Video Tour of Philippine Payroll on PayrollHero

Below is a video explainer for how PayrollHero can work within your Philippine business. From setting up schedules, to clocking in and out, resolving attendance and generating payroll.

1. Creating employee schedules on PayrollHero
It is quick and easy to setup schedules for your employees. Depending on your business will depend which scheduling tool you use. Our onboarding team will help setup the processes so that your managers can quickly and easily manage their teams schedules.

Clocking in/out via PayrollHero
Clocking in and out on PayrollHero is a breeze. We have TeamClock for iOS and Android as well as the MyClock Web and TeamClock Chrome. We can setup your account to based on your needs.

Clock in/out details are run through thresholds
We automate your time and attendance policy using our thresholds functionality. All clock in and outs are run through the thresholds to make enforcement of your policies easier. We have thresholds for In early, in late, out early, out late, undertime, unscheduled work, duplicate clock in and duplicate clock out.


Resolving employee attendance infractions
Our resolve attendance functionality enables your managers to quickly and easily resolve infractions that fall outside of the thresholds. Most common is missing clock in and overtime. Each click is recorded as to who resolved what infraction and why.

Enroll employee in Government deductions

Add allowances on PayrollHero

Generate payroll
Generating payroll is simple and rules based. Once the time and attendance has been resolved running the payroll is quick. Below is an example of a Philippine payroll being run.

Other questions that you might have?

  1. How PayrollHero Computes the Pag-Ibig Deduction?
  2. How PayrollHero Computes the SSS Deduction?
  3. How PayrollHero Computes an Employees Total Hours for One Day?
  4. How PayrollHero Computes the Philippine BIR Tax Deduction?
  5. How PayrollHero Computes the PhilHealth Deduction?
  6. How to Compute the 13th Month Pay?
  7. How to Compute for Night Differential?
  8. What Is Annualized Witholding Tax (Alphalist)?

Have more questions? Feel free to consult our knowledge-base or reach out and our team would be pleased to speak further about your companies specific needs. 

Here’s One Cebu Restaurant Who Is Nailing It On Social Media

Editors Note: This post was written by Kyjean Tomboc. She will be contributing to the PayrollHero blog from time to time.

Brique’s Modern Kitchen, cebuWhether you own a small diner or manage a large chain of restaurants, social media presence these days is the norm rather than an exception. This should not be a surprise, given that recent figures by Forbes reveal that a whopping 81 percent of the people they surveyed indicated that social media posts by family and peers influenced their purchase decisions.

Restaurants who opt not to embrace social media marketing will be surprised to find out that they still have a social media presence after all. Diners will inevitably tweet, post photos on Facebook or Instagram, and talk about their experience on Yelp.

To get ahead of the pack, a restaurant’s marketing team should do more than just create a Facebook account and wait for people to like their page. For social media to work on a restaurant’s favor, these two components are crucial – creating a unique brand voice and using this voice to create a dialogue, rather than a monologue, with your customers.

It’s all about engagement and being consistent with it!

Brique’s Modern Kitchen, a newcomer in Cebu’s dining scene, is one restaurant whose social media presence is a perfect example of what it means to be truly social in social media.

Distinct Brand Voice

Brique’s Modern Kitchen is not difficult to miss if you pass by Salinas Drive in Lahug. The same could be said of its social media presence. On its Instagram, the restaurant describes itself as a:

A Cebu based restaurant offering modern cuisine with a rustic touch. Brique is the perfect place to have good food in a relaxing atmosphere.

See what the folks at Brique’s did? In the first sentence, they identified what Brique aims to offer. Next, they highlighted what diners can expect when they visit the restaurant. This is a brilliant example of using social media as a medium to not just talk about what you do but also showcase what your customers can expect from your restaurant.

Exclusive Offers

Brique’s recently celebrated their first year milestone through a free entree of your choice if you share a photo with the #BriqueTurns1 hashtag on Instagram. Offers that are limited to certain social media platforms is one good way to sustain engagement with your followers.

