Feb 2022
22
BrightPay celebrates 10-year anniversary
From humble beginnings to an award-winning, industry-leading payroll software provider BrightPay is celebrating our 10th anniversary! In February 2012, BrightPay was launched in the United Kingdom, marking a momentous step in our journey. It wouldn’t have been possible to be where we are today without our customers, dedicated staff, and partners who have supported us along the way. We want to say a huge thank you to you all.
This anniversary provides a chance for us to reflect on ten years of creating, innovating, and delivering payroll software excellence. Reflecting on our major milestones and achievements makes us nostalgic for those early days but also hugely proud of how far we’ve come. Here are just a few of our big moments:
Taking a look back at BrightPay’s Achievements
2010: Developing a Bright idea
Although our anniversary is indeed February 2012, the story of BrightPay goes back a few years before this date. Creating easy-to-use payroll software was always our passion and by 2010, we had nearly 20 years' experience of providing payroll software to Irish customers. We wanted to expand our presence in the UK market though and we knew we needed a special product to do so. This led Ross Webster, Lead Software Developer and Director of BrightPay to join the team and begin building a solution that would simplify the payroll process and delight customers.
2012: Launch Day
After 2 years of development, we were ready to launch BrightPay for the 2012/13 tax year. BrightPay entered the market as a modern, user-friendly payroll software. Speaking recently to one of our very first customers who has remained with us all these years, we spoke about why he initially chose BrightPay and why he continues to use it.
2013: Ready for Real Time Information
Real Time Information was introduced in 2013 and was one of the most significant changes ever made to PAYE. Its introduction was a massive change to how businesses submitted PAYE information to HRMC. Eager to help our customers manage this change as easy and efficiently as possible, BrightPay immediately introduced full, HMRC recognised support for RTI. This allowed our customers to manage all their RTI requirements and send RTI submissions directly to HMRC through the payroll software. BrightPay’s responsive and easy-to-understand RTI functionality, led to many happy customers spreading the word about BrightPay. Our customer list began to grow and grow!
2013: BrightPay recognised by industry awards
With one year under our belt, we were delighted to see we were shortlisted for multiple awards in 2013. This included CIPP’s Payroll and Pensions Excellence awards, Payroll World Awards 2013, and AccountingWeb Software Satisfaction Awards.
2014: Ready and eager for auto-enrolment
When it came to the phased rollout of automatic enrolment to mid-sized businesses in 2014, BrightPay were ready and happy to help. In 2014 we introduced full auto-enrolment functionality supporting all requirements set out by The Pensions Regulator. This allowed our customers to manage their auto enrolment duties with ease. It was and still is, one of their favourite features.
2014: Our first integration with a pension provider
With the introduction of auto enrolment duties, came the need for a more integrated process with pension providers. In 2014, we also launched our first direct API integration with the pension provider, NEST. This was followed in later years by integrations with Aviva, The People’s Pension, and Smart Pension. This time-saving feature allowed our customers to make their payroll process even more efficient.
2016: Connecting to the cloud
Listening to and responding to our customer requests is what drives BrightPay’s development plan. This was exemplified by the launch of BrightPay Connect in 2016. Although our customers wanted to keep BrightPay’s desktop functionality, they also wanted the option of cloud connectivity. With the launch of BrightPay Connect we were able to provide our customers with an automatic cloud backup, employee self-service, automatic payslips, greater data security, and an employer dashboard for bureau clients. BrightPay Connect continues to grow in popularity becoming an unexpected HR boon for many of our customers.
2018: Even more integrations
Looking to make the payroll workflow a smoother process for our customers we began to develop API integrations with multiple different accounting software packages. In 2018, we introduced our first accounting software integrations with Quickbooks, Xero, and Sage. We now have 11 accounting software integrations and have plans for more.
2018: BrightPay secures investment from Hg
2018 brought some exciting news for BrightPay. We secured investment from Hg, a specialist technology investor. With the support of Hg, we were able to grow, taking on more employees and developing our software further. This allows us to keep on top of growing payroll needs and trends.
