Payroll Run
Payroll is the one output where an error is noticed immediately, by somebody who is directly affected by it, and remembered.
When to use
- A pay period is due.
- Somebody joins, leaves, or changes rate, hours or status.
Steps
- Reconcile the roster first. Starters, leavers, and changed rates are where nearly every payroll error originates — not in the calculation.
- Check the period boundaries. A leaver paid for a full period and a starter paid from the wrong date are the two commonest.
- Calculate, then compare against last period line by line. Any movement that is not explained by a known change is an error until proved otherwise.
- Check the deductions and remittances separately — the amounts owed to an
authority have their own dates, and those dates go on
filings. - Park for approval. Payroll leaves the company and moves money, so it waits for a person whatever the policy tier says.
- Record the remittances as
filingsrows with their due dates the moment the run is prepared, not after it is paid.
Output
A payroll run ready for approval, a variance note against the prior period
explaining every movement, and filings rows for each remittance with its
statutory date.