Payroll · Payroll teams · about 8 min
Set up payroll
Do this once, in order. Nothing is assumed: payroll can't run until its settings are saved, and pay is never set for anyone silently.
1. Payroll settings
Go to Payroll → Payroll settings. Set the Pay day (moved back to the last working day when it falls on a weekend or holiday), the pension rates if yours are above the minimum, and optionally a Cut-off for changes - for example the 24th, so a run paid on the 25th can be approved in time. Saving them confirms them.
2. Pay components
Under Pay components, the usual earnings and deductions are there already - basic, housing, transport, meal, utility, leave allowance, bonus, overtime, loan, cooperative. For each, say whether it's Taxed, Pensionable and part of Basic pay (NHF), and whether it's a fixed amount or Entered monthly. Add a component for your own.
3. Salary structures
Go to Payroll → Salary structures and Add a structure for each grade: its components and amounts. A structure is a starting point - each employee gets their own copy, so changing a structure later changes nobody's pay.
4. Each employee's pay
Go to Payroll → Employees' pay, open an employee and select Set pay: their grade's structure is filled in; adjust it, give the date it starts, their State for PAYE, any Yearly rent for rent relief, and whether they're excused from pension or NHF. A raise later is a new row from its date - the history stays.
In bulk: Import pay takes a spreadsheet - download the template, fill it in, and a preview shows every row before anything is saved. Or, on a salary structure, Set pay gives everyone on its grade with no pay yet their copy in one go.
Where their pay is charged: all to their department, or split by percentages across departments, cost centers, funds and grants - so staff costs land on the right budget and donor report.
Tip: Make sure HR has each employee's bank details, TIN, pension PIN and administrator, and date of birth - the bank file, remittances and protected payslips use them.