2020: Celebrating more awards
We love a party as much as the next person and it’s always a delight when we can go to a big bash celebrating the best in the business. It’s even more fun when we win! We have been delighted to have won awards in recent years, including Top Payroll Product of the Year at the 2021 AccountingWeb Software Awards and winner of the Payroll and HR Software of the Year 2021 at the ICB Luca Awards. We were also named winner of the COVID Hero Supplier Award at the Accounting Software Excellence Awards 2020, winner of Payroll Software of the Year 2019 at the ICB Luca Awards, and winner of Payroll Software of the Year 2018 at the AccountingWEB Software Excellence Awards.
2022: What’s next?
It’s exciting to see how far BrightPay has come and to anticipate what will happen next. We do know that the BrightPay team have been working around the clock to make sure we can deliver what you want. From our customer feedback we know that that is ‘BrightPay in the cloud’. Fully in the cloud this time. We expect to launch BrightPay Online in late 2022! We’ll make sure to keep you updated. To make sure you're the first to know, sign up here to receive notifications about BrightPay.
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Feb 2022
16
What to include on a payslip and how they should be shared with employees
By law, employers must provide all employees with a payslip for each pay period. As well as giving employees a rundown of their earnings and any deductions there might be to their pay, payslips may be required as proof of income when applying for a mortgage or other loans. Payslips should be provided to employees either before or on the day they receive payment and are usually generated within the payroll software. According to ACAS, payslips must include:
- Total pay before deductions
- Total pay after deductions
- Amounts of any variable or fixed deductions
- A breakdown of how the wages will be paid if more than one payment method is used
Below is an example of information you may find on a payslip:
How should payslips be shared with employees?
Employees’ payslips should be provided to them as at least one of the following:
- A hard copy
- Attached in an email
- An online copy
Giving employees a printed copy of their payslip is becoming less common. As well as the fact many businesses are digitising their paper processes, a payslip contains a lot of sensitive employee information, and a printed payslip could easily fall into the wrong hands. When emailing payslips, it is important that the payslip is password protected. More and more businesses are choosing to opt for sharing payslips with employees online. Not only do they save on paper on ink, but they are also more secure and can be easily retrieved when needed.
How can I provide employees with online payslips?
Some payroll software providers include an option to share employees' payslips through an online portal. BrightPay payroll software has a cloud add-on, BrightPay Connect, which includes an employee self-service mobile app where employees can view and download all new and historic payslips. Once a payslip becomes available, the employee will receive a push notification on their phone. If they do not have access to the app, they can also access their employee portal online from any device.
Sharing employees' payslips through an online portal such as BrightPay Connect is the best way to avoid payslip data breaches and insure you are in compliance with UK data protection laws. It also means that employees will always have access to all their past payslips and won’t need to come to their employer to request them.
Can you produce payslips using Basic PAYE tools?
You can use Basic PAYE tools (BPT) to produce payslips for your employees. However, the payslips produced will not include all the details which you are required to provide by law. By using a payroll software such as BrightPay, the payslips produced will contain all the information required by law, while also being customizable with the option of including additional information.
To find out more about how you can share payslips with employees online, book a free online demo of BrightPay Connect today. If you’re not yet using BrightPay Payroll Software, book a free migration consultation to speak to a dedicated migration specialist to help you through the set-up process.
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Feb 2022
15
The Updated Statutory Sick Pay Rebate Scheme
28/02/2022 Update: The Statutory Sick Pay Rebate Scheme will close on 17th March 2022 and employers have until 24th March to submit any new claims for absence periods up to 17th March, or to amend claims you have already submitted. You will no longer be able to claim back Statutory Sick Pay (SSP) for any COVID-19 related absences that occur after 17th March.
As of 25th March, there’ll be a return to the normal SSP rules, meaning it will be payable from the fourth qualifying day an employee is off work, regardless of the reason for their sickness absence.
BrightPay users should be aware of this change and select the normal SSP option when recording any sickness related absences from 25th March, regardless of whether or not it is COVID-19 related.
