PRESS RELEASE: Ward Williams HR streamlines people management for themselves and their clients with Cezanne OnDemand

Ward Williams HR is helping to improve the efficiency of its clients’ people management processes by providing them with automatic access to on-line HR software solution Cezanne OnDemand.

The company, which is part of the Ward Williams Chartered Accountants group, specialises in providing small and mid-sized businesses with the HR expertise they may lack internally.

Managing Director, Sally Philips was looking for a software solution to help streamline HR processes such as holiday and absence management, and free up time to focus on the more strategic HR issues for the whole of the Ward Williams group. Cezanne OnDemand appealed because of its ease of use, flexible subscription-based pricing and range of powerful features – especially for absence and performance management.

Ward Williams were also keen to reap the benefits of an HR software solution that is hosted in the Cloud.

“It just ticks all the boxes for us,” says Sally. “It does everything we want it to do, is regularly updated in response to feedback from users, and it is possible to get up and running really quickly as there is no need to invest in a whole new IT or data security infrastructure.”

In addition to using the solution for the Ward Williams business, Ward Williams HR will also be using the Cezanne OnDemand software with all its clients. “Our clients have the same need to streamline processes that we do, and this provides a perfect opportunity for us to support them with up-to-the-minute software and to add value to the services we provide,” says Sally. “It will help everyone cut down on duplication and make processes such as performance management much more consistent and transparent.”

“It will also help us spot potential problems much sooner and ensure that we are less likely to come up against issues unexpectedly. For example, with absences we will be able to see if trends are emerging or if there is a problem with a particular employee that needs to be proactively addressed. In the event of an issue with performance, all the details of appraisals and progress against objectives will be fully logged on the system, so it will be easy to track the chain of events and for us to provide much better informed advice.”

Ward Williams will input and manage data directly for smaller clients, with larger companies having the option to access it themselves and provide self service to managers and employees if they prefer.

“We are making Cezanne OnDemand an integral part of our offer to clients and are really excited about the value this allows us to add as well as the potential it gives us for future growth,” says Sally.

About Ward Williams HR

Ward Williams HR helps clients in sectors ranging from care homes to the oil and gas industry gain access to best practice advice and hands-on help so that they can reduce their admin burden and respond to HR issues more rapidly. The business also offers employment law advice and supports its clients in developing their people strategies.

Ward Williams HR is part of the wider Ward Williams Chartered Accountants group – and is also responsible for managing HR for the 65 staff who work across the practice in offices across the South East.

Contact: Sally Phillips

E: sally.phillips@wardwilliams.co.uk

T: 01932 830664

www.hrwardwilliams.co.uk

HMRC Targets Private Landlords!

It is well publicised that the Government is committed to cracking down on tax avoidance and evasion, from individuals who bend the rules through to lawbreakers who evade their taxes altogether.  Whilst David Gauke (Exchequer Secretary to the Treasury) announced in his ‘Compliance Progress Report (March 2013)’ that the UK’s tax gap figures rank among the lowest in the world, the Government is still committed to investing almost £1 billion in HMRC in a clampdown on avoidance and evasion.  It is hoped that this investment will enable HMRC to secure £22 billion a year in compliance revenues by the end of 2014/15 – some 70 per cent more than 2010/11.

Since 2010 HMRC has carried out a number of specialist taskforces, targeting specific industries or locations, where there is evidence of tax evasion.  As part of this activity HMRC run specific campaigns, providing opportunities for individuals to come forward and voluntarily put their tax affairs in order.  The penalties imposed by HMRC for an unprompted disclosure under a tax campaign are more lenient than those who “choose not to pay up”.

It is believed that around a third of buy-to-let landlords could be dodging their tax on their rental income, at a cost estimated by HMRC of £550 million to the taxpayer.  It is therefore hardly surprising that HMRC announced it was launching a special taskforce in 2013 to target private landlords, initially in the south-east, in order to crackdown on those evading tax.

The latest campaign being rolled out is the ‘Property Sales Campaign’.  This provides an opportunity for individuals to bring their affairs up to date where they have sold a second or additional residential property, in the UK or abroad, and have not previously disclosed the capital gain and paid any tax that is due.  As part of this campaign individuals must also voluntarily provide HMRC with details of any previously undisclosed income, such as income from property or land rental.  To take advantage of this latest campaign individuals must voluntarily disclose their income or gains and pay any outstanding tax by 6 September 2013 (to take part in this campaign notification must be made to HMRC by 9 August 2013).

If you wish to discuss the issues raised in this article, please feel free to contact me at simon.boxall@wardwilliams.co.uk


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