Payroll Specialist

Hartmann Canada, in Brantford, Ontario is a division of Hartmann Packaging, with over 100 years of business, Hartmann has grown to become the North American leader in manufacturing pulp molded egg cartons.

We require the talent of a Payroll Specialist to join our talented Leadership team, who will be responsible to lead US and Canadian payroll.

WHAT WE CAN OFFER YOU: Ensuring the well-being of our employees is our priority. We offer attractive working conditions and benefits to our employees and their families:

• Competitive salary
• Annual Variable Compensation (up to 8%)
• Safety Shoe Allowance
• Professional Career Development opportunity
• Education Reimbursement & Training Opportunities
• Group Health insurance benefits
• Group Retirement pension plan
• Employee and family assistance program

The US and Canadian Payroll Specialist is responsible for accurately processing payroll for both US and Canadian employees, including unionized workers. This role involves adhering to union agreements, ensuring compliance with labor laws, and managing multi-jurisdictional payroll systems. The Payroll Specialist will work closely with HR, Finance, and union representatives to ensure payroll is accurate, timely, and compliant with all applicable tax laws, wage rates, and union contracts.

Key Responsibilities:

US Payroll Duties

Payroll Processing: Accurately process bi-weekly or, semi-monthly, payroll for hourly and salary employees in the US, ensuring correct calculation of wages, overtime, shift differentials, and bonuses.

• Overtime and Shift Differentials: Ensure that overtime, shift differentials, and other specific pay elements are correctly calculated and applied based on labor laws.
• Tax Compliance: Calculate and ensure proper withholding of federal, state, and local taxes, ensuring compliance with US tax laws and regulations.
• Report Generation: Generate and distribute payroll reports, including union-specific reports for union stewards and other stakeholders, ensuring timely submission.
• Payroll Discrepancy Resolution: Address and resolve any payroll discrepancies, employee inquiries, or concerns related to pay, benefits, or deductions.

Canadian Payroll Duties (Unionized Environment):

• Payroll Processing: Accurately process bi-weekly or semi-monthly payroll for hourly unionized employees in Canada and salary employees, ensuring the proper calculation of wages, overtime, union dues, and other benefits according to union agreements.
• Union Agreement Adherence: Implement collective bargaining agreement terms, including pay scales, benefits, and other union provisions in the payroll process.
• Tax Compliance: Calculate and ensure proper deductions for Canadian federal, provincial, and territorial taxes, including Canada Pension Plan (CPP), Employment Insurance (EI), and income tax, while complying with the latest tax laws.
• Union Dues and Contributions: Process union dues and other deductions, ensuring they are in line with union agreements.
• Benefit Contributions: Administer benefit deductions and contributions, including health, dental, pension, and other employee benefits, as outlined in union agreements.
• Payroll Reporting: Generate and submit required payroll reports for union leaders and government filings such as T4s, tax returns, and other compliance-related documentation.

Cross-Border Coordination and Compliance:

• Multi-Country Payroll Processing: Ensure that US and Canadian payrolls are processed separately but in coordination to meet deadlines, regulatory requirements, and organizational needs.
• Compliance with Laws and Regulations: Stay current on federal, state, provincial, and territorial regulations in both countries, ensuring payroll processing is compliant with all labor laws, tax regulations, and union contracts.
• Year-End and Tax Filing Support: Assist in year-end processing, including the preparation and distribution of W-2s (US) and T4s (Canada) for union employees. Ensure timely filing of necessary tax documents with local and federal agencies in both the US and Canada.

General Responsibilities:

• Record Keeping: Maintain accurate records for all payroll transactions, including employee earnings, deductions, tax filings, and union contributions.
• Union Communication: Serve as the point of contact between the payroll department, HR, and union representatives to address any payroll issues related to union contracts, grievances, or employee disputes.
• Audit and Compliance: Provide payroll data for audits (internal and external), including union-specific documentation to ensure compliance with labor laws and union agreements.
• System Maintenance: Support the payroll system (e.g., ADP, Ceridian, or other payroll systems), ensuring that system configurations are aligned with union agreements and applicable tax rules.
• Problem-Solving: Resolve complex payroll issues, particularly those arising from union agreements, collective bargaining disputes, or cross-border taxation issues.

Qualifications:

• Education:

o Associate's degree in Accounting, Finance, Human Resources, or a related field. A Bachelor's degree is preferred.

o Payroll certification (e.g., CPP – Certified Payroll Professional) is highly desirable.

• Experience:

o 3-5 years of experience processing payroll in a unionized environment, including handling US and Canadian payroll.

o Experience with union contracts and collective bargaining agreements.

o Familiarity with multi-jurisdictional payroll (US and Canada) and knowledge of cross-border taxation and compliance.

• Skills:

o Strong understanding of union payroll requirements and labor law compliance Canada.

o Proficiency in payroll software (e.g., ADP, Ceridian, Payworks, or similar systems).

o Excellent knowledge of payroll tax laws and regulations in both the US and Canada.

o High attention to detail and accuracy in payroll calculations.

o Strong communication skills, particularly with union representatives and employees.

o Proficiency in Microsoft Office Suite (Excel, Word, Outlook).

o Ability to handle confidential information and maintain discretion.

Preferred Skills:

• Experience working with payroll for employees covered by collective bargaining agreements in Canada.
• Bilingual in English and French (for Canadian operations) is a plus.
• Experience in using cross-border payroll platforms or systems.

Work Environment:

• This position is based in an office setting and on site.
• May require occasional overtime, particularly during year-end processing, payroll deadlines, or union negotiations.