Responsive to Customer Comments

Did we mention that Brique’s replies to each customer comment on their Facebook page? Whether it’s a positive or negative review from a diner, a quick response from the staff sends the message that a restaurant is genuinely concern of its patrons and the quality of the food they serve.

Kick-Ass Multimedia

Aside from high-quality photographs of items in their menu, real diners (not stock photos), and restaurant interiors, Brique’s has a chock-full of kick-ass videos in their Facebook page.

With storytelling as one of the core principles of digital marketing, Brique’s multimedia content are tools that help the brand show its human side and capture its audience’s attention. Stunning visual content elicits emotions and these emotions, in turn, influence purchasing decisions.

Brique’s Modern Kitchen is just one of the restaurants in Cebu who is optimizing social media for their benefit. What other restaurants are using similar social media strategies? Your opinions matter to us and we’d love to hear your thoughts in the comments below!

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Getting to Know Cebu’s Carbon Market

Getting to Know Cebu’s Carbon MarketEditors Note: This post was written by Kyjean Tomboc. She will be contributing to the PayrollHero blog from time to time.

Before air conditioned supermarkets, food specialty stores, and weekend farmers’ markets came into fashion in Cebu City, there were three major food-shopping destinations that locals from all walks of life trooped into on a regularly basis. You wake up at 3 in the morning and march down to Pasil for the freshest seafood of the day. You head to Tabo-an if you want to stock up on sun-dried fish and squid.  And then there’s Carbon, the mother of all wet markets dotted throughout the city, where every produce and wares imaginable can be found.

A Quick Lesson in History

The Treaty of Paris in 1898 resulted to Spain’s cession of the Philippines to the Americans. This development led to the establishment of a railway system in Cebu (yes, there used to be one!)  in the 1900s which went as far as Danao to the north and Argao to the south of the island. Coal, one of the major products transported via the railway line, was mainly unloaded in the site where a large portion of the Carbon Market stands today. Hence, the area earned its name Carbon which the locals that time used to refer to coal.

More than a hundred years later, you will not find large deposits of coal in this portion of downtown Cebu but all manner of produce – from what’s available the whole year ‘round displayed in all their glory on the asphalt road to interesting gourmet finds that are only accessible if you’re bold enough to enter dark alleys.

Carbon Market Today

The allure of Carbon Market has to do with how everything you can buy from here is cheap. Unbelievably cheap. For the most part, there is no middle man. Vendors either pay low rent or simply find a tiny space in the middle of the market and simply stay there until they’re done for the day.

In October 2010, Joel Binamira, owner of Zubuchon and the Market Man behind the popular Market Manila blog surveyed his readers of the top 12 produce they purchase regularly and asked them to post the total amount they’ve spent on the same set of items. He also asked for the local market or grocery where they bought the produce to be included in their answers. From 34 different shops and markets spanning the country’s main cities, the lowest amount spent for the 12-item list was at Cebu’s Carbon Market.

The market has an interesting personality as the people who populate it, majority of which are from neighboring towns and provinces who settled in the peripheries of the market with their makeshift homes. Many of these settlers have also found a living within the market itself.

Like the mishmash of regional culture among its vendors and the people who call it their home, Carbon is equal parts lively, chaotic, and brimming with a hodgepodge of wares to offer – from fresh produce delivered straight from Mantalongon, Dalaguete (Cebu’s Little Baguio) to ukay-ukay to fighting cocks.

Making Your Way to Cebu’s Carbon Market Like a Pro

Cebu, PhilippinesNavigating Cebu City’s mother of all wet markets can be tricky and intimidating for the uninitiated. This guide is not going to tell you where to find the freshest and cheapest kilo of mangoes in the market nor reveal how much a kilo of pork tenderloins will typically cost when you buy from there. We will leave the mini-discoveries to you! We will, however, provide tips and hacks that are guaranteed to help you become a Carbon Market pro!

