Payroll FAQs

Payroll FAQs

When will I receive my payroll reports?
  1. Payroll reports are delivered the morning after your payroll is submitted. 
  2. For example, if you submit payroll on Wednesday, you can expect your reports on Thursday.

What reports are available in BerniePortal?
  1. BerniePortal offers both standard and custom reports.
    1. Standard Reports let you retrieve specific employee data, with options to filter by subgroups and apply targeted parameters to narrow down results.
    2. Custom Reports are ideal when a standard report returns more than you need, or when you find yourself running multiple reports to gather the same information. You can build a custom report with exactly the fields you need.
  2. For more details, visit the Reports section in BerniePortal.

How do I request a custom payroll report?
  1. You can build a custom report directly in BerniePortal under the Reports tab. 
  2. If you need something more detailed, email help@bernardhealth.com and the team can assist.

What if an employee's direct deposit information is incorrect after payroll has been processed?
  1. The bank has up to 5 days to notify us of a failed deposit, so the fastest way to confirm is for the employee to contact their bank directly. 
  2. If the deposit fails, you have two options to reissue payment:
    1. Request an off-cycle (One-Off) run to fully reprocess the payment. Note that off-cycle runs must be requested at least 2 business days before the desired check date.
    2. OR Issue payment immediately by cutting a check in office or sending an independent ACH for the net amount. Since the pay information is already recorded, you can issue payment the same day if needed.
  3. To prevent the issue from recurring, the employee can update their Direct Deposit information within their Employee Portal

What if I forgot to pay someone or missed part of their payment?
  1. If payroll was submitted with an error, you have several options:
    1. Request an off-cycle (One-Off) run to process a new payment. Off-cycle runs must be submitted at least 2 business days before the desired check date.
    2. Issue an in-house payment using a check or independent ACH.
      1. Submit a manual check request by sending the employee's name, pay rate, hours worked or salary, and any relevant earnings or deductions to help@bernardhealth.com. 
      2. The Employer Success team will create a manual check, send it to you for approval, and the employee's taxes will be processed with the next regular payroll run.
    3. Include the correction in the next regular payroll run if the situation is not time-sensitive.
  2. Not sure which option is best? Reach out to your account manager for guidance.

The 401(k) match isn't showing for my employees — why?
  1. If you process payroll through BerniePortal, employer match auto-calculation requires a one-time setup. 
  2. To get started, submit a Custom Calculation Request form along with your Retirement Plan Summary document to the Employer Success team.
  3. These documents give the payroll team what they need to configure the correct match calculation, including which earning types to include or exclude. Setup typically takes about 4 weeks after the paperwork is submitted, but it can be initiated at any time — not just during implementation.
  4. To request the required form(s), email help@bernardhealth.com.

Do you handle Workers' Compensation reporting?
  1. Yes — BerniePortal provides comprehensive Workers' Compensation reporting, though we do not submit Workers' Compensation payments on your behalf.
  2. Our Workers' Comp Report breaks down calculated premiums for all pay periods within a selected date range, including each employee's hours, wages, workers' comp codes, and applicable rates.
  3. To generate this report accurately, Employers must provide:
    1. Workers' Compensation code for each employee
    2. Workers' Compensation rate for each employee

What happens if I edit time or PTO after payroll has been opened?
  1. If you use BerniePortal's Time and PTO features, clocked and PTO hours will automatically populate when payroll is opened. If you need to make adjustments, you have two options:
    1. Edit Directly in Payroll
      1. Click into the HRS column to adjust hours worked, or the PTO column to adjust PTO hours.

      2. Keep in mind that changes made here only apply to that payroll run — they won't update the employee's timecard or PTO balance in their profile.
        1. For those, a separate adjustment is needed: administrators can update PTO balances in the Employee Profile, and timecard corrections must be made in the time-tracking module.
    2. Adjust Employee Information
      1. You can also make changes directly to an employee's timecard or PTO balance within their Employee Profile.
      2. When you return to the Payroll Edit screen, you'll see a red ! icon indicating that something has been updated- Hover over it to preview the changes, then approve them to load the updated information into your payroll run.


