The Methodist Hospital System’s payroll department has earned the 2005 Best Practices Prism Award from the American Payroll Association.

This national award recognizes companies that lead the payroll industry in technology, management, processes and overall best practices.  Methodist was recognized as the U.S. company with best practices in its processes.

Award recipients are chosen from among the nation’s leading business organizations based on responses to questionnaires distributed by the APA’s Large Employer Task Force. This committee of volunteer payroll professionals search for companies that utilize the most innovative business practices and emerging technologies to address legislative and global payroll issues facing large employers.

Companies competing for this award must have at least 5,000 employees. Payroll initiatives that helped Methodist earn the award came from a department of Human Resources, HR Process Improvement, formed two years ago to update many of the System’s processes. “It was our goal to come up with initiatives that would better serve our employees as well as provide innovative solutions in the delivery of our services,” said John Stewart, director of HR Process Improvement, Payroll/Employee Information Systems and Records Management.

As a result, a direct deposit initiative increased employee participation in direct deposit from 55 to 99 percent. An online pay stub program was initiated; allowing employees the option to view paycheck details online and “turn off” paper pay stubs. Simplified pay stubs and tools for management are other applications launched by Methodist.

“We’ve come a long way in a short time,” said Stewart.  “That’s why this national recognition is truly an honor.”

Representatives from Methodist will join other payroll professionals from across the national at the American Payroll Association conference August 10-12 in Las Vegas to learn ways to improve the efficiency of their respective company’s payroll departments.