Evolution Payroll vs. Paychex Flex

We have a small company with very simple needs. This software meets those needs, but it looks like it is capable of doing so much more than what we use it for. I typically use only a few screens and a few reports. It is very well suited for our needs, but I don't know the full functionality of the system due to our limited needs.

Incentivized

In my experience, Paychex Flex is well suited for small to medium sized businesses. It has been helpful in streamlining the onboarding process and it is easy to update and maintain employee profiles and records. It has worked will in a non-profit environment where there is clergy pay and housing, which can get quite complicated. I cannot think of a scenario where it would be less appropriate.

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• Payroll management
• Provides accurate employees' reports
• Helps us in tracking payroll taxes

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• I like I can enter payroll and if I need to leave the program, I can resume at a later time and my information is saved.
• I like the analytics & reports features.
• I like how all my employees have easy access to their portal.

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• One problem it has is if you try to cut multiple checks for a person (sometimes) it creates an error which requires assistance from the processor to get it straightened out.
• You need to pay close attention when reviewing prior to submitting. Sometimes if you think you saved something it might not have saved it and if you don't catch it before you submit, it requires assistance to get corrected up to and including voiding a check and re-issuing.
• In my opinion, it's somewhat expensive. I have been looking at other providers who would use a different system, and they seem to be significantly cheaper. That may not be a direct correlation to the software but to the provider.
• I don't know if it is capable of allowing a user to create new reports, but if it doesn't, that would be something to consider as a missing functionality.
• I haven't found an area that allows for tracking pay increases. We simply overwrite a persons rate of pay when we give a raise, so there is no tracking of the date a raise was given or a comparison showing what they made prior to or when the last raise was given. (That I am aware of).

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• Reporting writing is difficult to figure out
• Employee turnover inside Paychex was a problem, until we were assigned to Neil Williams - since that time it has settled down
• Pressure to convert personal connection with payroll advisor to using automated service

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Evolution is provided by our current third party payroll processor. We are currently considering changing processors, because of increased prices and competition is priced significantly lower.

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Overall I like the features that Paychex Flex offers. I am sure that there are other features that I am unaware of, so I am excited to see if there is more that Flex is capable of to make my job easier. The basic features are really user friendly and easy to access. If there ever is an issue customer service is great

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Some things could be streamlined. For example, we could do custom options for the "add items" tab which has so many options that we never use. "Medical Pay" could be something that the system remembers for the applicable employees. Salaried employees' salaries should definitely be auto-filled. Overall the system works well but I think it could be improved to be easier to use and read.

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We have not experienced any difficulties with unplanned outages. Notifications are always made for outages, and they do not effect normal business operations.

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Unless there is lag time within the internet, the Paychex Flex website loads exceptional fast, pages load quickly and reports that I need to print or download load quickly. If I need to create a specialized report, once I complete it I receive an e-mail telling me my report is ready to be downloaded. Changing between web pages is fast as well.

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Our dedicated representative is one of the main reasons we are sticking with Paychex Flex. If it were not for this person, other platforms could provide the same/similar functionality. It is the ability to speak with someone that understands our business and is willing to get questions answered in a timely fashion that keeps us with Paychex Flex.

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We did online training only

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It was easy to understand and follow along. I do like the informational videos that we can utilize before we opt to call in for customer service support. It has made a difference since sometimes that resolves the issue I may have had and saved myself a phone call to Paychex support.

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Implementation was very smooth. The most cumbersome task was entering the current employees into the system during initial set up, but Paychex staff handled most of that and verified against prior system reports as well as internal reports provided to ensure 100% accuracy.

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The ease of integration of Evolution Payroll with other essential platforms makes it a reliable and unique software for us. This software also distinguishes itself from others because it is easy to use and affordable. It has high-quality features that work very well for us when it comes to payroll management.

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We still use QB Desktop Pro to maintain a Check Register / Overall Balance for the company, but once having tried QB Payroll Online for about 3 months prior to finding Paychex Flex I can tell you that there's just no comparison. QB online is VERY EXPENSIVE and not so user-friendly. I hated every minute of those 6 payrolls we ran through QB online.

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Employees can log in at home and get up to date information on their FSA balance and any medical bill reimbursements they may have uploaded. At renewal time they have the ability to make changes to their FSA or for new employees star the enrollment.

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• Accuracy is one amazing thing I love about Evolution Payroll.
• It collects data from other systems to make payroll management excellent
• It is affordable and reliable

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• I do not believe we have saved anything additionally. The time we've had to spend to get things to hopefully work is sad. This is the reason we've had to turn off all extra "products" of Paychex Flex. Time and Attendance is horrible. Benefits management is horrible. The user experience is horrible.
• One thing I do not understand is why are updates for states, cities, counties, school districts, etc. not automatically updated? Should we not get a big red flag if we have an employee living/working, being paid in CA, but they aren't set up for CA sick time? If it is required to be on the paycheck stub to show the balance of the sick time, why would we not be notified that we are out of compliance?

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