On 21st December 2021, it was announced that the Statutory Sick Pay Rebate Scheme (SSPRS) would be reopened in January 2022 for small and medium sized businesses across the UK. The scheme has been reintroduced as support for businesses impacted by the Omicron variant of COVID-19.
The updated SSPRS allows eligible employers to claim back some of their Statutory Sick Pay (SSP) costs for employees who are eligible for sick pay due to COVID-19. Businesses can also claim back SSP retrospectively for employees for any qualifying days on or after 21st December 2021.
Who can claim
The 30th of November, 2021 is the date used to establish an employer's eligibility for the SSP Rebate Scheme. To qualify to claim back SSP the employer must:
- Have a PAYE payroll scheme that was created and started on or before 30th November 2021
- Have had fewer than 250 employees on 30th November 2021, across all PAYE payroll schemes
Which employees can you claim for
Employers can claim back SSP for employees who qualify for SSP and who cannot work because they are off sick or self-isolating due to COVID-19 on or after 21st December, 2021 up until 17th March, 2022.
To claim back SSP for an employee they must meet the following criteria:
- The employee must be classed as an employee and have done work for you under their contract
- Must be sick for 4 or more days in a row (including non-working days)
- Must provide you with a “fit note” after 7 days
- Must earn an average of at least £120.00 per week for the 2021/22 tax year
Employees qualify as being off due to COVID-19 if they:
- Have COVID-19
- Have symptoms of COVID-19 and are self-isolating
- Are living with someone with symptoms of COVID-19 and are self-isolating
- Are in a support bubble with someone with symptoms of COVID-19 and are self-isolating
- Have been notified by the NHS that they've come into contact with someone with COVID-19
- Have been notified by the NHS that they need to self-isolate before surgery
How much can be claimed
- Employers can claim back up to 2 weeks SSP for each employee, which is in-line with the recommended 7 to 14 day isolation period.
- The SSP statutory weekly rate for 2021/22 is £96.35
- The maximum number of employees a business can claim for is the number of employees which were registered on the employer’s PAYE scheme on November 30th, 2021.
- SSP is paid only for the days an employee normally works
How to make a claim
- If you haven’t already, you must enroll for PAYE Online.
- Sign into the Gov.UK online service using your Government Gateway user ID and password that you got when you registered for PAYE Online to make your claim.
How your payroll software will cater for the SSPRS
BrightPay Payroll Software has recently upgraded their software to cater for employers making claims for employees who were off work due to COVID-19 on or after 21st December, 2021. Our Coronavirus SSP Rebate Scheme tool has been designed to assist users in ascertaining SSP reclaimable amounts for entry into Gov.UK’s online service for claiming back SSP.
The SSPRS will close on 17th March 2022 and employers have until 24th March 2022 to submit any new claims for absence periods up to 17th March 2022, or to amend claims you have already submitted. You will no longer be able to claim back Statutory Sick Pay (SSP) for any COVID-19 related absences that occur after 17th March.
Find out how to use BrightPay’s Coronavirus SSPRS claim report tool. To learn more about BrightPay, book a free online demo now and see the software in action for yourself.
If you’re looking to switch to BrightPay, we offer dedicated migration specialists to help you through the importing and set-up process. You can book a free migration consultation here.
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Feb 2022
14
What the New Health and Social Care Levy means for employers
On the 7th of September 2021, the government announced a new 1.25% Health and Social Care Levy. The objective of the levy is to fund investment in the NHS, health and social care. This new plan for health and social care will lead to a permanent increase in spending.
In 2020 and 2021, government borrowing was at an all-time high, due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Because of this, it has been decided that increased taxation would be the most responsible way to fund these investments in health and social care.
What does this mean for employers?
The scheme is set to come into effect on 6th April 2022 and will mean that employees’ National Insurance contributions will increase. As an employer, if you pay Class 1, Class 1A or Class 1B National Insurance contributions, you’ll need to start paying the 1.25% increase in contributions from 6th April 2022. These changes will not affect employees who are above State Pension age and are not an employee or self-employed.
