Public Sector Expertise

Payroll & HR Built for Municipal & Government Organizations

From small towns to school districts to housing authorities, Harpers has spent decades mastering the unique compliance, reporting, and operational demands of the public sector.

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Regulatory Expertise

Comprehensive Tax & Regulatory Compliance

Public sector payroll comes with a compliance burden that commercial payroll providers simply aren't equipped to handle. We are.

Federal Tax Compliance

IRS reporting, W-2, 941, and 1099 filing handled accurately and on time

State & Local Tax Administration

Full compliance across all jurisdictions where your employees work

Public Pension Reporting

State retirement system reporting including PERAC, MTRS, and other systems

FLSA Compliance

Specialized handling for public safety and educational employee exemptions and overtime rules

Certified Payroll

Prevailing wage and certified payroll reporting for grants and public works projects

Financial Integration

Fund Accounting & Multi-Segment GL Integration

Government organizations operate across multiple funds, departments, and projects. Our system is built to reflect that complexity accurately.

Multi-Fund, Multi-Department Distribution

Allocate labor costs across funds and departments with precision

Grant-Based Labor Allocation

Track and report employee time against specific grants and funding sources

Project-Based Costing

Assign labor costs directly to capital projects and public works initiatives

Seamless Accounting System Export

Journal entry formatting compatible with Tyler Munis, Blackbaud, QuickBooks, and other municipal accounting platforms

Labor Relations

Built for Organizations Operating Under Multiple CBAs

We understand that public sector employers often manage several collective bargaining agreements simultaneously—each with its own rules, grades, and pay structures. Our system handles it all.

Longevity Pay

Automated longevity calculations by step, classification, and agreement

Multiple Pay Grades by Classification

Maintain separate pay scales for police, fire, DPW, clerical, and other bargaining units

Stipends & Supplemental Pay

Handle special pay types including shift differentials, certification pay, and uniform allowances

Retroactive Pay Calculations

Support for contract settlements and retroactive adjustments across employee groups

Complex Overtime Rules

FLSA 207(k) exemptions for police and fire, plus custodial, bus driver, and other special overtime calculations

Comp Time Accrual Tracking

Accurate comp time balances maintained per employee and bargaining unit rules

Education Sector

School Payroll Has Unique Operational Demands. We Deliver.

From 10-month teachers to substitute staff to coaching stipends, school district payroll requires specialized capabilities that generic providers can't match.

10-Month vs. 12-Month Pay Structures

Flexible pay cycle management for all employee types in your district

Summer Pay Deferral Management

Accurate deferral tracking and distribution so teachers receive consistent paychecks year-round

Substitute & Variable Hourly Staff

Track and pay substitute teachers, paraprofessionals, and hourly staff efficiently

Coaching & Extracurricular Stipends

Manage hundreds of stipend types with ease across all staff

TRS Reporting

Teacher Retirement System contributions and reporting handled accurately every pay period

Transparency & Accountability

Reporting Built for Public Accountability

Government organizations are held to a higher standard of transparency. Our reporting tools deliver the documentation you need.

Department-Level Labor Cost Reports

Drill into labor costs by department, fund, or cost center for budget monitoring and variance analysis.

EEO-4 Reporting

Biennial EEO-4 survey reporting for state and local government employers, with accurate job category and salary band data pulled directly from payroll.

Certified Payroll Reporting

WH-347 and state-equivalent certified payroll reports for prevailing wage projects.

ACA Compliance Reporting

1094-C and 1095-C filing support to meet Affordable Care Act employer mandate requirements.

W-2 Box 14 Customization

Public retirement contribution codes and other public-sector specific Box 14 items handled correctly.

Full Audit Trail

Historical change tracking with complete audit logs for every payroll transaction and adjustment.

Employee satisfied using mobile self-service portal

Security First

Secure Employee Self-Service

Public employees expect convenient access to their pay information. Your IT department expects enterprise-grade security. Our ESS portal delivers both.

Secure Employee Portal

Role-based access with enterprise-grade security controls

Direct Deposit Management

Employees manage their own banking details securely online

W-2 & Pay Stub Access

Instant access to current and historical pay documents

Multi-Factor Authentication

SMS 2FA protects employee data from unauthorized access

Role-Based Security

Granular permissions for HR staff, department heads, and administrators