Payroll Specialist

MEDIKO: Mission driven & committed to delivering high-quality medical care to the communities we serve. Our dedicated Healthcare Professionals find meaning, support and new opportunities to learn and grow their skills every day. It’s what sets us apart from other healthcare industries and drives our success in the correctional healthcare space. Whether you are just graduating from nursing school or bringing years of experience to your new position at MEDIKO, you will benefit from our competitive compensation, commitment to safety and exposure to the diverse healthcare needs of the clients we serve. The Payroll Specialist is responsible for processing accurate and timely multi-state payroll while ensuring compliance with company policies, federal and state labor laws, and regulatory requirements. This role serves as a subject matter expert in payroll administration, including complex payroll requirements in California and Washington, and will manage payroll-related inquiries, reconcile payroll data, and assist with tax reporting, leave accruals, and audits. The Payroll Specialist will collaborate closely with Human Resources and Finance to ensure efficient payroll operations and maintain the integrity of payroll data within the Paycom HRIS. How YOU can Make an Impact: Biweekly Payroll Processing: Independently process biweekly multi-state payroll with accuracy and within established deadlines. Validate employee hours, Paid Time Off (PTO), shift differentials, overtime calculations, premium pay, and other earnings while ensuring compliance with company policies and applicable state wage and hour laws. Employee Pay Guidance: Provide daily support and guidance to employees and department managers regarding payroll-related queries, ensuring clear communication of pay-related matters and addressing concerns promptly. Payroll Issue Resolution: Efficiently resolve payroll-related issues, including discrepancies in pay, deductions, and adjustments. Collaborate with employees and management to ensure timely and accurate corrections. Quarterly and Year-End Reporting: Coordinate and prepare quarterly and year-end payroll reports, ensuring compliance with regulatory requirements. Collaborate with HR and finance teams to verify accuracy and completeness. Collaboration with Human Resources: Work closely with HR to ensure that changes such as rate adjustments, tax modifications, benefit deductions, and employee status updates are processed accurately and on time, reflecting any necessary updates in the payroll system. Incentive and Additional Compensation Processing: Process requests for additional compensation, including incentives, bonuses, and overtime pay, ensuring these payments are made in accordance with company policy and are timely and accurate. Communicate with supervisors to gather the necessary data and address any discrepancies or concerns with finance management. Disability Payments Processing: Process both short-term and long-term disability payments within payroll deadlines, ensuring all payments are accurate and in compliance with internal policies. Multi-State Payroll Compliance: Maintain expert knowledge of federal, state, and local payroll laws, with particular emphasis on California and Washington wage and hour requirements, including meal and rest break premiums, overtime calculations, final pay requirements, sick leave regulations, and applicable payroll tax laws. Stay current on legislative changes and ensure payroll practices remain compliant. Leave Accrual Monitoring: Monitor employee leave accruals for accuracy, conducting regular audits to ensure compliance with company policies and legal requirements. Provide reports and resolve discrepancies as needed. Tax Jurisdiction Setup: Set up and maintain new tax jurisdictions (state, local, etc.) in the payroll system, ensuring correct tax calculations and deductions for employees in those areas. HRIS (Paycom) Administration: Utilize Paycom to process payroll, maintain employee payroll records, troubleshoot payroll issues, validate data integrity, and support ongoing payroll process improvements. Partner with HR to ensure employee transactions are accurately reflected within the system. Payroll Auditing & Compliance Monitoring: Conduct routine payroll audits to identify discrepancies, ensure compliance with company policies and state regulations, validate tax withholdings, leave accruals, and premium pay calculations, and recommend corrective actions when necessary. Cross-Departmental Backup: Serve as a backup for Accounts Payable and Accounts Receivable functions as needed, including processing check runs, reconciling credit card transactions in QuickBooks, and entering invoices. Audit Assistance: Assist with HR and payroll audits by ensuring employee data accuracy within the HRIS system. Work closely with HR and management to perform regular audits and data verification as requested. Perform other related duties as assigned. What we Ask of YOU: Bachelor’s degree in a relevant field (e.g., Human Resources, Finance, Sales, Business Administration, Healthcare Administration, or related discipline) from an accredited institution preferred. Additional certifications or specialized training may be required depending on the function (e.g., Certified Human Resources Professional (PHR) for HR roles, Certified Public Accountant (CPA) for Finance roles, etc.). Minimum of 2-3 years of relevant experience in the specific functional area (e.g., HR, Finance, Sales, Marketing, Operations, etc.). Minimum of 3 years of experience processing complex multi-state payroll, including California and Washington employees, with demonstrated knowledge of state-specific wage and hour laws, payroll tax requirements, meal and rest break premiums, overtime regulations, and leave requirements. Experience with Paycom HRIS and Payroll is strongly preferred and highly desired. Experience in healthcare, correctional healthcare, or a regulated industry is preferred. Demonstrated success in applying function-specific skills (e.g., employee relations for HR, financial reporting for Finance, or sales strategy for Sales) is required. Knowledge of relevant industry-specific regulations, compliance standards, and best practices may be required, particularly for roles in highly regulated functions like HR and Finance. Relevant industry certifications based on the role (e.g., PHR, SHRM-CP, CPA, etc.). Active CPR/BLS certificate required (American Heart Association/American Red Cross guideline approved), if role is located in a correctional facility. Joining MEDIKO comes with perks to support you in your personal and professional journey: Competitive Pay and MVP Bonus Program Benefits package including Medical, Dental, and Vision insurance for you and your family Preferred Pharmacy Network options MDLIVE virtual Provider telehealth options Wellness program Health Savings Accounts and Health Reimbursement Account options with company match Employer-paid Life Insurance Policy/AD&D, Long-Term Disability and Short-Term Disability coverage Optional Voluntary coverage for Life Insurance, Accident, Critical Illness, and Hospital Indemnity plans Paid portion of Maternity Leaves Employee Assistance Program Generous Paid Time Off (PTO) including 10 Holidays and flexible Floating Holidays Participation in the MEDIKO 401(k) Retirement Plan with company match Tuition Reimbursement Assistance Plan Free Continuing Education Access to Perks and Discounts at nationally recognized chains, service providers and retailers EOE STATEMENT: We are an equal employment opportunity employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, gender, national origin, disability status, protected veteran status or any other characteristic protected by law. #J-18808-Ljbffr