Melanie Dems
Summary
Seasoned Human Resources, Payroll & Benefits Manager with emphasis on creating, developing and implementing new systems.
Develops and advises company procedures and policies and legal counsel from company president to entry level managers.
Delivers high-energy problem solving skills with hands-on analytical approach.
Team-spirited leader who elicits strong and consistent communication skills throughout company.
Overview
12
12
years of professional experience
1
1
Certification
Work History
Payroll & Benefits Manager
HemaCare Corporation
10.2006 - 06.2011
- HemaCare Corporation was a public company providing services for biotechnology and therapeutic aphaeresis in California, New Jersey, New York, Maine, Massachusetts, Connecticut, Pennsylvania and Florida
- Direct Report to Human Resources Director and Chief Financial Officer of HemaCare Corporation
- Manages department with Payroll & Benefits and Human Resources assistants
- Manages two companies with multi-state payroll biweekly payroll for 300 employees utilizing ADP payroll/HRIS software
- Proficient in ADP ReportSmith providing complex reporting for payroll and benefits plans
- Build out new departments and locations
- Ensures compliance with applicable federal, state and local laws and tax information
- Voluntary and statutory deductions, to include wage garnishments, tax authorities, employee benefit contributions and deferrals, and status changes
- Non-exempt employee time records managed with E-time software for 24/7 company structure
- Manual timecard entry for remote location and transient employees
- Implemented GPS timekeeping (XORA) to capture transient nurses conducting treatment procedures in hospital facilities
- Biweekly payroll reconciled to accounting Great Plains General Ledger with Infolink G/L interface
- Reconcile quarterly and annually payroll taxes, ensure accuracy of year end reporting and processing of W-2s, communicate with state agencies regarding Unemployment Insurance rates, Employment Development Department Worksite reports
- Distribute labor and PTO (Paid Time Off) reports to appropriate directors for monitoring of department budgeting
- Participate on Benefits Committee for annual review of benefits and cost-effective budgeting strategies
- Holds weekly and annual employee education meetings for payroll and benefits to explain multi-state policies for PTO, Medical, Dental, Vision, Short/Long Term Disability, Long Term Care, 401(k) Plan, Basic & Supplemental Life/AD&D (self administered billing), FSA (Medical and Dependent Care), Identity Theft, Group Travel, Employee Assistance Program, Ethics Hotline and Aflac
- Ensure Forms 5500 are delegated to appropriate TPA
- Manage all employee benefits and COBRA through web based Conexis and Benetrac systems
- Designated 401(k) plan administrator monitoring quarterly open enrollment, employee deferrals, census reporting, discrimination testing, and complex loan processing
- Employee deferrals are directly reported to Daily Access through ACH for funding
- Managed 401(k) Assets transfer from T
- Rowe Price to Daily Access TPA while updated Summary Plan Documents for IRS compliance
- Manage all third party audits for FSA benefits discrimination testing, Workers Compensation, Annual and Quarterly Payroll TPA, and annual 401(k) full scope audits for compliance with Sarbanes Oxley Act (SOX)
- Maintain delegation of authority in absence of Human Resources Director.
Human Resources / Payroll Manager
Hospitality Management Services
09.2004 - 10.2006
- Hospitality Management Services is a corporate management structure developed and organized to operate five restaurants (El Cholo Restaurant, Dona Rosa Bakery & Taqueria Pasadena & Santa Anita, Ambiente Restaurant and Barn Burner BBQ)
- Designed and built new corporate office to include computer networking, furniture, phones & DSL systems all under budget
- Transfer Payroll companies processing from 'Paychex' to 'Intuit' optimizing all restaurants labor distribution and weekly scheduling for labor cost control
- Employees including management team totals 280
- Took control implementing non-existent human resources department to include internal seminars on workers compensation, employee discipline procedures, daily payroll supervision, attendance, policies and procedures according to the needs of each restaurant
- Oversee restaurants insurance policies from liability to workers compensation, health department, and fire department inspection and compliance
- Supply company with all HR and Payroll forms including Employment applications, New Hire Forms, Attendance books, Request for Time Off, Review Forms, Uniform and Equipment Receipts, Vacation, and Employee Warning forms
- Restructure the companies' 'Employee Policy and Procedures Manual.' Familiarize and learned to program companies' uniform choice of Aloha POS system including both Back and Front of House programming
- Managed upgrade of Aloha software to utilize export of payroll processing
- Implement catering structure to include: catering contracts, pricing, internal documents for organization and communication, forecasting and budgeting, equipment, deposit procedures and invoicing.
