Payroll Considerations - Using the Payroll

The Datafile Software payroll system works in a distinct cycle of three stages:

Input payroll details and try out the payroll run

Run the payroll for real, print reports and payslips

End one period and start the next

Once you have run the payroll for a period (whether that is a week, fortnight or month) you cannot change any of the employee details. You can, however, restore the payroll as it was immediately before you ran it — effectively go back one stage (see System Status in the User Instructions section).

Input Employee Details

When you start a new period you can enter all the details which are needed, such as hours worked (if different to standard hours), overtime, bonus payments, holiday and sickness details, and so on. You can only make these changes after you’ve started a period and before you run the payroll for real. Whilst you are in this stage you can make as many changes as you like, provided they apply to this current period — you must not enter details which are not due to take effect until the next period.

You can do a trial run of the payroll to see if it looks correct. If not, then you can go and make further changes and re-run the trial.There is no limit to the number of times you can do this.

Run the Payroll

Once you are happy that all the details which need to be entered to the current period payroll are present, you can run the payroll for real. Part of this procedure is to take a backup of the payroll files, just in case you find that you had in fact omitted an important input to the payroll.

Note

Period End / Start Next Payroll Period

Before you can start to enter payroll details for the next period you must perform the Period End / Start Next Period routine. By doing this you are confirming that the previous period’s payroll was successfully run, and that you have printed all the reports you wanted to print and keep from that period.

It takes a backup of the current files and then clears all the payroll details which were specific to that period — such as overtime, bonuses, special deductions, and so on — and sets up the basic information such as standard hours and rates for the new period.