The tastiest way to learn all the essentials about working a payroll team!
Programme Overview
Our Certificate in Payroll Fundamentals is a 6 month programme focused on building your practical, tactical skills and experience in all the fundamental areas of payroll processing, including employment law, policies and procedures, and payroll advice.
Over the course you watch videos, read articles and complete online learning modules and assignments and get coaching and feedback from our team.
The programme also involves assessing your achievement level from the start to the finish.
Who should attend?
You’ll benefit most from the Certificate in Payroll Fundamentals if you are:
- Studying business or finance and want to prepare for your first payroll role or an HR role which will have payroll responsibilities
- New to working in payroll and want to make sure you have a good base of knowledge to help your team
- In a role where you have some payroll responsibilities but haven’t completed any training yet.
What will you finish with?
The Certificate in Payroll Fundamentals is different from tertiary study as we cover real life, rather than just covering theory. It’s full of practical suggestions and ideas to use. You’ll work through each module, with real case studies and assessments to test you are applying what we’ve covered. Once you’ve completed your final assessment you will be awarded your certificate.
Elephant Certificates are now recognised globally, in New Zealand, Australia, the Pacific Islands, Singapore, Malaysia, Canada, the US and United Kingdom.
The programme investment is NZ$995 (this Certificate is currently only available in New Zealand).
Once you register, you can start immediately.
Module contents
Introduction to Payroll processing, roles and legislation
In this first module we cover the different roles in payroll and the skills needed, how payroll processing works, as and key legislation and legal requirements you need to know. This includes the ERA, Wages Protection and more.
Annual Leave and Public Holidays
The Holidays Act can cause many payroll headaches and cost your business if leave isn’t calculated and paid correctly. This modules covers annual leave and public holiday payments as these can cause particular complications!
Sick, Bereavement, Parental and other leave
There are also a number of other types of leave that your team need to pay correctly. This module gives you an understanding of the payroll and legal issues around each, and how to make sure you comply.
Allowances, Tax, Bonus payments and Final Pays
There are a number of allowances that payroll may have to set up and pay to employees. You need to understand how these work, as well as tax, final pays and bonus payments – so you can assist with processing these correctly.
Payroll Metrics and Analytics
In recent years many payroll teams have been asked to produce more analytics. This module covers how organisations report on payroll, and how you could help in your business.
Providing Effective Payroll Advice
In this last module, we look at how you can provide payroll advice to your business, as well as some tools and techniques you can use to be as effective as you can in your payroll role.
Once you’ve registered, we will then liaise with you on your timetable. The programme fees must be paid on registration. We can invoice if you are set up in our system. The Certificate costs NZ$995.
The Certificate is scheduled over 6 months however you can defer completion by a further 6 months due to work or other circumstances.
Please do let us know if you have any questions. Unfortunately we cannot issue refunds once you have started your study.
What our graduates say about the programme
Looking back on my journey through the Certificate, I am proud of improving my skills in several areas. Understanding the Employment Relations Act and different types of employees gave me a strong base in understanding employment in New Zealand. I am also proud of understanding and calculating annual leave and public holiday pay. I have learned more about different types of leave like bereavement, family violence, and parental leave, which has been really useful.
I am also proud of getting to grips with the complexities of deductions, overpayments, and final pays. Overall, this course has enhanced my ability to manage payroll processes in my workplace. Elena, Accounts Administrator, Security Company
The feedback throughout this course was thought-provoking and pushed me to delve deeper into the material, gaining a comprehensive understanding of the different subjects. From this, I learned the importance of attention to detail and staying updated with current regulations. I would rate the Certificate highly in terms of helping me improve my skills. It provided an excellent foundation and practical knowledge in payroll processes that I can apply in my workplace. Everything is done automatically via payroll software, so it was a big learning curve to do it manually, but definitely needed as it helped with my understanding of payroll processes and New Zealand regulations. Emma, Payroll Officer, Regional Council
The module that helped me the most was the parental leave module. Having to answer specific scenarios in this assignment was really beneficial as I could relate the learnings and apply it. Overall, I think that all of the modules I learnt lots in because of the way the certificate is structured. You had to go away and do a lot of your own research which was great because you would read about other components when you were doing that. The videos were great because it was a good baseline then it allowed you to go away and do more research. As a whole I learnt lots from completing the certification. Caitlin, People and Payroll, Local Government sector
I learn a lot about legislation and the Employment Relations Act. I got a lot of good feedback on this assignment, and it made me think about it in more detail. I have learnt some things in a lot more detail than I knew, and it has been good to get clarification that we were doing things correctly. It has been along time since I have studied so to get through this is great. It has made me a lot more confident when dealing with payroll. I understand the implications of things a lot better. Lynne, Payroll Officer, Energy Sector
All of the modules I have done have increased my knowledge and skills, and with the learnings from this payroll certificate I was able to review my own workplace payroll practices. This is that I am doing the correct process and compliant with Holidays act. I have pick up additional knowledge and was able to apply this in my current work as a payroll officer. I was also able to use personal strategies to think, organise and learn. It also boost my confidence that I am doing the right thing with my payroll. The feedback I got from each module has encouraged me to self-reflect and drives continuous learning and improvement. Gen, Payroll Officer, Parliament
I feel proud to have secured this certification with good grades while also ensuring I have applied my knowledge and learnings in my role as Payroll Specialist & Assistant Accountant. Some aspects of feedback were quite challenging but the best thing that happened because of this was it pushed me to think outside the box and to be more innovative on how else the situation could be handled or what else can be done about the processes in general. I have been successful in planning and organising work better to meet deadlines. I have stopped bringing work back with me using the tools which were discussed in this course. Niv, Payroll and Accounts, Industry Training organisation
If you’re wanting something shorter and sharper, then our Payroll Master Classes might be more your cup of tea.
Our team
During your study, the team at Elephant will present the webinars and learning material as well as mark your assignments and provide you with personalised feedback and coaching.
Are you in a payroll leadership role and looking for something the next level up from the Certificate in Payroll Fundamnetals? Our Certificate in Payroll Leadership might be more your style. Over 10 months learn how to lead a payroll function effectively.
About Elephant Group
Get in touch
The best way to get in touch is to email us and the right person from our team will come back to you.
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