How BrightPay helps with auto enrolment

In this video, we will demonstrate how BrightPay will assist you with your auto enrolment duties.

After establishing your duties start date, the next step is to enter your pension scheme details in BrightPay.

Within the Pensions utility, simply click ‘Add New Scheme’ followed by the applicable pension scheme option from the listing.

In this example we are using Aviva as our scheme. Within Registration Details enter your scheme reference in the field provided. This will have been given to you by Aviva when you completed their setup process. On the next tab, enter your Category ID and select the Contribution Type that is to apply by clicking on the drop-down menu. Also select the Earnings Basis that is also to apply. When ready, click ‘Save’ to complete the setup.

As soon as your duties start date is reached in the payroll, BrightPay will automatically assess your employees for you and determine whether they are eligible jobholders, non eligible jobholders or entitled workers.

On-screen flags and alerts will also appear to notify that you now have auto enrolment duties to perform. These alerts will bring you through to the various actions available based on the selected employee’s worker category.

For an eligible jobholder, you will be given the option to enrol them into a qualifying scheme, postpone them for up to three months or mark them as exempt. To enrol an eligible jobholder, simply click enrol and select the scheme you wish to enrol them in. Click Continue to complete their enrolment. Once enrolled, BrightPay will then automatically prepare the employee’s enrolment letter and this can be printed, exported to PDF or emailed directly from BrightPay to the employee. Once the employee has been provided with their letter, simply ‘Mark this as done’.

For non-eligible jobholders, you will be given the following options based on this worker category – to write to them inviting them to opt-in, to opt them in should they choose to do so, to postpone them or mark them as exempt. Similarly, the following options will be given for an entitled worker – to write to them inviting them to join, for them to join should they choose to do so, to postpone them or mark as exempt.

A useful feature in BrightPay is the option to enrol more than one employee at the same time. You will see here that at the time of enrolling an eligible jobholder, you will also be given the option to enrol multiple employees with the same settings. Simply select the employees who you wish to enrol and click ‘the button’ to complete their enrolment. In the same manner, you will also be given the option to batch print, export or email their enrolment letters and subsequently mark these as done.

Should you wish to postpone an employee, this can be done by selecting the ‘Postpone’ option within their Automatic Enrolment utility. Enter the relevant deferral date and press Continue. Batch processing can also be done for postponement. Simply select those who you wish to postpone and click ok. When postponement is used, BrightPay will automatically prepare the employee’s postponement letter which, again, can be printed, exported to PDF or emailed directly from BrightPay to the employees. Simply ‘Mark as done’ once completed.

Once employees have been enrolled, joined or opted-in, you will now see their pension deductions being applied to their payslips. These pension deductions will also be included on the employees’ printable payslips.

BrightPay will now automatically produce your enrolment file and each tax monthly contribution file that Aviva require for submission. Aviva offer an API option which will allow you to submit your enrolment file and subsequent contribution files directly from BrightPay into Aviva. This works very similarly to RTI where you just click one button and the submission is made.

To use the API option, within the Pensions utility, simply select Aviva on the menu bar and select ‘Aviva API Integration’ as your submission method, followed by ‘Save Changes’.

To submit your enrolment file using API, select ‘Enrolment Summary’ and click ‘send enrolment submission’. Complete each step accordingly and at the prompt, click ‘Send Now’. Enter your Aviva login details to complete the submission process. Similar to RTI, you will subsequently receive confirmation that Aviva has received your file at the top right of your enrolment summary screen.

Likewise, to submit an Aviva API contributions file each tax month, select Contributions Summary on the menu bar and click ‘Send submission’. Select the tax month that you are submitting for and complete the screens that follow accordingly. At the prompt, click ‘Send Now’. Ensure your Aviva login details are entered on the next window in order to complete the submission process.

Again, you will receive confirmation back into BrightPay that Aviva has successfully received your contributions information.

BrightPay is also able to process opt-out requests and issue refunds, where applicable. If an opt-out notice is received for an employee, access the employee’s auto enrolment utility and select the opt-out option. If the employee has already made contributions, these will then be refunded as follows in the next pay period processed for them.

For your own reporting requirements, the Analysis function within the software can be accessed at any time should you wish to generate your own auto enrolment reports. Simply click ‘New Report’, select your criteria and run the report to view on screen. These reports can subsequently be saved, edited, printed, exported or emailed as required.

After all your starting duties have been performed, it is important, in each subsequent pay period, to continue monitoring staff who were not already enrolled, for example, an employee turning 22 years of age. BrightPay will continue to alert you to such events and prompt you to perform the necessary actions required.