Payroll Manager
Wolfgang Puck Catering & Events
01.2001 - 09.2004
- Manage payroll for 500 employees (approx
- 40 salaried, 140 hourly full-time and 300+ hourly part-time)
- Maintain TMX Time Management time-clock computer records daily
- Review daily reports for open time records and correct outstanding time files
- Record daily balances of total labor costs
- Total gross monthly payroll averages $550,000.00
- Process gross payroll biweekly through ADP software to include salary/hourly employees; distribute commissions, bonuses, tips, garnishments, uniform deposits and paid parking
- Distribute payroll to appropriate departments
- Transfer and incorporate new payroll software utilizing 'Intuit' payroll system and congruently tracking company policy of vacation and employee benefits
- Report payroll labor distribution for Hollywood and Highland location to regional controller biweekly against total gross payroll
- Maintain all W-4, I9 INS paperwork for all employees
- Weekly Forecasting – Project labor cost distribution against Food and Beverage sales according to five revenue generating locations at the Hollywood & Highland facility, and report projections and actuals to the CFO
- Monthly balances reviewed are typically in excess of one million dollars
- Advise department heads of labor structure and overtime costs against seasonal business
- Supervise payroll assistant on daily payroll records.
Human Resources Manager
Wolfgang Puck Catering & Events
01.2001 - 09.2004
- Direct report to the president of Wolfgang Puck Catering & Events
- Took control of this start up company's Human Resources Department
- Create an implement company's organizational chart according to company growth
- Implement Human Resources company structure
- Audit company with Human Resources consultant
- Identify exempt/non exempt and 1099 sub contractors for labor law discrepancies
- Implement standardized company forms and policies to include: Employee Handbook, Employment Applications, Salary Offer Letters, Disciplinary Warnings, Employee Status Change Forms, Job Descriptions and Time Clock Guidelines all in accordance to the state laws where these venues are opened
- Employ all aspects of Workers Compensation, from the posting of company-wide posters, investigations, to administrating employee claims
- Compared with other Wolfgang Puck divisions, we have the lowest overall insurance claims, and have gained the best review for risk management from our insurance company
- Respond to Employment Development Dept
- Against the company's annual UI account, Franchise Tax Board and Los Angeles Child Welfare Department
- Administer company benefits packages of medical insurance and 401K plans to eligible employees during monthly and open enrollment periods
- Currently more than 85 full time employees are enrolled
- Manage all COBRA paper work
- Participate in annual management reviews
- Maintain all aspects of employee files
- Handle and manage all employee legal claims with the FLSA, DOL and EEOC
- Compliance with Non Harassment and Sensitivity training for all management.
Executive Admin Asst./Office Manager
Wolfgang Puck Catering & Events
10.1999 - 01.2001
Education
Associate of Science - Accounting
Pasadena City College, CA
01.2022
Skills
- Payroll Management
- Human Resources Expertise
- Benefits Administration
- Labor laws knowledge
- 401K Administrator/Trustee
- Employment law compliance
- Tax reporting
- Auditing procedures
- Workers Compensation
- Time Management abilities
- Analytical Thinking
- Excellent Communication
Certification
- CPP from American Payroll Association 2012
- Bookkeepers Certification 2022
- Intuit/Quickbooks User Certification 2022
- ADP Training Seminars: Year End Payroll Processing, Report Smith I, Benefit Accruals
Timeline
Payroll & Benefits Manager
HemaCare Corporation
10.2006 - 06.2011
Human Resources / Payroll Manager
Hospitality Management Services
09.2004 - 10.2006
Payroll Manager
Wolfgang Puck Catering & Events
01.2001 - 09.2004
Human Resources Manager
Wolfgang Puck Catering & Events
01.2001 - 09.2004
Executive Admin Asst./Office Manager
Wolfgang Puck Catering & Events
10.1999 - 01.2001
Associate of Science - Accounting
Pasadena City College, CA
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