Nugent Sand Company is a construction aggregates producer that streamlined construction payroll and union compliance with ADP Workforce Now® by automating manual processes for nearly 150 employees. Previously reliant on timecard entry, pay “cheat sheets” and complex union rules, the company centralized payroll data and digitized timecards while simplifying pay code management. The result was faster and more accurate payroll, improved compliance and time savings of at least one day per week for HR and payroll.
I love Workforce Now. It’s awesome because it makes my job a lot easier, especially with reports and everything in one place.
Beth Preher,
Director of HR and Payroll
Nugent Sand Company
| Challenge | ADP capability | What we did | Result |
|---|---|---|---|
| Manual payroll timecard entry and pay cheat sheets increased weekly payroll burden across work sites and union contracts. | ADP Workforce Now® | Centralized payroll data in Workforce Now; enabled drop-down pay class code selection, cross-referencing, ad hoc code updates and payroll approval in one workflow. | Reduced weekly payroll processing burden by at least one day and freed HR and payroll time for more strategic work. |
| Roughly 20,000 cost codes and complex pay rules made payroll classification difficult to manage accurately. | ADP Workforce Now® | Simplified pay class code selection and cross-referencing through Workforce Now drop-down menus and configurable code updates. | Improved payroll classification workflow by making code selection easier to manage and payroll approval more seamless. |
| Complicated multi-state and multi-union pay and tax rules increased payroll compliance risk. | ADP Workforce Now® | Automated payroll compliance support for multi-state and multi-union pay and tax rules in Workforce Now. |
Delivered timely and efficient payroll, immediate reporting and seamless compliance with complex pay and tax rules. |
| Managing rules from three different unions while paying employees across two states created compliance complexity. | ADP Workforce Now® | Implemented set-and-forget rules in Workforce Now that automatically apply union rules to employee paystubs. | Removed payroll guesswork and helped manage compliance with union rules and regulations. |
| Managing worker’s compensation claims and complicated MSHA reports required better HR and payroll visibility. | ADP Workforce Now® | Centralized HR and payroll reporting in Workforce Now and built custom reports for workers’ compensation claims and MSHA reporting. | Made it easier to track workers’ compensation claims and complete complicated MSHA reports. |
| Employees working 5 to 10 different jobs in one day needed a simpler way to submit accurate timecards and pay codes. | ADP Workforce Now® | Enabled employees to submit digital timecards using drop-down menus to indicate the cost code for each job. | Streamlined employee timecard submission and helped employees manage their own data while being paid accurately. |
From “pay cheat sheets” to payroll perfection
Nugent Sand Company is a leading producer of construction aggregates, with seven locations across Kentucky and Indiana. Nugent Sand’s Director of HR and Payroll, Beth Preher, is tasked with running weekly payroll for nearly 150 employees while maintaining compliance with strict tax regulations and complex union rules.
ADP Workforce Now delivered fast and error-free payroll, immediate, up-to-date reporting, and seamless compliance with complicated multi-state and multi-union pay and tax rules.
From “cheat sheets” to payroll automation
The absence of a formal tool for managing payroll was causing significant challenges for Nugent Sand. To ensure payroll was processed accurately and on time each week, Preher had to manually enter timecard data, creating “pay cheat sheets” for each work site and union contract. This was incredibly time-consuming, given the roughly 20,000 cost codes in operation at Nugent Sand and the complex rules associated with each one.
Now, all that information is stored in Workforce Now and available at the click of a button. Preher uses drop-down menus to select and cross-reference pay class codes, and then seamlessly approves and processes the employee’s payroll. And when new contracts stipulate different pay class codes, she can easily add those codes into the system on an ad hoc basis.
Since implementation, Workforce Now has saved her at least one day a week, freeing her up to focus on more strategic endeavors.
Everything, everywhere, all at once
“I love Workforce Now. It’s awesome because it makes my job a lot easier, especially with reports and everything in one place,” said Preher. Workforce Now provides Beth with a central view of all things HR and payroll- a massive advantage is when it comes to managing worker’s compensation, ADP built several custom reports that allow Nugent Sand the ability to easily track claims and complete complicated MSHA reports.
