Why Is Payroll Important In Business?

Few business operations impact employee morale as does payroll management. If you've ever wondered just how important payroll is, just imagine the reverberating effects of employees missing their pay. Immediately, employees will question the overall health of the company, or will assume the worst is yet to come with respect to their employment. Of course most enterprises these days have come to rely upon the ease of direct deposit. Still, there are some companies that still depend upon manual payroll processes. Unfortunately, these manual processes are problematic, a source of constant frustration and one of the preeminent reasons payrolls are missed. When it comes to discussing payroll services for small business, few approaches are as impactful as outsourcing payroll. So, why is payroll management important in business? More importantly, why have so many companies come to rely upon outsourcing their payroll management to a payroll services company?

The Importance of Compensation Based Pay

In the world of business, there is simply nothing that compares to being properly compensated for a job well-done. There is far more involved with managing payroll than simply making sure employees receive their pay. Compensation based pay incentivizes employees to reach their full potential, motivates them to take on new tasks, and gives them the impetus to take charge of both their personal and professional development. When companies want to get the best from their employees, they often turn to a compensation structure that pays the employee, while rewarding the company. Payroll management is an essential ingredient in catapulting a company's top employees to the highest positions in the company.

Reducing Expenditures & Freeing Up Valuable Resources

When companies upgrade their payroll management, they immediately benefit from reducing expenditures and freeing up valuable resources. Whether it's outsourcing payroll, or using a payroll management software, deciding to upgrade payroll pays huge dividends. In essence, it means the company must do away with manual processes that do nothing more than clutter business operations and cost the business money. When companies upgrade how they manage their payroll, they are able to reduce expenditures across the board.

Lower Tax Bills!

Payroll services for small business must focus on reducing tax bills. One of the biggest costs of manual payroll processes, or poor payroll management for that matter, is the incidence of late or incorrect tax filings. In fact, almost 50% of companies in the United States face some form of fine for incorrect tax filings every single year. Of course, one of the main causes includes those aforementioned manual processes. However, late filings are also caused by companies being unfamiliar with the myriad of tax codes, government regulations and laws governing how employees are compensated and ultimately, how they should be paid. If ever there was one single factor that determined just how important payroll management is, it would have to be this one.

Payroll management happens to be that one business function companies don't realize how important it is until it's too late. Most companies understand that manual processes are not only tiresome, but also extremely expensive. To reduce expenditures, companies must be willing to invest in upgrading how they manage their payroll.

Payroll Puerto Rico, Unique Aspects of Puerto Rico Payroll Law and Practice

The Puerto Rico State Agency that oversees the collection and reporting of State income taxes deducted from payroll checks is:

Department of the Treasury
Bureau of Income Tax
Intendente Alejandro Ramirez Bldg.
Paseo Covadonga, Stop 1
P.O. Box S-4515
San Juan, PR 00905
(787) 721-2020


Puerto Rico has no State Income Tax. Therefore, there are no State W2's to file, no supplement wage withholding rates and no State W2's to file.

The Puerto Rico State Unemployment Insurance Agency is:

Department of Labor and Human Resources
Bureau of Employment Security
Prudencio Rivera Martinez Bldg.
505 Munoz Rivera Ave.
Hato Rey, PR 00918
(787) 754-5262

The State of Puerto Rico taxable wage base for unemployment purposes is wages up to ,000.00.

Puerto Rico has no provision of quarterly wages on magnetic media.

Unemployment records must be retained in Puerto Rico for a minimum period of five years. This information generally includes: name; social security number; dates of hire, rehire and termination; wages by period; payroll pay periods and pay dates; date and circumstances of termination.

The Puerto Rico State Agency charged with enforcing the state wage and hour laws is:

Department of Labor and Human Resources
505 Munoz Rivera Ave.
Hato Rey, PR 00918
(787) 754-2119


There is no provision for minimum wage in Puerto Rico.

The general provision in Puerto Rico concerning paying overtime in a non-FLSA covered employer is one and one half times regular rate after 40-hour week except under contract, custom, nature of work.

There is no provision of new hire requirements in the Puerto Rico law.

There is no provision of rules for direct deposit for Puerto Rico.

Puerto Rico has no Wage and Hour Law provisions concerning pay stub information except that employees paid by direct deposit must get a voucher showing all deductions.

Puerto Rico requires that employee be paid every 15 days.

In Puerto Rico there are no statutory requirements concerning the lag time between when the services are performed and when the employee must be paid.

Puerto Rico payroll law requires that involuntarily terminated employees must be paid their final pay by next regular payday.

Puerto Rico has no general provision on when voluntarily terminated employees must be paid their final wages.

There is no provision in Puerto Rico law concerning paying deceased employees.

There is no provision of when unclaimed wages should be paid in Puerto Rico.

There is no provision in Puerto Rico law concerning record retention of abandoned wage records.

There is no provision in Puerto Rico law concerning tip credits against State minimum wage.

In Puerto Rico the payroll laws covering mandatory rest or meal breaks are only that all employees must have 1-hour meal period after 3rd and before 6th hour of shift unless agreed otherwise.

There is no provision in Puerto Rico law concerning record retention of wage and hour records therefore it is probably wise to follow FLSA guidelines.

The Puerto Rico agency charged with enforcing Child Support Orders and laws is:

Child Support Enforcement Program
Department of Social Services
P.O. Box 3349
San Juan, PR 00902-3349
(787) 767-1500

Puerto Rico has no provisions for child support deductions.

Please note that this article is not updated for changes that can and will happen from time to time.