If we cast our minds back to 2012, we recall the start of what was undoubtedly the biggest ever overhaul of workplace pensions. HR and payroll teams throughout the UK faced auto enrolment with great uncertainty, fearful of the intensive administrative burden it could impose on already stretched departments, and concerned that the constantly changing eligibility goalposts could see them fall on the wrong side of legislative compliance.
Tackling auto-enrolment was never going to be easy, and technology providers would be forgiven for steering clear of the pensions reform minefield.
However, at Cascade, we are committed to utilising our HR software and payroll software expertise to tackle as many client problems as we can. So our talented development team began working on an intuitive new module that would streamline the complex processes involved with this time-intensive initiative, and ensure complete compliance at all times.
Fast forward to October 2014, and this Auto Enrolment module is now continuously assessing the eligibility of over 110,000 employees among our customer base. If we factor in figures from IRIS Software Group – the software solutions giant of which Cascade is an independent division – we have collectively helped assess over 500,000 individuals for auto enrolment. And given the ever-growing number of clients we both have, that figure is rising all the time.
But our support does not end there. At Cascade, the services and knowledge we pass on to clients are equally as important as the technology we offer. That’s why, on numerous occasions we’ve actually visited our customers’ offices and worked through the auto enrolment module with HR and payroll managers, to make sure they are completely comfortable with the newfound processes they face. There is no room for error after all.
Auto enrolment also provides the opportunity for the power of our popular reporting and analysis functionality to shine through. HR and payroll departments are increasingly being asked to present business information to the board, for example, which illustrates how many people are auto enrolled at any one time and what it is costing the organisation. With Cascade, they can pull meaningful metrics and charts together with only a few clicks, helping to showcase just how strong a grip they have on this complicated new system.
Of course some companies are yet to be affected by auto enrolment. So, as a HR and payroll software provider for small businesses as well as large, Cascade is still actively working with a number of clients as they prepare for their staging dates.
If you are struggling to manage auto enrolment and think Cascade could help you, please call us on 0113 255 4115, email info@cascadehr.co.uk or request a call back. If tackling auto enrolment is next on your ‘to do’ list, we are happy to have a chat to see if we can be of assistance.
