Discover your payroll bliss
No matter how complex your payroll is, our premium service has it covered
Payroll outsourcing just got exciting
Payroll is something every organisation has to master. Deadlines can’t slip. 100% accuracy is expected and the requirements from compliance and regulation get more onerous every year. It’s no wonder that outsourcing payroll to specialist providers is so popular.
Outsourcing promises to take away the hassle of payroll processing, allowing your team to focus on more strategic tasks. But, all too often, the reality is very different.
Providers are dropping the ball and not delivering the service clients expect and this is leading to additional stress and burden on their payroll and HR teams.
Ascend has been created as an antidote to this. Delivering a premium service that is personal, reliable and genuinely goes above and beyond.
But why trust us?
Let’s start by looking at why Ascend exists and what makes us different.
Ascend was started by our founders who are die-hard payroll pros.
They’ve worked in the managed payroll sector for decades and have seen the good, the bad and the ugly of managed payroll. Ascend is their answer to what is currently wrong in the payroll sector. A chance to start from scratch and get it right for our customers.
Forget dealing with sales people chasing targets and commissions.
At Ascend, the folks you talk to from day one are payroll people. They have the expertise to give advice and help you make the best decisions. And, because they will continue to be involved in handling your payroll, they are committed to getting it right and building strong relationships.
Everyone says they are customer focussed, but we live it.
World-class service means being there when you need us, working with you and being flexible.
We empower our staff to always do the right thing. That’s our promise.
Tech with no limits
We believe that our technology should adapt to you, not the other way around.
Our systems fit seamlessly with your existing software and processes. No forcing you into rigid ways of working. We use the latest tech but keep it super easy to use.
It’s all about adding value and keeping things simple, not creating more hoops to jump through.
Experts at handling complex payrolls
Not all payrolls are equal. Whilst many are simple and predictable, there are others that are more complex, and this is where the less experienced payroll professionals or providers can come unstuck.
We love a complex payroll. Having worked in sectors such as hospitality, care and education for many years, we understand how to handle any type of payroll, and have built our systems accordingly.
So, what makes a complex payroll?
There is no one definition, but the types of criteria include things like;
- Weekly payroll – so data turnaround deadlines are super tight
- Multiple payrolls – especially if they are on different pay cycles
- Lots of casual, zero-hours contracts or seasonal workers– so the hours worked vary every pay period
- High degrees of staff churn – lots of starters and leavers every period
- Managing tips and gratuities – needing an understanding of specific tips legislation and tax efficient tronc solutions
- The need for multiple levels of sign off - for multi-site organisations
- Unusual working patterns – such as term time only
- Employees with multiple roles on one payroll – this is common in school payrolls
- Payrolls with employees overseas or in other parts of the UK – with different tax compliance.
Adding value beyond compliance
Of course, payroll is about accuracy and compliance. But it doesn’t have to stop there.
We take a consultative approach to managing your payroll. We’ll advise you on best practices and help you find ways to streamline your processes.
Our AI-powered tech highlights potential issues without drowning you in data and reports. Plus, it digs deep to give you valuable insights that can boost your business.
The secret element for happy employees
Payslips have barely changed over the years. Even the digital ones are often just PDFs of the old paper versions.
Enter Elementary – our employee app that goes beyond sending electronic payslips.
Elementary can act like a mini HR platform. It provides employees with their pay information, stores and distributes essential HR documents, and lets them request holidays.
All of this is done with a simple web app they can access on their phones anytime.
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Let’s have a chat about how we can transform your payroll
