Payroll Service Bureau - Frequently Asked Questions
Interested in participating in the Bureau? Here are a few questions often posed by an agency when investigating potential
use of Bureau services.
Q: Does agency management lose control over their Payroll, Leave Accounting and Benefits Processing Functions?
A: No, the Bureau holds no management authority over these administrative functions. Bureau staff perform these functions at the approval of
the participating agency's Human Resource and Fiscal management. Certification of Payroll expenditures remains within the agency, as does final approval of all
required reconciliations and information returns.
Q: How can I be sure the Bureau will perform these administrative functions as I have instructed?
A: When an agency joins the Bureau, there is a transition process. During the transition period, meetings are held between agency and Bureau
staff to review and document distinctive characteristics about the agency. Agency-specific processing information is shared and required authorizations are
documented and included in the Agency Operating Profile and transition documentation. During the transition period, the Bureau's
Business Process Overview,
is reviewed so that the agency will know what to expect from Bureau services and agency responsibilities are clearly delineated.
Q: Does the Bureau charge the participating agency for their services?
A: All participating agencies are subject to the Bureau processing fee. The Bureau processing fee is charged on a fiscal year basis and is calculated based on the number of W-2's processed
in the preceding calendar year.
Q: What if agency management doesn’t want their employees to know they have transferred these processing responsibilities to
the Bureau? Are they obligated to inform their employees of this change in processing responsibilities?
A: No, there is no obligation on behalf of the agency to inform their employees of the transfer of these processing responsibilities. The Bureau can be
as transparent or as obvious to an agency's employees as that agency's management desires. Participating agencies continue to serve as the point of first contact for
employees' questions regarding pay, benefits or leave.
Q: Does an agency have to change any of its internal forms, such as timesheets, leave slips, deduction authorizations, etc., in order to participate in the Bureau?
A: No, the Bureau will adapt to whatever forms are currently in use in the agency as long as the existing agency forms include all required information for transaction processing.
Q: May an agency use the Bureau for temporary relief due to staff attrition or loss of human resources?
A: No, the Bureau will not accept responsibility for processing an agency's payroll or leave information for strictly a temporary timeframe.
Q: May an agency use the Bureau solely for the purpose of performing the Leave Accounting function and retain responsibility for
the payroll function within the agency?
A: No, the minimum service provided to participating agencies includes the payroll function. When an agency elects to use the Bureau for the payroll function,
and the agency uses the CIPPS Leave Accounting System, the Leave function transfers with the payroll function to the Bureau.
Q: What steps should I take to learn more about the Bureau services or to initiate participation in the bureau?
A: Detailed information can be found in the
Business Process Overview Document link.
Please contact: Jean Turlington @ 804-225-2270 or by email,
Jean.Turlington@doa.virginia.gov
for further information.
