This release is aid to contain significant ease-of-use and legal compliance improvements, as well as the ability to print payslips in the recipients language of choice.

Pastel Payrolls new multi-lingual feature aims to allow companies to produce payslips in any of the eleven official languages.

A Zulu employee, for example, will receive a payslip in Zulu, while an Afrikaans employee will receive a payslip in Afrikaans. Setting the language option for each employee in the master file will ensure that all payslips are printed in his/her language of choice, without any further work required from either employee or employer.

Salaries and wages are one of the biggest expenses that companies face.

The latest version of Pastel Payroll is designed to assist companies in improving staff morale, which will in turn increase work productivity.

The traditional English or Afrikaans payslip is no longer a realistic option in this country, says Stephen Corrigan, MD of Softline Pastel Payroll. Employees need to understand their payslips, and producing one in their native language not only enhances their understanding, but also improves morale, by showing that the employer cares about staff.

The new application also features seamless integration with Microsoft Office, as payroll reports can be generated from Pastel Payroll directly in Microsoft Word or Exce, he adds. For example, payroll data can easily be posted into a spreadsheet for further analysis and manipulation with a single click of the mouse, Corrigan continues. 

In terms of the Basic Conditions of Employment Act, companies are obliged to calculate leave pay, to cater for variable income types (such as overtime, commission etc) in order to ensure that a fair remuneration is paid when these employees are on vacation.

In general, employers need to pay these employees an average of their variable earnings for a representative period prior to leave.

The new version of Pastel Payroll now calculates the amount automatically, allowing users to define the calculation period on a per company, department, or even employee, basis to ensure a fair leave payout, the company says.

We have experienced exponential growth, as more and more business leaders realise value in automating their payroll process, says Corrigan. In addition, Pastel Payrolls integration with Pastel Accounting as well as Microsoft Office ensures that payroll becomes an integral part of a companys financial infrastructure, as opposed to its traditional role as a standalone application, making payroll processing simpler. Pastel Payroll will be running a series of seminars and workshops in support of the new release this month.