  • The market is open 24/7 yet the best time of the day to shop is either early morning or late in the evenings. At around these times, most of the stores in the area are closed for business, giving vendors a chance to occupy the store’s front portion and display their goods. On weekends, you’ll find out that most of these vendors are farmers from the countryside, selling their backyard produce. At one point, we found pomegranates sold at 3 pesos a piece back when it was in season. We scoured supermarkets around the same time but not a piece of pomegranate was seen.
  • Ask and ye shall find! It’s easy to assume that the items on display are the only ones being sold. It’s an entirely different story at the Carbon market though. Say you’re looking for itlog bisaya (free-range eggs)? Often, these rare finds are hidden in some basket or wrapped in paper and are rewarded to those who asked for it.
  • The market is notorious for pickpockets. While the local government has made serious efforts to reduce thievery in the area, it pays to be always on guard. Dress down and leave those pretty little blings at home.
  • A designated parking spot is available. However, it could get filled to capacity during rush hour and weekends. Many find parking a few blocks away from the market and simply walk their way into the crowd and vendors.
  • Think before you haggle. While it’s okay to haggle, particularly if you’re buying in bulk, most of the vendors are only trying to make an honest living. The prices are already cheap, so why haggle?
  • Think of it as a treasure hunt rather than a usual day in the market. Rare finds such as kesong puti (white cheese) carefully wrapped in banana leaves, free range eggs, turmeric, and herbs such as cilantro, coriander, and thyme are typically associated with gourmet food shops or specialty stores. They are, however, can be found at the Carbon Market if you’re willing to delve deeper into the market’s dark (often damp) underbelly. Hint: only one vendor is known to sell kesong puti in the market on weekdays!
  • Find a local who has considerable experience navigating the market to accompany you on your first visit.

Given the bargain prices of high-quality produce, it’s no wonder that the Carbon Market continues to attract shoppers of all stripes – from housewives on a tight weekly budget to restaurant owners looking for food purveyors. Stop by at the market when you can!

Have you been to this side of the city recently? We’d love to hear about your Carbon Market experience!


Want to learn more about the restaurant industry in the Philippines? Download our free Philippine Knowledge Kit, full of market analysis for restaurant owners.

Retail Executive: Eileen Grey, The Picture Company

As part of a new series on this blog [Retail / Restaurant Executive] we will be interviewing restaurant and retail executives from all over the world to gain insight and perspective into how they make their decisions, grow their businesses and deal with challenges.

First up is Eileen Grey, owner of The Picture Company in the Philippines.

Eileen Grey The Picture CompanyQ. When and why did you start The Picture Company?
A. In 2002, I was a new mom to 2 little boys and I wanted every moment frozen in time through photos. My search led me to dark photo studios. The photographers did not enjoy interacting with my babies to capture precious moments for me and my family. Within 6 months of that search, we opened our first “home” in The Podium Mall in the Philippines. We made a studio where kids and moms can feel at home, not just with the surroundings but with their personal photographers as well. Bright studios were put up, colored backgrounds, lots of play and fun. Our aim was to create magic in our studios everyday. Today, we continue to love what we do. We love babies and we love creating keepsakes for your family. The Picture Company has grown but we still keep it personal – just like the first day we opened our doors more than a decade ago.

The Picture Company Philippines Logo | PayrollHeroQ. What is your background? (retail? or you figured it out as you went?)
A. My background is hotel management. I figured it out with the help of EO members that served as my mentors.

Q. How many locations do you have in the Philippines?
A. We have 9 locations across the Philippines. (The Podium Mall, Greenbelt 5, Power Plant Mall, Alabang Town Center, Glorietta 4, C1 Bonifacio High Street Central, Shangri-la Plaza and Ayala Center Cebu)

The Picture Company Locations in Philippines | PayrollHeroQ. How do you choose a location for The Picture Company? 
A. We look for malls that appreciate our product. Locations that have a lot of foot traffic for families and strollers.