From April 2023, NICs rates will return to 2021-22 levels and the 1.25% levy will become a separate new tax. You will need to pay the separate 1.25% levy, and this will also apply to the earnings of individuals who are working and are above State Pension age.
See the gov.uk website for guidance on the Health and Social Care Levy.
What does this mean for payroll?
Your 2022/23 payroll software should be updated to cater for this increase. HMRC are also asking payroll processors to include the following message on the payslips of those affected by the increase:
‘1.25% uplift in NICs, funds NHS, health & social care’.
They are asking that this note be added so that employees understand the increase and what it is helping to fund. Users have the ability to remove this messaging, if they wish to do so.
From the 2023/24 tax year, when the levy becomes a separate tax, it will need to be shown on payslips as a new item. Your payroll software should be updated for the 2023/24 tax year to cater for this.
How do I add the HMRC message to payslips?
If you are a BrightPay customer, this message will be automatically added to the payslips of affected employees. If you are not a customer of BrightPay, depending on the software you use, this message may need to be added manually to payslips by the payroll processor.
While the 1.25% levy will show as a message by default on the payslips, it is optional. This option can be unticked under > Print Payslips > Options in the Payroll section of BrightPay 2022-23
Free Migration
If you’re looking to switch to BrightPay, we offer dedicated migration specialists to help you through the importing and set-up process. You can book a free migration consultation here.
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Feb 2022
9
Case Study: Why this family run firm remains loyal to BrightPay
Fernhill Accountants are a family run accountancy firm located in Farnborough, Hampshire and have been in business since 2013. When they first started off, owner Judy Dean looked after the accountancy and taxation side of the business while her daughter Lucy later joined to take care of marketing and customer service. Fernhill Accountants’ clients are primarily micro businesses, and they have a mix of sole traders and limited companies. One of Fernhill Accountants’ first clients was a Community Interest Company (CIC), and since then they’ve built up their CIC client base. Fernhill Accountants offer bookkeeping, accounting, taxation and payroll services to their clients.
A software that grows with the business
Fernhill Accountants didn’t initially offer payroll services to their clients but when one of their CIC clients asked if they would do it, they agreed. As they were not sure if the payroll side of their business would work out and not wanting to commit resources too quickly to it, they started off by using HMRC’s Basic PAYE Tools. However, using Basic PAYE Tools to process payroll was time-consuming and because the functionality was so limited, tasks such as auto-enrolment were taking far longer than they should. “The functionality just wasn’t there. With the pensions and auto-enrolment duties coming in, it was all taking too long,” This is when Judy decided she needed to start looking for payroll software that would meet all their requirements.
Judy began researching the different payroll software available. This is when she first became aware of BrightPay. After looking into the various features of BrightPay and weighing the benefits up against other payroll systems, Judy felt confident that BrightPay could take care of her payroll needs. Reading BrightPay’s reviews on AccountingWEB reaffirmed her decision.
The importance of telephone support
Another payroll software provider which had been mentioned to Judy and which she had considered was Moneysoft. However, what helped her make the final decision was the fact that Moneysoft didn’t provide any customer phone support at that time, while BrightPay did. “One of the big reasons we went with BrightPay in the end was because you have telephone support,” Judy told us. Judy preferred speaking directly to a payroll specialist because from experience, phone support often solved problems quicker than email. And so, happy with all the information she gathered, Judy made the final decision and started using BrightPay for the 2017/18 tax year.
Time saved through integrations
Since Judy started using BrightPay to process payroll she hasn’t looked back. Straight away Judy noticed how quick and easy BrightPay was to use.
