that is familiar to you and show genuine concern over problems you face.  The time is now to outsource your payroll function and become a model company in your community by implementing a green payroll solution.