Local supermarket retailer stays with the time — and keeps expenses in check

PSK Supermarkets, a 14-unit Mount Vernon, New York-based grocer that operates stores under the Foodtown banner, needs to run at maximum efficiency in order to compete with national rivals and keep food prices low for shoppers



Controlling expenses is a big part of PSK’s efforts to ensure optimal operations. To stay on top of finances. the retailer leverages cloud-based Dayforce Human Capital Management (HCM) technology from Ceridian.



“We wanted a solution that could tell us in real time how much we’re spending on payroll,” said Noah Katz, co-president of PSK Supermarkets, during an interview with Chain Store Age. “Dayforce is connected to every time clock in every store. Employees punch in and punch out all day long. We wanted to be able to log on and see how much we’re spending on payroll, by day and week in real time.”



The payroll tracking of its 1,200 employees allows PSK department and store managers to perform real-time checks on whether their payroll spending is on track with advance figures turned in before the start of the work week.



In addition, it eliminates employees clocking in before their shift begins, “buddy punching” for absent or tardy coworkers, and other forms of time clock fraud. PSK can also quickly identify and remediate legitimate employee errors, such as a worker who forgets to punch in or out.



The grocer also uses Dayforce to streamline and automate other aspects of its financial management. Using hosted Ceridian services, PSK issues direct payments and paper paychecks, makes payroll tax payments, and issues W-2 tax forms to employees.



Furthermore, the solution assists the company with HR process management.



“It serves as a repository for all HR records in the entire company,” said Katz. “When we onboard new employees, Dayforce automates the forms they fill out when they join. Employees can also see the pay they’re earning and request time off.”



Another critical HR process PSK has been able to automate is compliance with the Affordable Care Act (ACA).



“Every company with more than 50 workers had to send out a 1035c form for each full time worker, along with the w2 form at the year end. The 1035C is a complicated health benefit summary by month for each employee. We filled out the forms, more or less in 24 hours,” Katz said. “A lot of companies struggled; it’s a complicated form. But we were able to review and sign off on all 1035c forms in one day.”