Mavis Goebel, a Senior Accountant, started at Ranch Ehrlo in 1998. Mavis had just returned to Saskatchewan after spending more than 20 years away with most of the time spent in the Yukon.

When Mavis came to Regina she signed on to work for Manpower Temporary Services and was working at ISM Canada. It was during this time that she met co-worker Barb Pawson, the wife of the late Ranch founder and CEO Geoff Pawson.

Mavis’ children would come down and visit her from the Yukon and she was worried about what to do during the summer with her youngest child who had special needs. It was Barb who suggested Mavis call Geoff for advice. He gave her ideas of what was available in the city.

Mavis accepted a term position at ISM but was released after the term was completed. Mavis took some time for herself but after six weeks of unemployment, Mavis was anxious for work.

‘I went to sleep that night and said, ‘Okay God I need a job now, I’m a little bored and need some money’. I got up in the morning and was enjoying my coffee and my phone rings and it was Geoff Pawson,” Mavis stated.

Geoff and the chief accountant at the Ranch at that time, needed help in the accounting department and when Geoff mentioned the problem to his wife Barb; she said, you need to call Mavis.

“And that’s how I started at Ranch Ehrlo.”

Mavis was first hired to help with accounts payable and budgets but soon took over payroll. She currently does payroll for northern administrative and unit staff, all the education staff in the north and south, and the construction program payroll.

Payroll is a continuous cycle, between the advance pay week and the full pay. We issue approximately 19,500 payroll cheques in a year. The Ranch payroll is even more complicated by having staff on a 13 pay period calendar and other staff on a 10 pay period schedule. Some staff are salaried while others are shift workers, which includes over time and premium night shifts. We also have teachers who use the Saskatchewan Teacher Federation’s wage agreements.

“At this point you have to forget everything you know about the Ranch’s payroll because this is so unique and different,” Mavis explained.

Mavis works with Judy Smibert, who also does payroll, to audit each payroll to make sure the amounts are correct. With 770 staff that’s a lot of double checking.

She also reconciles the Revenue Canada payments every month and the end of the year T4s.

“Even though we only have 770 employees; every person they bring on to do an observation shift (whether or not they are hired) gets paid. Same with people who start at the Ranch but don’t stay on -they get a record of employment and a T4. Last year I did 1,135 T4s in total. It get’s crazy,” Mavis stated.

Mavis and her family wasn’t fully aware of what the Ranch did when she started. “I told my dad I was going for an interview and he said to do what? Count chickens and horses?”

She accredits stories in the media and designations the Ranch has received like the 2012 Top Employer that has changed how people perceive the Ranch, including future employees.

“The Ranch is a good employer, they pay a good salary on par with outside agencies and have excellent benefits,” Mavis explained.

She added administrative staff at the Ranch have a big, yet hidden, part of achieving Ranch Ehrlo’s mission to assist children, youth, families and communities.

 “Clients at the Ranch are the youth but our clients in the accounting department are the staff and we need to make sure that they get their pay properly and accurately. I believe the number one asset of any company is your employees and if you can keep your employees happy then you can have success with your clients. We do our best to make that happen.”