BrightPay includes direct API integration with a number of accounting packages. For Judy, BrightPay’s integration with accounting software Xero was important to have. “The integration with Xero has been great. It has saved me a lot of time. Thanks to the integration I can just send it over and adjust it if I need to – it’s so easy. I’ve also quite a few clients on BrightPay and Xero and it just flows through quite happily.” Another integration that has saved Judy time is BrightPay’s integration with pension providers, in particular, Nest. “We’ve clients who are on Nest and once we got through the initial set up it was very easy. It works out everything for you and the clients just pay them what they’re meant to pay and that’s it, job done,” she said. Judy also found the in-software notifications very handy for remembering pension related tasks, “The nudges the software gives you all the time to remind you what you need to do for auto-enrolment have been great. So yes, it works brilliantly; it’s secure and saves us so much time.”
BrightPay’s cloud add-on saves more time by cutting down on emails
Fernhill Accountants are also using the optional cloud add-on, BrightPay Connect. One of the ways Judy has saved time using BrightPay Connect is by giving clients access to an online dashboard where they can run payroll reports anytime, anywhere. “It’s more secure and saves me from having to email clients and add in the attachments. Everything the client needs is there. I don’t have to worry about making mistakes or not attaching the correct report.” “Before, when I had to save the reports and then go and find them and attach them to the emails it was taking me about 15 minutes per client each time. So now that we have BrightPay Connect we don’t need to do that anymore. It cuts out a lot of emails that would come in as well. The time saving is immense for me.” BrightPay Connect’s automatic online backup has also saved Judy time when processing payroll. “An additional benefit of BrightPay Connect is that your payroll data is automatically backed up to the cloud so we no longer have to back it up manually.”
Speaking to someone gets problems solved quicker
Another feature of BrightPay that has been very important for Judy and Fernhill Accountants is the level of assistance she receives from the support team. As mentioned, it is important for Judy that she gets to speak to someone over the phone whenever she needs help. “The support is excellent. Both email and phone. It’s great to be able to speak to a real person because when you’re not sure about what you’re doing, you don’t always explain it very well in an email. So, I find when I’m unsure about something when running payroll and I speak to BrightPay’s support team, they can kind of prise out of me what it is I’m doing or not doing and the issue gets solved a lot quicker.”
So, after four years of Fernhill Accountants using BrightPay to process payroll for their clients we asked Judy if she would be renewing her BrightPay licence next year. “Definitely, without a doubt,” Judy answered without hesitation. “When I first made the decision to use BrightPay I was hopeful that I wouldn’t be dissatisfied in any way, and I can honestly say I haven’t.”
If you want to find out exactly why Judy hasn’t looked back since making the move to BrightPay, schedule a free 15-minute demo of BrightPay and BrightPay Connect with a member of our team today. Or why not book a free 60-day trial of BrightPay and try the software for yourself with no obligation to purchase.
Feb 2022
3
5 Reasons why BrightPay receives a 99% Customer Satisfaction Rating
For the seventh year in a row BrightPay received a 99% customer satisfaction rating! The team at BrightPay are delighted to see that as we continue to grow, we are delivering on and exceeding our customer’s expectations, are providing the critical support they need, and are offering a payroll solution that works.
From the many reasons mentioned by our customers that explained why they were “extremely or very satisfied” with the software, there were five that stood out.
1. Ease of use:
Analysing the results of our survey, there was a phrase continuously repeated by our customers – “It is just so easy to use”. The easy-to-follow and intuitive interface of BrightPay payroll software is not an unexpected coincidence. We understand the importance of a well laid-out and instinctive computer software. This makes it much easier for you to learn the program and you don’t have to repeatedly go to the help guide as you automatically understand the next step in the process. That’s why, even with the development of more features and added functions to the program, we haven’t compromised on the design.
2. Functionality:
Of course, it’s no surprise that the features and functionality of BrightPay are critical to customer’s satisfaction with it. As one customer put it “it does what it says on the tin”. We know it wouldn’t be possible to achieve a 99% score without the successful delivery of auto-enrolment, journal integration, CIS, pension integration, IR35, and batch-enrolment. Such features allow you to process payroll quickly, reduce errors associated with manual-entry of figures, and carry out other duties in a more efficient manner.