Can I reverse an employee's payment?
  1. Yes — you can submit a request to the Employer Success team to void and reverse a payment at any time.
    1. Once payroll is submitted, deposit files are sent to employee banks. Voiding a payment triggers a reversal of those funds, which typically processes within 24 hours of the original deposit, though timing can vary by bank.
  2. A few important notes:
    1. If the employee's account balance is less than the reversal amount, the reversal will fail. It's a good idea to give the employee a heads-up before initiating so they can ensure the funds are available.
    2. To reissue payment after a void, the Employer Success team can create a manual check with the correct pay information. You'll receive the net total and can pay the employee by check or independent ACH. Taxes will be processed with the next regular payroll run.
      1. If you'd prefer a full reprocess, an off-cycle (One-Off) run can be set up instead, though it will follow your company's regular processing schedule.

Do you support certified payroll?
  1. Not at this time, though this is something we may offer in the future.

What is a pre-process register report?
  1. A pre-process register is an audit report you can export before finalizing payroll. 
  2. It shows all checks and direct deposits for the selected payroll period, including employee information, earnings, deductions, and taxes.
  3. To access it, select Save and Review on your Payroll Edit Screen, then click Download Preprocess Register in the top right corner of the Payroll Summary Screen once it loads.

How will payroll funds be debited from my account?
  1. Funds are pulled in two separate transactions:
    1. Total taxes
    2. Total direct deposit amount
  2. You can view the breakdown — including the total direct deposit, total taxes, and overall debit amount — in the Payroll Summary and History screen.

  3. Debits are processed the day before the check date, initiated overnight by the banks. 

What are verification errors?
  1. Verification errors are alerts prompting you to review specific information in a payroll run — such as employee salary details, tax information, or profile data. When you encounter one, you can choose to re-verify, approve all, or go back and make edits.
  2. Note: if you return to edit after approving, you'll be prompted to re-verify again. Some verification errors require review by the Employer Success team — if yours includes a message to reach out, email help@bernardhealth.com.

What happens if I miss my submission deadline?
  1. Notify the Employer Success team as soon as possible. 
  2. Late submissions can be processed up to 24 hours before the check date, but a $250 late processing fee will apply. 
  3. While employees are likely to be paid on time, we cannot guarantee the check date in this case.

How quickly will employees receive their pay?
  1. Direct deposit: Funds are typically deposited on or before the designated check date, depending on the employee’s financial institution.
    1. Once payroll is submitted, we send the direct deposit file to the employees’ banks with instructions regarding the deposit amounts and accounts- From that point, the bank may process and release the funds at any time between payroll submission and the scheduled check date.
  2. Paper checks: Typically delivered the next business day via FedEx overnight shipping.
    1.  If payroll is submitted close to the deadline, delivery may take two days. Weather and other shipping delays can also affect timing. 
    2. Once processed, the BerniePortal team can provide a FedEx tracking number.

What's the difference between the payment details library and the payroll funding account?
  1. Payment details library: Stores payment information for monthly HR Upgrade service charges.
  2. Payroll funding account: The account debited when processing each payroll run - This is set up during implementation and can be updated later, as needed (see below).

How do I update my company's payroll banking information?
  1. Contact the Employer Success team to request a bank change form. 
  2. Once completed and submitted, new banking information takes approximately 2–3 business days to set up- Plan accordingly if a payroll run is coming up soon.

Can BerniePortal apply for a state tax ID on my behalf?
  1. Yes- BerniePortal can apply on your behalf for a fee of $300 per agency ID. 
  2. Alternatively, you can apply directly and provide the BerniePortal team with the new tax IDs and supporting documentation once received. 
  3. Email new tax IDs to help@bernardhealth.com.

How are child support orders and garnishments handled?
  1. Send all new and existing child support orders to help@bernardhealth.com
    1. The complete Garnishment Order issued by the garnishment agency must be provided to ensure the deduction is configured accurately and in compliance with the order requirements.
  2. Services include setup, deduction processing, and submission of associated payments. 
  3. Employers are responsible for providing any additional documentation requested by the agency (such as worksheets or employer response forms).

When is the payroll submission deadline?
  1. Payroll must be submitted by 2:00 PM local time, either two business days prior to the check date for ACH-funded groups or three business days prior for groups funding payroll via wire.
  2. If you’re unsure which processing timeline applies to your account, please check with your account manager to confirm your required lead time.

Who should I contact with payroll questions?
  1. Email the Employer Success team at help@bernardhealth.com.

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