Spotlight’s On: Sue Cleary

an interview with Sue Cleary, Payroll Technician

BCP has many departments and hundreds of employees. Do you know the function of each department? Or the role of many of our staff members? Each month, we’ll spotlight a staff member or department. Last month we interviewed BCP’s Volunteer Program Supervisor, Debbie Bingham. This month, we’d like to introduce you to Sue Cleary!

What’s your job title and what do you do? My current title is Payroll Technician, and I am responsible for ensuring the accuracy of each employee’s payroll, as well as perform some accounts receivable-related duties.

Describe your typical day at Irwin Center: I really don’t have a “typical” day, because I wear many hats depending on what day it is. I handle all aspects of daily payroll, as well as some accounts receivable duties. My payroll-related responsibilities are cyclical and are deadline-oriented. Many of my payroll-related duties are dictated by the particular day in the payroll cycle. For example, every other Monday is “Payroll Monday,” because this is the day that everyone’s Kronos timecards from the prior period are given their final approval and the information is transmitted to ADP for payroll checks to be prepared. A few days prior to payroll Monday, I review the timecards to ensure there are no erroneous pay codes being used. I will also enter any historical edits for prior periods.

Once payroll is completed for a given period, I prepare comparative spreadsheets of overtime and penalty hour information that is sent to each Director for their review. The payroll function encompasses all aspects of your payroll, some of which are: calculating pay, processing retroactive pay adjustments and garnishments.

From an accounts receivable standpoint, I’m responsible for ensuring that all payments are properly posted to each account, and I also have acted as the billing backup. I monitor each account to ensure that they are paying in a timely and accurate manner.

What do you like best/most about your job? The best part of my job is my interaction with my fellow employees. I truly enjoy problem solving and fielding various questions about employees’ pay.

What are the challenges? How do you overcome them? Because I deal with each employee’s individual pay, which is very near and dear to their heart, I take pride in ensuring that each employee’s pay is accurate and complete. I maintain detailed records that are easily retrievable when there’s a need to review the back up paperwork. I also make sure that I get the proper approved documentation before processing any payroll-related actions.

How long have you worked at BCP? I always say since birth, but in actuality I’ve been here over 20 years in many different capacities. For my current position, it’s been 10 years. In any capacity, I truly enjoy working at Blood Centers of the Pacific.

Thank you Sue for your hard work and dedication to all of our BCP employees!

Pump Some Iron

by Ashley Messick, Social Media Specialist, vegetarian, and bench presser of 30 pounds

Iron. It is essential for nearly all known organisms. The primary function of iron in the body is to transport oxygen. About 67 percent of body iron is present as hemoglobin and myoglobin. Hemoglobin, which is present in red blood cells, is essential for transferring oxygen from the lungs, via the blood, to the tissues; myoglobin is present in muscle cells and accepts, stores, transports and releases oxygen in the muscles. Iron is an essential element for blood production*. It also happens to be one of the common reasons for which donors are turned away from donating blood temporarily.

It may be because I am a petite woman, who also happens to be a vegetarian, that close to three out of every four times I have tried to give blood I have been turned away for a low hemoglobin count. I fill out the paperwork, stretch out my hand for the finger prick, and wait for the verdict. So believe me I identify with the many men and women alike who come to donate and are unable to due to a hemoglobin count that does not meet the guidelines for blood donation.

I have to admit that it still feels a little disappointing. Giving blood is something I prepare for: physically by eating a healthy, filling meal and drinking plenty of water before donating and mentally by remembering that I am saving three lives with my donation (and by listening to “We are the Champions” or “The Eye of the Tiger” on the way). Thankfully I am encouraged by the stories of all of our patients who have benefited from the generosity of blood donors and of course inspired by all of the wonderful BCP donors themselves, so I keep on trying. I eat my iron rich foods like spinach, raisins, bran cereal, and lentils (for more iron-rich foods click here or here).

So if you ever are deferred from donating blood for a low iron count, don’t get discouraged. “Pump some iron”, by eating those iron rich foods, and come back in to try again. In the meantime don’t forget you can always support the important cause of blood donation by talking to your friends and family about coming in to donate as well!

photo credit: gcardinal