Payroll Clerk - Part - Time

Payroll Clerk

Saenz-Garcia Law, PLLC is a dedicated legal practice specializing in immigration law. We are committed to providing comprehensive legal services to clients facing immigration challenges. Our team is passionate about advocating for justice and ensuring that our clients' rights are protected.

We are looking for a part-time payroll clerk to join our team. The payroll clerk supports the firm's finance department by ensuring every employee is paid accurately and on time. This role is responsible for reviewing timekeeping data, processing scheduled and off-cycle payroll in Paylocity, administering deductions and garnishments, and assisting with reconciliations and compliance reporting. The payroll clerk works closely with the finance director, HR, accounting, and department supervisors and is expected to handle sensitive employee information with strict confidentiality.

Essential job functions:

• Review employee timecard data in Paylocity each pay period for completeness, correct charge codes, and required supervisor approval prior to labor distribution.
• Audit employee timecards, approve hours, and resolve discrepancies with employees, supervisors, and managers.
• Follow up directly with employees and supervisors on missing, late, or unapproved timesheets ahead of each payroll deadline.
• Before importing hours, verify that there are no pending or missing punches and that all time cards, PTO requests, and overtime for the pay period have been approved by supervisors or HR.
• Correct timesheet entry errors, documenting all changes with a clear before/after audit trail.
• Support labor distribution processing and perform a preliminary check of labor costs before data moves to payroll, including transferring labor data from timekeeping software into Paylocity.
• Process the firm's semi-monthly scheduled payroll runs in Paylocity for hourly and salaried employees, including entering hours.
• Process special and off-cycle payments, including bonuses and commissions, retroactive pay, manual checks, off-cycle payments, and correction run.
• Administer payroll deductions, including health and retirement benefits, direct deposits, and tax withholdings.
• Review 401(k) deduction codes synchronized from the firm's retirement plan provider (Human Interest) to confirm that deductions display correctly in Paylocity.
• Verify that recurring reimbursements (e.g., gym, vehicle, and health & wellness) appear only in the correct payroll and only for eligible employees.
• Confirm all employees are set up for direct deposit; if a live check appears, notify HR so the employee's bank information can be added, then re-run reports to verify.
• Process child support orders and other legal garnishments.
• Process international contractor payments through Wise and Payoneer according to the contractor payment schedule.
• Collect and maintain required contractor tax documentation (Form W-9 for US contractors and Form W-8BEN for international contractors) and support 1099-NEC reporting.
• Reconcile payroll registers, general ledger accounts, tax filings, and cross-system data, and assist the finance director with month-end payroll reconciliations to the general ledger.
• Ensure adherence to federal, state, and local wage and labor laws, and assist with W-2/W-2c processing.
• Generate routine payroll and labor reports from Paylocity for the HR and accounting teams.
• Answer employee and manager questions regarding pay stubs, deductions, and tax forms.
• Maintain strict confidentiality of sensitive business and employee payroll information.

To accomplish this job successfully, an individual must be able to perform, with or without reasonable accommodation, each essential function satisfactorily. Reasonable accommodation may be made to help enable qualified individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.

Non-essential job functions:

• Assist HR and accounting with special projects, audits, and process improvements as assigned.
• Stay informed of changes to payroll regulations and Paylocity system updates.
• Participate in professional development activities, including progress toward payroll certification.

Work environment:

The candidate can expect to work in a modern, professional remote work setting. The work environment is primarily stationary, with most tasks conducted at a desk using computers and other technology. Workload may increase around payroll deadlines, month-end, and year-end processing. Travel is not typically required.

Saenz-Garcia Law is an Equal Opportunity Employer. We celebrate diversity and are committed to creating an inclusive environment for all employees. All employment decisions are based on business needs, job requirements, and individual qualifications, without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, veteran status, or disability status.

Rate: $18 - $24 an hour depending experience

Requirements:

• Education: High school diploma required; an associate's degree in accounting, finance, business, or a related field from an accredited college or university is preferred.
• Two to three years minimum payroll, timekeeping, or general clerical accounting experience.
• One to three years of hands-on experience with Paylocity HR & Payroll, including time-and-labor modules, and proficiency in Microsoft Excel.
• Working knowledge of payroll concepts, including overtime, deductions, and garnishments.
• Working knowledge of multi-state payroll, including state and local tax withholding, registrations, and wage and hour requirements across multiple jurisdictions.
• Experience coordinating with the payroll system vendor to troubleshoot and resolve payroll-related issues.
• Experience processing international payments through Wise and Payoneer.
• Knowledge of independent contractor payment and documentation requirements, including Forms W-9 and W-8BEN and 1099-NEC reporting.
• Strong, accurate data entry skills, high attention to detail, and the ability to prioritize work and meet firm pay-cycle deadlines.
• Strong written and verbal communication skills.
• Strict adherence to data confidentiality and a strong commitment to protecting sensitive employee information.
• Preferred: Experience working in a law firm or similar professional services business.
• Preferred: Familiarity with the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA).
• Preferred: Fundamental Payroll Certification (FPC) or progress toward payroll certification.
• Preferred: Accounts payable experience.
• Preferred: Experience with QuickBooks.
• Preferred: Experience with 401(k) plan administration or retirement plan provider integrations (e.g., Human Interest).

Physical requirements:

This remote role is primarily stationary, requires frequent computer use, and may occasionally require lifting up to 10lbs.