Compliance with tax and union rules
Before ADP, Preher was juggling rules from three different unions, trying to maintain proper tax compliance and paying employees across two states. With Workforce Now, she creates “set and forget” rules which are applied to the appropriate paystubs moving forward. Additionally, Workforce Now automatically applies union rules to employees’ pay, removing guesswork and ensuring Nugent Sand is compliant with all union rules and regulations.
When the COVID pandemic hit, Preher was especially appreciative of the HR updates ADP sent, allowing her to make adjustments, enforce mandates and rules, and keep the company and their employees safe. When asked to expand on how ADP was a key partner during the pandemic, Preher responded, “In the sense of helping with the different rules that kept coming down every other day. Getting that information quickly was key, because rules seemed to change almost every hour.”
Empowering employees with digital timecards
But Workforce Now isn’t just making Preher’s life easier – it reduces complexity for employees. Workers submit timecards digitally, using similar drop-down menus to indicate the cost code for their work. And when some employees complete anywhere from 5 to 10 different jobs in one day, each with its own pay code, this significantly streamlines the process.
Workforce Now empowers employees to manage their own data and rest assured they’re being paid accurately for their work.
Building for a better future
One of Preher’s favorite parts about partnering with ADP is access to the ADP community. As a valued member of the ADP Ambassador program, Beth participates in online webinars and exchanges tips and tricks with other users on how best to leverage Workforce Now. Looking to the future, Preher is planning to expand the use of Workforce Now at Nugent Sand. Above all else, she is hoping to equip each and every employee with access to self-service tools, but has plans to dive deeper into Workforce Now’s capabilities.
“The biggest challenge I come up against nowadays is having to reset an employee’s password,” Preher quips. With all the time and energy Workforce Now has freed up, the sky is the limit for how Nugent Sand can build a better future for their company and their employees.
How can construction companies reduce manual payroll work across multiple job sites?
Construction companies can reduce manual payroll work by centralizing timecard data, pay codes and approval workflows in one payroll platform. Nugent Sand Company, a construction aggregates producer with seven locations across Kentucky and Indiana, used [ADP Workforce Now] after manual weekly payroll required site-specific pay cheat sheets, timecard entry and roughly 20,000 cost codes. Workforce Now stored the data in one place, let payroll select and cross-reference pay class codes through drop-down menus and supported faster approvals. This reduced the payroll burden by at least one day per week, which is especially valuable for field-heavy employers with many locations and pay classifications.
What results can a construction company see after automating payroll?
A construction company can see faster payroll processing, fewer manual steps and stronger visibility into payroll and HR data after automating payroll. Nugent Sand Company used [ADP Workforce Now] to replace manual pay cheat sheets with centralized pay class codes, automated union rule application, digital timecards and custom reporting. The company reported fast and error-free payroll, immediate reporting and seamless compliance support for multi-state and multi-union pay and tax rules. Its HR and payroll leader also saved at least one day per week, showing how payroll automation can create measurable capacity for more strategic work.
What payroll challenges do construction companies face with cost codes?
Construction companies can face significant payroll challenges when job costing, work sites and union rules create many pay classifications. Nugent Sand Company operated with roughly 20,000 cost codes, which made manual payroll entry time-consuming and increased the risk of classification errors. Using [ADP Workforce Now], Nugent Sand centralized that information and used drop-down menus to select and cross-reference pay class codes before approving payroll. For construction and employers, this kind of cost-code visibility helps make complex field payroll easier to manage without relying on manual cheat sheets.
How can employers keep payroll rules current when union contracts change?
Employers can keep payroll rules current when union contracts change by using a payroll system that allows new pay class codes and rules to be added as needed. Nugent Sand Company used [ADP Workforce Now] to store pay class codes and add new codes on an ad hoc basis when contracts stipulated different requirements. The system then supported drop-down selection, cross-referencing and payroll approval from the same workflow. For employers negotiating or updating union contracts, configurable payroll rules reduce the need to rebuild manual spreadsheets every time pay rules change.
How can digital timecards help employees with multiple jobs in one day?
Digital timecards can help employees with multiple jobs in one day by giving them a clearer way to assign the right cost code to each block of work. Nugent Sand Company used [ADP Workforce Now] and digital timecards so workers could submit time using drop-down menus tied to their job cost codes. Some employees completed 5 to 10 different jobs in a single day, each with its own pay code. This process streamlined timecard submission and helped employees manage their own data with greater confidence that they would be paid accurately for their work.
