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2023 PAYROLL & HUMAN RESOURCES SOFTWARE SPECIFICATION CHECKLIST

St. Cloud Metropolitan Transit Commission (Metro Bus) is looking for a software solution for our Human Resources and Payroll functions.  We are requesting information from software vendors who have the potential to improve our current workflows in security, automation, and functionality.

Metro Bus is a mid-sized transit system in central Minnesota.  We currently have one hundred forty (140) employees, two (2) unions, and three (3) locations where various employees work.

We are a political sub-division, with funding coming from multiple government agencies.  As such, we have various reporting requirements at both the state and federal level. The software solution we select will need to have a wide range of reporting functionality and preferably end-user ability to create, save and schedule customized reports.

Additional information about Metro Bus can be found at www.ridemetrobus.com.

Please respond to the following 2023 Payroll & Human Resources Software Specification Checklist:
2023 Payroll & Human Resources Software Specification Checklist
Primary Contact Name
Primary Contact Name
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VENDOR

1. FTA Clauses: Does vendor agree to all FTA Third Party Contract Clauses as attached and identified as Attachment A?
2. DOT Terms & Conditions: Does vendor agree to DOT Terms & Conditions as attached and identified as Attachment B?
3. Is your software:
4. Is the entity responding to this checklist a:
5. Does vendor currently have any Federal government customers?
6. Does vendor currently have any customers in the state of Minnesota?

HISTORICAL DATA

As specific as possible. Please list the item and its description (to ensure understanding of terminology between vendor and Metro Bus).
3. Is your system capable of storing historical employee record data and documents beyond your standard?
4. Is your company capable of importing any additional historical employee record data and documents yourselves?
5. Can a third-party vendor import additional historical information into your system?
6. Is your company capable of importing any additional historical employee record data and documents yourselves, or would you subcontract this process to a third-party vendor?
a. Do you have a third party vendor you have used in the past?
b. Can Metro Bus contract with any third party vendor we select to import historical data?
c. Do you allow pdfs to be imported?
1. Are they stored within your standard operating system or in a separate module?
2. If a separate module, is it linked to your standard operating system?

RECRUITMENT

1. Does your software use position requisitions for open positions?
2. Does your software auto-post to designated recruitment sites?
3. Is your software able to assign values to position specific questions to assist with rating applicants based on requirements of position?
4. Is your software able to assign Veterans Preference Points upon request from applicant and require the applicant to upload their DD214 for consideration?
5. Does your software have the ability to communicate directly with a candidate through the software – schedule a ride-along/job shadow, interview, and answer questions, etc.?
6. Does your system have the ability to assign decision values to candidates (hired, rejected and reason)?
7. Does your system have the ability to transfer candidates general application materials from one position and assign just the position specific questions to the candidate for completion?
8. Does your system track EEO?
If Yes, is the information in a reportable format?
Date range, position, race, gender, applicants Interviewed, offered, hired by position, race, gender, etc.

ON-BOARDING, BENEFIT ENROLLMENT & EMPLOYEE SELF-SERVICE

1. Does your software utilize electronic, automated on-boarding?
a. Is it employee driven?
b. Is notification of process progress and completion sent to Metro Bus designated staff?
c. Does it provide auto-integration of background checks (EDI feed with vendor)?
2. Is the software capable of generating Total Compensation/Benefit statements?
3. Does your software utilize online benefit enrollment, including back-end setup by employer and an employee enrollment process?
a. Will the software auto-calculate employee deductions?
b. Will the deductions and amounts flow to payroll for review and acceptance before posting to an employee’s record?
c. Will the software auto-integrate enrollment data to carriers (EDI feed)?
4. Does your software utilize an Employee Self-service feature including the ability to:
Check all that apply.
5. Does your software have a document repository such as a place for employees to have access to documents, policies, communications, etc.?

TIMEKEEPING

1. Does your software offer a timekeeping solution?
2. Does your system allow for importing timekeeping from a different solution?
3. Does your system allow for a combination of both?

DEDUCTIONS & BONUSES

1. Can your system connect deductions with rate of pay and change automatically with a rate change?
Example: Union dues are based on an employee’s wage. If their wage increases, will the union dues automatically adjust to the new amount based on the new wage?
2. Is there an annual limit notification/stop on pre-tax benefits?
Example: 457 Deferred Comp - $22,500 max, employee requests 10% taken out, exceeds $22,500 in December.
3. Does your system provide export files to upload to 3rd party websites such as PERA (Public Employees Retirement Assn.) and MSRS (Minnesota State Retirement System) as well as deduction reports kept for internal record?
4. Does your system allow for bonuses to be automated/scheduled?
If yes, please complete the information below:
a. Hiring Bonus: For some positions we offer a hiring bonus that includes increments of the bonus paid at various times in an employee’s first year of service. Can these be scheduled based on specific dates?
b. Referral Bonus: If an employee refers someone who gets hired, they receive a referral bonus based on various times of the new employees’ first year of service. Can these bonuses be scheduled?
c. If the referred employee leaves Metro Bus prior to the end of the first year of service, can your system stop the remaining referral bonuses from being paid out? Essentially, tying the referral bonus for one individual to a different individual’s employment status?