Q. Will you ever take a sub-par location, if it is in an area you want to be in? or will you wait for the right spot?
A. We will always wait for the right spot. Our business is a weekend business (when the parents can go to the malls) and we have limited number of hours to do business (we can take maximum of 8 sessions a day for only 2 days a week), it is too risky to take a sub par location.

Q. How big is a Picture Company location? What have you learned about store size?
A. Our stores range from 36m2 to 120m2. In the beginning, we kept getting a bigger space to accommodate strollers and nannies and extended family, but we realised that when the store is big, it also lacks coziness. More attention is given to the customer when the space is just right. Another thing we need to consider is the malls have doubled and tripled their rental rates.

The Picture Company Philippines | PayrollHeroQ. Does a corner location matter for The Picture Company?
A. No. Of course good foot traffic is important but it doesn’t necessarily have to be a corner store.

Q. Are malls better? or street level locations?
A. We were successful in locations like Podium and Rockwell where clients expressed they feel safe. So when we first went street level like Bonifacio High Street, we were taking a chance. It turned out okay. A little warm and exposed to the weather changes like rain. More dirt comes in which isn’t friendly for a baby environment but it worked.

Q. At what point did the number of stores change how the business is run? I have been told, 1 or 2 stores is ok, but 3+ requires a different management approach, systems, procedures, etc. What was the tipping point for The Picture Company?
A. You are very correct! It was very personal and mom and pop until 3 stores. And then I had to consider personnel, training, back office space, production, logistics, etc.

Q. Anything you would like to add?
A. I wish we could locate The Picture Company in more spaces but new malls sprouting up (or the ones renovating) are creating bigger spaces and bringing up rent because of the international brands coming in. I wish they would always make spaces for the Filipino retailers so we have character in our malls and not look like every other mall with the same big brands. We also need to help the Filipino retailers thrive in their own country. I think the fight for all these brands to enter the malls is making every mall look alike and not offer anything new for its customers.

– Thanks to Eileen for participating! 


Would you like to be profiles in our Retail Executive series. Reach out by commenting on this blog post or emailing support at payrollhero .com.

Are you interested in learning more about PayrollHero? Our payroll software is live in the Philippines and Singapore and our Time & Attendance solution is used all over the world.

 

Philippines New Minimum Wage Effective April 2015

PayrollHero is hiringAs you might be aware, effective April 4th 2015, the new minimum wage for non agricultural workers in Philippines has raised from P451.02 a day to P466 (+P15.00 COLA) a day. (Source: DOLE)

PayrollHero clients were updated of this a few weeks ago and our Philippine payroll software had the adjustments in place for companies that need it. If you are not using PayrollHero for your Philippine payroll (yet) then make sure to double check your software or excel document to make sure that you are onside with the changes.

Australian BPO Chooses PayrollHero for Philippine Payroll Needs

We received a great email today from one of our clients in Cebu, Philippines. House of I.T. is an Australian BPO that have been on the PayrollHero platform for quite a few months now. Its always great to receive emails like this. If you have a BPO in the Philippines and want to learn more about how we can help, just contact us.

“Before discovering PayrollHero our company was using a manual timekeeping biometric system and then generating reports manual reports that we could use in Excel for our payroll needs. It was manual, full of errors and required a lot of oversight. bpo payroll software

By finding PayrollHero we added more than just attendance tracking to our company. PayrollHero also handles payroll, taxes, deductibles, and just about anything related to human resources. Automated reports generated by the system can be used for submitting to our bank. Their analytics dashboard is extremely valuable to us as it provides an overview of employee attendance, tardiness reports and leaderboards.Now our HR department & accounting staff handling payroll are much more productive. PayrollHero gives our employees & management the transparency which every company should provide.