3. Support:
The excellent support we deliver to our customers was another point repeatedly highlighted in the survey. The support we offer ranges from phone and email support from our payroll specialists to free product demos, webinars, guides, and other documentation. We understand the importance of customer support, both when you’re starting out using the software as well as further down the line, when unexpected situations arise and mistakes are made. That’s why customer support is included in all licences and has been free for nearly 30 years.
4. Innovation:
At BrightPay we aim to create the best customer experience possible. To do this, we continuously look for new and innovative solutions to problems payroll processors and business owners encounter on a day-to-day basis. We are happy to see our customers benefiting from our latest partnership, one that allows you to pay employees, subcontractors, and HMRC all from within BrightPay. The partnership with the payment platform, Modulr, allows you to send payments in under 90 seconds, 24/7, 365 days a year.
5. The choice of BrightPay Connect:
Working on the cloud is an absolute must for some, while for others, it’s an option which they aren’t too fussed over. With BrightPay Connect, we provide an optional cloud add-on to BrightPay payroll users. Customers can decide for themselves whether they want or need the cloud platform. If they decide to use BrightPay Connect, they have the reassurance that their data is automatically backed-up to the cloud, can send reports directly to the employer’s self-service portal, and can offer an app to employees where they can view their payslips, add annual leave, and much more.
Future Development
Through the survey, our customers gave us their feedback on the payroll software, what they loved and what they thought could be improved. This yearly survey is critical to our development strategy. From it, we know what is most important to our customers which informs what features we concentrate on developing. We know that there is always room for improvement and will continue to push ourselves to deliver the best payroll software available.
Learn more about BrightPay
If you’re interested in learning more about BrightPay and how it can improve your payroll services, schedule a 15-minute demo with a member of our team today. Or why not book a free 60-day trial of BrightPay and try the software for yourself with no obligation to purchase.
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Feb 2022
3
Customer Update: February 2022
Welcome to BrightPay's February update. Our most important news this month include:
-
Integrate Zoho & BrightPay to automate your payroll workflow
-
Data backup: 3 strategies to protect your business from data loss
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How to process a leaver in BrightPay
Pre-order BrightPay 2022/23 now
Get organised for the new tax year by pre-ordering BrightPay 2022/23. We will notify you once the software is available to download.
Protect your business from data loss
It is essential that you backup your payroll data to protect your business, your clients, and their employees. Backups protect against hardware failure, virus attacks, natural disasters, and human error. BrightPay Connect will automatically backup your payroll data to a secure server every 15 minutes.
Seamless integration with accounting packages
BrightPay now has direct API integration with 11 different accounting software packages. This feature allows the user to directly send the payroll journal to the accounting package from within BrightPay. Eliminate the traditional manual method and use API integration!
Make payments to employees in real-time
Get greater flexibility when paying employees, subcontractors, and HMRC with BrightPay’s payments partner, Modulr. Schedule payments in advance or make last-minute changes at the click of a button as you can make payments 24/7, in real-time.
BrightPay’s multi-user remote access
While BrightPay remains a desktop-based solution, licences can be installed on up to 10 PCs. This is very handy if you have multiple employees working from home, who need access to the payroll software.
Feb 2022
1
Important Pricing Update for BrightPay 2022/23
Over the last three years, we have introduced many powerful features and enhancements to BrightPay that have helped improve how you run payroll. This has included ongoing payroll upgrades to support the CJRS and updates to our many API integrations with accounting software, pension providers, and most recently with the payments platform Modulr.
Despite the additional product development and customer support required during this time, our prices have remained the same.
To ensure that our investment in technology keeps pace with customer needs and upcoming trends, we are increasing our prices for the 2022/23 tax year.
BrightPay licences
These increases are broadly in line with the rate of inflation over the 3-year period, and we hope you agree that our product continues to represent excellent value. Full details can be viewed here.
What do you need to do now?
Nothing. Your BrightPay payroll software 2021/22 licence will continue to work as normal until the end of the tax year. Pre-order BrightPay 2022/23 today and we will email you when it is available to download.
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