RATE CHANGES

1. Can rate changes be set up for automated increases?
Example: We operate on an eleven-step scale. A new employee is hired at step 1, they receive an increase at 6 months, 1 year, and then annually on their anniversary date for 9 additional years.
Can this be set up to automatically give the increase based on the employee’s hire date?
2. Can your system initial a global increase, such as a COLA?
3. If Yes on questions 1 and 2, can your system do both?
Example: An employee is hired on July 1st and the 11 steps are set up to automatically take effect based on July 1st. On October 1st a COLA of 2% is implemented for all employees.
Will your system automatically adjust the scheduled increases to update to the new amounts?

ACCRUALS

1. Metro Bus has several different PTO banks: Vacation, sick, personal holiday, scheduled vacation. Can your software track each bank separately and then export the updated balance after each payroll to our current timekeeping software?
2. If yes, can this be scheduled to run automatically?

PAYROLL

1. Does your software initiate a pre-note process for new accounts set up?
For reference, we require ACH payments with payment stubs emailed to all employees
2. Does your system allow for multiple premium pays to the same employee?
Examples: On-call pay, Trainer pay differential.
3. Can timekeeping be imported multiple times?
Example: During the payroll process, timekeeping is imported, but there is an error which is corrected. Can the timekeeping file be re-imported?
4. Who is responsible for filing quarterly and annual reports?
5. 3rd Party Sick Pay: Does your software allow for 3rd Party Sick Pay?
a. Metro Bus is responsible for paying the employer’s share of taxes relating to 3rd Party sick pay. Does your system allow for this?
b. Is sick pay included in the quarterly and annual reporting?
6. Employee termination payout: Based on position, accruals are paid out differently when an employee terminates. Can final check rules be set differently based on position in your software?
Example: Our bus operators get 100% vacation paid out, but our non-union employees have a cap of 400 hours paid out.
7. Can your software prepare a Journal Entry export based on specific specifications that can be used to import directly into our accounting software?

REPORTING

Metro Bus is a government entity and has many reporting requirements for both payroll and human resources. We will need to pull several data fields for different time frames. Are the end-users of your software able to easily run reports based on various time periods, departments, positions, etc.?

MANAGER SELF-SERVICE

Does your software have a Manager Self-Service feature allowing them to see certain components of their specific employees, authorize leave requests, notification of anniversaries, etc.?

HUMAN RESOURCES

1. Can your software track DOT certification and expiration and driver’s license expiration?
2. If yes, can it send out automatic notifications when a certification is set to expire?
Example: Email a notification to the employee, department manager and HR one month prior to expiration.
3. Does your software track leaves of absence (FMLA, Jury Duty, Extended LOA, Military Leave, etc.)?
a. Does the software track approved accommodations and Manager self-service for necessary information for scheduling purposes?
b. Does it track the full lifecycle of leaves in a reportable format?
c. Does the software have auto-generated notices/letters for notice of rights, designation notice, required paperwork, etc.?
4. Do you have, or allow for, a third-party vendor to outsource Leave/ADA Management?
5. Does your system utilize electronic acknowledgments such as signature of employee handbook, updated policies, etc.?
6. Metro Bus currently keeps multiple files per employee to allow for some areas to be confidential, some information to be public, and some for managers only to access.
Employee File: Three separate files: Personnel file, medical file, confidential, etc.
Discipline: Discipline level based on Date of Incident and Step Progression.
Grievance: Track grievances, progression through steps, timelines, etc.
Is your system capable of tracking each employee’s information in a similar format?
7. Does your system have a method for Random Drug & Alcohol Testing?
a. Does it include auto-randomization?
b. Can the monthly random lists be based on percentage of safety-sensitive employees?
8. Does your software have the ability to auto-generate COBRA notices/letters customized based on employee enrollments and termination dates?
9. Does your system have a solution to the MN Wage Theft Law Notification?
If Yes, does it auto-generate a notice based on any changes to employee records requiring the notice?
10. Does your software have an interactive process with employees’ requests for special accommodations?
a. Does it include agreed/approved accommodation, start/end date?
b. Does it include notification of when documentation needs to be renewed?
c. Does it include notification scheduled for near the end date of the accommodation?
11. Does your software have a solution for tracking external Title VI complaints?
12. Does your software have a solution for tracking internal Respectful Workplace complaints?
13. Does your software have a solution for tracking external/internal ADA complaints?
a. Does the tracking include workflow for tracking receipt, communication and investigation, decision, notification - set-up based on requirements according to type of complaint?
b. Does the tracking include ability to track complaints and investigation process from receipt of complaint through closure?
c. Does the tracking include required documentation of communication with complainant and/or staff, notification and review with CEO/legal counsel, decision, and notification of decision to complainant?

LEARNING MANAGEMENT SYSTEM

Does your system have an LMS component?
Select the following capabilities of the LMS component.
Not training on how to use software, but training on developmental opportunities.