PAYROLL SPECIALIST

Covenant Health; Knoxville (TN); On-site; USD 60,000 - 75,000; Full time

Job summary

Covenant Health in Knoxville is seeking a Payroll Specialist to ensure accurate processing and timely payroll for employees. You will administer the timekeeping system, audit transactions for compliance, and communicate professionally with employees and outside organizations regarding confidential information.

The role requires handling garnishments, time and attendance data, and various payroll reports, while collaborating with IT and Finance to resolve issues and maintain data integrity.

Qualifications

• Minimum Education: HS diploma or GED or equivalent; no specific degree required.
• Minimum Experience: None
• Licensure Requirement: None

Responsibilities

• Demonstrates understanding of pay and benefit policies and FLSA overtime calculations.
• Audits time records for accuracy; guides facility timekeepers on pay practices.
• Reviews and adjusts forms for terminations, status changes, and special payment PAR forms.
• Processes garnishments accurately (court orders, child support, student loans, etc.) and responds to inquiries from employees and agencies.
• Maintains time and attendance data; participates in system testing for upgrades.
• Reviews payroll reports to identify errors and communicates corrections to the appropriate parties.
• Performs non-routine payroll calculations and posts retroactive payments after managerial review.
• Prepares deductions summaries for Accounts Payable and communicates with vendors as needed.
• Provides confidential information to employees or authorized parties and handles verifications of employment and earnings.
• Resolves employee/payroll inquiries and ensures timely responses.
• Follows policies, completes required education, and participates in improvement initiatives.

Education

HS diploma or GED

Job description

Overview

Payroll Specialist

Full Time, 80 Hours Per Pay Period, Day Shift

Covenant Health Overview:

Covenant Health is the region’s top-performing healthcare network with 10hospitals,outpatient and specialtyservices,andCovenant Medical Group, our area’s fastest-growing physician practice division. Headquartered in Knoxville, Covenant Health is a community-owned integrated healthcare delivery system and the area’s largest employer. Our more than 11,000 employees, volunteers, and 1,500 affiliated physicians are dedicated to improving the quality of life for the more than two million patients and families we serve every year. Covenant Health is the only healthcare system in East Tennessee to be named a Forbes “Best Employer” seven times.

Position Summary:

Performs a wide variety of tasks to ensure payroll is processed correctly and employees are properly compensated. Primary responsibility is administrating timekeeping system and auditing submitted transactions for compliance with corporate pay policies. Must communicate in a professional manner with employees and outside organizations regarding confidential information.

Responsibilities

• Demonstrates an understanding of company pay and benefit policies and elements of Fair Labor Standards Act including overtime calculations.
• Audits time records for completion and accuracy. Researches and corrects any missed or questionable entries. Provides guidance and clarification to facility timekeepers regarding appropriate pay practices.
• Reviews and makes appropriate software entries related to terminating, status change, and special payment PAR forms for Covenant Health facilities. Reviews forms for accuracy and assures appropriate changes are reflected in the timekeeping system.
• Responsible for the accurate and timely input of court ordered wage garnishments, including child support, student loans, wage assignments, bankruptcy orders, and federal tax levies ensuring the accuracy of processed garnishments through review of system generated reports. Ensures all garnishment payments are in compliance with withholding orders and the laws. Researches and responds to inquiries from employees, courts, state and federal agencies and others regarding garnishment orders. Sets up garnishment vendors appropriately. Prepares written communication for employees and legal agencies as required in a professional and confidential manner.
• Maintains time and attendance system with pertinent employee data. Determines appropriate payrules to ensure proper timecard generation and reporting. Participates in full system testing for time and attendance system version upgrades.
• Assists in maintaining earning and deduction information in the payroll system. Must understand impact of all earnings and deductions on employees’ net pay. Collaborates with IT to identify and correct issues for accurate payroll processing.
• Reviews system generated payroll reports identifying errors in payments or hours reported. Communicates errors in coding or pay with appropriate parties.
• Performs non-routine payroll calculations to manually correct pay as needed. After review by Manager or Sr. Payroll staff, posts a variety of payroll data such as retroactive payments and corrections to errors.
• Prepares a summary of all deductions from employees’ checks for the Finance/Accounts Payable staff utilizing Microsoft Excel. Ensures deductions that need to be processed as a payment by the Accounts Payable staff are submitted in a timely manner. Provides correspondence to be submitted with the payment to the vendor that includes all relevant information. Researches and responds to inquiries regarding deductions and the subsequent payments to vendors.
• Provides confidential information regarding inquiries made by employees or government agencies. Furnishes information to potential creditors upon written authorization from employee. Composes letters for verification of employment and earnings upon employee request.
• Resolves a variety of issues presented by employees, timekeepers, and co-workers providing a timely response to inquiries. Communicates with employees regarding their payroll issues and questions. Directs employees regarding what action needs to be taken in order to correct any discrepancies.
• Follows policies, procedures, and safety standards. Completes required education assignments annually. Works toward achieving goals and objectives, and participates in quality improvement initiatives as requested.
• Responsible for prioritizing tasks and meeting strict deadlines.
• Perform other duties as assigned or requested.

Qualifications

Minimum Education:

None specified; will accept any combination of formal education and/or prior work experience sufficient to demonstrate possession of the knowledge, skill and ability needed to perform the essential tasks of the job, typically such as would be equivalent to a high school diploma or GED. Preference may be given to individuals possessing a HS diploma or GED.

Minimum Experience:

None

Licensure Requirement:

None