Payroll interns process employee payroll payments and make necessary deductions, receiving on-the-job training before becoming permanent payroll clerks. They must have good math skills, attention to detail, administrative and interpersonal skills, and knowledge of payroll codes and software. They are responsible for verifying the accuracy of time cards, filing payroll documents, and completing tests before tackling more complex tasks.
Payroll interns are entry-level employees who receive on-the-job training before moving on to permanent payroll clerk positions. Like an established employee, a payroll intern processes employee payroll payments and makes necessary deductions to cover taxes and other costs. Interns typically work under the direct supervision of experienced employees or department managers.
Typically, a payroll trainee should have graduated from high school, but most companies don’t expect trainees to have a college degree, as clerk jobs are typically entry-level jobs. Interns are shown how to read employee time cards that include information such as the hours the employee worked. Employment laws in some countries require employers to pay extra money or overtime to employees whose weekly hours exceed certain maximum limits. Companies use payroll codes to distinguish regular work hours from overtime, vacation, and sick time. During the initial orientation period, interns are taught about different payroll codes and how to enter information into payroll systems and software.
In many countries, employers are required to withhold taxes from employees’ wages, and payroll employees and interns are responsible for calculating these mandatory withholdings. Employees calculate employees’ annual salary and use a tax rate matrix to determine the amount of tax each employee must pay. Therefore, a payroll intern must have good math skills and an eye for detail. In addition, workers in some nations are able to make pre-tax contributions to retirement and health care accounts, in which case employees and interns must deduct money from paychecks and arrange for the money to be deposited in the appropriate accounts.
Occasionally managers and departmental workers make mistakes when entering payroll information and a payroll intern must verify the accuracy of time cards before processing any payments. Trainees often need to contact employees to resolve issues related to these errors, which means trainees must have good administrative and interpersonal skills. Laws in many countries require employers to keep payroll information on file for several years and trainees are often tasked with filing payroll documents.
On a day-to-day basis, a payroll intern is responsible for the same type of tasks and responsibilities as a permanent employee in the payroll department. While payroll clerks are generally responsible for their own work, a payroll trainee’s work is typically inspected by a supervisor before any wage payments are processed. Furthermore, trainees often have to complete tests in various aspects of their work before they can begin tackling more complex tasks. Interns who make minor mistakes end up working without direct supervision. When this occurs, the training process is usually over and the interns become full-fledged payroll employees.
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