Amanda Sinclair, PCP
HR Manager, Payroll & Benefits, Landmark Cinemas, Calgary, AB
As a self-described introvert, Amanda Sinclair’s idea of a perfect day is one spent at the lake near her home (pictured), floating on the dock or enjoying a good book.
Born in Squamish British Columbia, she set out to leave her small town soon after high school. She moved to the Okanagan for post-secondary studies and eventually made her way to Calgary, where she has been for the past 14 years.
In Calgary, Amanda found work in administration, as an office manager at a few different places before she was hired by Landmark Cinemas in 2015. By then, she had been exposed to many functions of business, and realized her passions lay in HR, payroll and benefits – so, she joined Landmark as an HR Associate.
In addition to her role, she would often provide backup to the payroll and benefits team. As a result, she was offered an opportunity to be involved in the organization’s Ceridian implementation. She was first trained as a super-user, and then, after demonstrating her work ethic and talent in payroll, became one of the leads on the project.
“I’ve always been willing to take on new things, I like to learn,” she says. “I was going to any of the in-person sessions that were available through the National Payroll Institute, just because I was really interested in getting to know more and making sure I was up to date. A lot of people were anxious to dive into a big project like the Ceridian implementation, but I was happy to.”
Before long, that go-getter attitude earned her a promotion to HR Manager, Payroll & Benefits, which is the title she currently holds.
What she loves about payroll is the delicate balance of predictability and spontaneity. While there’s structure to the work you do and when you do it, you always have to be on the lookout for changes to legislation, or other things coming down the pipeline.
In her particular organization, she also recognizes the meaningful impact that payroll can have for employees.
“We have 1500 employees. Of those, only 160 are full time employees,” she explains. “Most of our people are part-time employees and it’s usually their first job. So, it’s a great opportunity when we get to connect with them and walk them through how payroll works, what they need to do in the system to make sure they’re set up properly, and how they can understand their earnings, or fill out their tax forms correctly, and things like that. That’s one of the parts of my job that I love the most.”
She also feels very excited for the future of on-demand pay, which she feels will be a huge advantage for her employees.
“We are currently rolling out a real-time pay option, which gives employees the opportunity to request payment of their earned wages as soon as their shift has finished for the day,” she says. “I think this will be a huge benefit as it gives the employee access to their funds whenever they need it—if they’re picking up shifts to cover bills, it can help eliminate employees needing to take out pay day loans, or give them different savings options. I think it’s going to mean a lot for many of our employees.”
It’s clear Amanda cares a lot for her work and the employees she processes pay for. With an eye on the future, as payroll continues to evolve, Amanda will be there to turn the page for her organization.
