Career Options
Payroll: More than just a paychequeCarmen Cioaca's job involves all aspects of payroll, from administering paycheques to processing T4s and communicating with employees. CARRIE DAVIS-SYDOR and WENDY MCLEAN |
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 [ 2002-09-11 ] |
Carmen Cioaca, a graduate of CDI's Toronto School of Business payroll diploma program, works at Soil-Eng, a mid-size consulting and environmental engineering firm.
Carmen loves her job and plans on making her career in payroll.
"I am currently completing my Payroll Manager certification through the Canadian Payroll Association (CPA) to augment my skills," Cioaca said. "I completed my first two levels of CPA certification through the Toronto School of Business payroll program. Certification is important not only for me, but also for most employers."
Cioaca is originally from Romania, where she worked as an economist. When she came to Canada, she wanted to continue her career in payroll and chose to enrol in CDI Education Corporation's Toronto School of Business payroll diploma program.
"The course is designed well and prepares you with everything you need to know," Cioaca said. "My payroll diploma played a key role in helping me get a job."
At Soil-Eng, a mid-size consulting and environmental engineering firm located in Toronto's east end, Cioaca and her supervisor handle all aspects of payroll for the company. Cioaca's career aspirations include eventually running a payroll department.
Many people don't realize that payroll professionals do more than calculate and process pay cheques. With competition to retain and attract qualified employees on the rise, many employers are now offering a wider range of compensation options including: salary base, stock options, profit sharing plans, flexible work schedules, tuition reimbursement and increased benefit plans -- the implementation of these usually falls to a payroll professional.
Payroll administrators are responsible for filing and reporting record of employment, EI, CPP/QPP, income taxes and other federal and provincial remittances.
At year-end, they process all of the T4s and RL-L forms which allow Canadian workers to settle up their finances with the government. Payroll professionals also co-ordinate the disbursement of payroll withholdings such as savings plans, insurance, disability and medical benefit claims, company pension plans, union benefits, group RRSPs and much more.
This year, payroll professionals celebrated National Payroll Week (NPW) Sept. 3 to 6. Founded in 1995 by the Canadian Payroll Association (CPA), NPW recognizes the accomplishments of the payroll community and builds greater awareness of the contributions of payroll professionals in today's workplace.
Payroll professionals bring extensive knowledge and skills to their jobs. A qualified payroll professional can be an incredible resource for an organization. They need to be able to understand and implement:
There are a number of career opportunities for payroll practitioners in Canada. Most businesses require a payroll professional to co-ordinate payroll and other benefits for their employees.
Payroll professionals are often part of either the finance or human resources department in an organization. Payroll software organizations and outsourcing companies to government agencies such as Canada Customs and Revenue Agency (CCRA) and Human Resources Development Canada (HRDC) also have positions available for qualified payroll professionals.
Depending on the level of experience, payroll professionals can earn anywhere from $30,000 plus for a payroll administrator position to more than $60,000 as a payroll manager.
The Payroll Management Certification Program (PMCP) through the CPA is the recognized payroll certification program offered in Canada, and is offered through correspondence, computer-based training and in-classrooms of selected post-secondary institutions.
The part-time/continuing education program consists of three core payroll courses, plus four compulsory and two elective courses. You can study at more than 165 eligible post-secondary institutions across Canada. It takes about a year and half or more to complete the program, depending on the number of courses taken.
For a full-time study option, CDI Education Corporation (www.cdieducation.com), in conjunction with the CPA, offers the only full-time certificate and diploma programs in Canada -- the Payroll Administrator Certificate and the Accounting and Payroll Administrator Diploma. These programs are offered at more than 42 locations across Canada.
(Carrie Davis-Sydor is the communications co-ordinator for CDI Education Corporation, and Wendy McLean is the co-ordinator of marketing and communications for the Canadian Payroll Association)
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