Payroll Software Resources

Articles, Glossary Terms, Discussions, Topics, and Reports to expand your knowledge on Payroll Software

Resource pages are designed to give you a cross-section of information we have on specific categories. You'll find articles from our experts, feature definitions, discussions from users like you, topics to contrast viewpoints, and reports from industry data.

Contents

Payroll Software Articles

W-9 vs. 1099 Forms: What's the Difference?

Is there anything more confusing or nerve-wracking than doing your own taxes?

by Lauren Pope

Payroll Management vs. Processing: The Difference Matters

With so many options from payroll software to outside services to manage payroll, paying employees shouldn't be a challenge.

by Gabriel Gheorghiu

What Is Payroll? (+How to Do It Yourself)

Whether you’re a small business or a large enterprise, a streamlined payroll process is crucial to keeping your employees happy and your finances in order.

by Michael Gigante

Payroll Software Glossary Terms

Payroll Management

Payroll management is an administrative process that ensures employees are financially compensated for their work. Learn more about its types and benefits.

by Holly Landis

Combat Pay

Combat pay is extra military compensation for qualifying dangerous-duty service, including hostile fire, imminent danger, and combat-zone tax benefits.

by Whitney Rudeseal Peet

HRIS

Human resource teams use HRIS solutions to manage employee data and streamline tasks. Learn about the types, best practices, and features to consider.

by Alyssa Towns

Payroll

Payroll refers to the system a company uses to manage employee compensation and payment. Learn the essential elements and best practices.

by Kelly Fiorini

In-House

In-house refers to an activity performed within an organization using its employees and resources. Learn more about its advantages and disadvantages.

by Amanda Hahn-Peters

Wage Expense

A wage expense is the cost organizations incur to pay hourly employees and contractors. Learn more about the types of wage expenses.

by Amanda Hahn-Peters

Pre-Tax Deduction

A pre-tax deduction is money subtracted from an employee’s gross pay before taxes are withheld from their paycheck. Learn the types, benefits, and rules.

by Martha Kendall Custard

Admin Services

Admin services are practices needed for employee management within an organization or industry. Learn more about admin services and best practices for HR administration.

by Keerthi Rangan

Wage Garnishment

Wage garnishment can take its toll not only on employees but also on employers. Learn more about wage garnishment, how it can impact a business, and what to do if an employee receives a garnishment of their wages.

by Mara Calvello

Payroll Software Discussions

Question on: EPAY HCM

How can I add a punch for someone who didn't take their lunch or if someone worked OT?

Wanting to learn to add a punch on someone who worked a whole day but didn't punch in and out from break. How to manage schedule to stay the same and/or to remove old schedules.

ADD THE PUNCH, BUT DO A TPA ADJUSTMENT FORM. SIGNED BY THE EMPLOYEE.

Answered: Canute Desouza on August 24, 2022

Well, basically you can, but it doesn't mean you should. Depending on your access level you may be able to "change" employee punches that they have already logged. If you do, you will likely need their written permission. So if an employee didn't take a break and you want to take a half hour, unless you have a specific policy they will need to sign off on the reduction. It is recommended to use progressive discipline for improper punches instead of just taking the time away. Just because they are "stealing time" doesn't mean we should just take it back. That being said, In blueforce you can change time and create a punch. Changing in or out times may depend on your access level. Creating a punch will require you to add the closing punch for it as well.

Answered: Michael Romeo on September 27, 2019

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Your answer

Question on: EPAY HCM

Sometimes EPAY and Blueforce aren't responsive with one another. What causes the interruption?

They need to sync. Normally they will do so automatically every 15 minutes or so. If not you can force sync on the computer interface or on the clock with the circular arrows on the face. If these syncs are not occurring regularly you probably have a network issue with the clock or a poor signal.

Answered: Michael Romeo on September 27, 2019

Your answer

Who should own payroll software selection, HR or finance?

Something I've been working through with a leadership team: who should own payroll software selection, HR or finance? Payroll sits at the intersection of both functions, HR cares about employee experience and benefits administration, finance cares about accounting accuracy and tax liability, and defaulting the decision to whichever team asked for the change first often produces a tool that serves one side and frustrates the other. Looking at the Payroll category on G2 with that lens on which platforms actually serve both functions well.

Gusto. Leans toward HR-friendly workflows, onboarding, benefits, and employee self-service, with payroll as part of a broader people platform. Best for HR-led selection processes.
QuickBooks Desktop Pro. Payroll tightly integrated with general accounting, which finance teams tend to prefer since it keeps everything in one ledger. Best for finance-led selection where accounting integration matters most.
BambooHR. HR-first platform with payroll as an add-on module, built around the employee record rather than the general ledger. Best for HR teams wanting payroll inside their existing HR system.
ADP Workforce Now. Serves both functions at once with deep HR and finance reporting, though that breadth adds setup complexity either team alone might not want to own. Best for organizations wanting one platform both teams can use.
Paycor. Balances HR workflow features with finance-facing reporting, positioned as a middle ground rather than leaning hard toward either function. Best for teams wanting a genuine middle ground.

My honest read is that ownership should sit with whichever team owns the compliance risk if payroll goes wrong, which in most companies is finance, even though HR is the team employees actually interact with day to day.

For anyone who's been through this decision, who ended up owning payroll selection at your company, and did the other team feel like their needs got represented in the final choice?

In the setups I've heard about, finance usually does end up owning the final call, mainly because they're the ones on the hook if a filing or a liability gets misreported. But the ones that actually held up were the cases where HR still had a real seat at the table during evaluation, not just a signoff after finance already picked a tool. When HR only gets looped in at the end, that's usually when the other team says their needs felt bolted on rather than represented.

Answered: Mahima Chavan on September 16, 2026

Your answer