We are an Australian BPO company with clients across Australasia, US & Europe with 70+ staff in our Philippines office. Founded on the principles of providing superior professional expertise and comprehensive solutions for our clients complete IT needs, we offer a full range of IT development, implementation and maintenance services; including a secure and proficient network design, successful systems integration, effective project management and installation of technologies, right through to pro-active and reactive desktop support. We specialize in IT services but also provide an excellent support for SEO, website designing, architecture, website hosting, and data entry, as well as internal projects to support our own growing business.  

We are so pleased with our move to PayrollHero and would highly recommend them.” 
 
Alin Adrian Florea
Sales & Marketing Manager
House of I.T.
www.houseofit.com.au

Adventure Engineers Scatter This Weekend

Our team has been full on the past few months so a few of them took this weekend to see the sights around the region. The timing was was a coincident, but we have PayrollHero #AdventureEngineers in 7 cities around the world today. They are in Hong Kong, Shenyang China, Whistler Canada, Singapore, Manila Philippines, Cebu Philippines and Squamish Canada. Below are a few pictures from their adventures.

Nico Suria is in Hong Kong along with Kieran Peppiatt and their girlfriends seeing the sights, doing a little shopping and taking in some of the local culture.

adventure engineer in hong kong

(Nico in Hong Kong)

adventure engineer kieran in hong kong

IMG_0539.JPG(Kieran Peppiatt in Hong Kong)

Bram Whillock, the very definition of #AdventureEngineer takes his outdoor time to the next level. Today, he can be found in the far off peeks of Whistler mountain in Canada.
whistler mountain ruby on rails engineer(Bram Whillock on Whistler mountain ~
photo by Bradford McArthur of ForeverExploring.com)

Aidan Sullivan is in Shenyang, China which is one hour north of Beijing. Shenyang is one of China’s very polluted cities as you can see from the picture below.
aidan in china

(Aidan Sullivan in Shenyang, China)china adventure engineer

(pollution in Shenyang, China)
vince paca in cebu(Vince Paca in Cebu, Philippines)
singapore payroll guys(Michael Stephenson and Adam Baechler in Singapore)


Are you looking to join a hard working team? We are looking for a few people to join our team. Roles available: Event Manager, Content Writer, Ruby on Rails Engineer, Customer Service Specialist, Business Development and Marketing Manager.

Watch our Adventure Engineering video below to learn more about us…

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DyyaprfMifg

Recap: TechTalks Cebu, Philippines

Last night, some of the PayrollHero Whistler team were in Cebu, Philippines to to speak at the TechTalks Cebu Meetup organized by Tina Amper. Sounds like it was a great event with a solid turn out and a big thanks to Amazon for the beers and snacks.

Michael Stephenson (CEO), Adam Baechler (Product Manager) and Kieran Peppiatt (Client Success) were on hand for a fire side chat to talk about Client Success, running a Agile Team and on many things about startups and entrepreneurism.

Did you make it to the event? Let us know how it went in the comments.

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Looking for the next tech event in Cebu? Check out http://www.geeksonabeach.com

Product Development with Tate Publishing

Tate Publishing is an Oklahoma City based company with a back office in Cebu, Philippines. Since late 2012 Tate Publishing has been using PayrollHero for their Philippine payroll, time, attendance, scheduling, HRIS and analytics. When we first welcomed Tate to PayrollHero there were about 60 employees and this month they will add their 200th.

It is an amazing growth story and a great example of how companies grow with our platform. Our constant focus on their needs helps us to understand what challenges they have as their business grows and how we can help further.

Last week, some of the PayrollHero team visited Cebu, Philippines to meet up with the Tate Publishing team to chat further about their business, gather feedback on PayrollHero and take their administrator Diana out for dinner.

Here are a few photos:

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Screen Shot 2014-05-17 at 2.03.47 PM

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Do you want to learn more about PayrollHero? Fill in this form and we will get in touch right away to chat further about how our platform works and to learn more about your business.