Payroll instructions are a key component for the pay run; they involve every record of all employees. This section will explain everything you need to know about payroll instructions from creating new payroll instructions to comparing items to previous months.

1. What are Payroll Instructions?

Payroll instructions inform payroll providers of all variables that should be added to this specific pay run (for example expenses and bonuses). They must reported before the cutoff day in order to be included in the pay run, each relevant user will receive a reminder email a few days before the cut-off so they can login and report any required payroll instructions on time.

2. Access to Payroll Instructions

1. Go to the sidebar and select Payroll
2. Click Payroll Instructions
3. The payroll instructions table will show up

There are 3 main tabs on the payroll instruction page:

• Totals Tab
• Variance Tab
• All Instructions Tab

3. Totals Tab

3.1. What is Totals Tab?

Totals tab shows a summary of each worker with their relevant salary items for the pay run. The user can edit all instructions on this page.

• Each row refers to one worker in this pay run, their name would be on the very left of the page.
• Each column shows one specific item about the workers (for example the country, currency and paycode). The flag near the paycode shows the country that is applicable to that paycode. The colors of the heads of columns show the type of paycode:
• Green: Income
• Red: Deduction
• Blue: Expense Reimbursement
• Orange: Employer Contribution
• Grey: General Number or Remarks Only

Payroll instruction can be set at different frequencies - once, reoccurring or on specific months. Former payroll instruction can be ended to start the new payroll instruction in the specific month. If there is a change in any record from the previous month, it will be highlighted.

3.2. Create New Payroll Instructions

There are 2 ways to create new instructions: a. Add New Instructions Directly and b. Upload Instructions

a. Add New Instructions Directly

1. Click on the cell of the worker and the paycode that you want to add (e.g. Aysha Ho, Allowance)
2. Set amount (e.g. ¥20,000)
3. Set frequency (e.g. Once)
4. Set first payment month and last payment month (e.g. first payment month: 4/2023, last payment month: 4/2023)
5. Set effective start date and effective end date (e.g. effective start date: 01/04/2023, effective end date: 30/04/2023). Typically that would be different from first and last payment only in case backdating is required.
6. Supporting documents may also be uploaded (optional). It is mandatory for expense reimbursement paycode.

7. Click Submit
8. The new instruction will show up in the main table

b. Upload Instructions

It is possible to create multiple instructions in Excel and bulk upload

1. Click … near the Download Instructions
2. Download Bulk Upload Template. The template can be downloaded here

Payroll Instructions Upload Template.xlsx235.9KB

or you can download the template from the browser

3. Fill out the excel file


Here is an example file for you to test uploading

Payroll Instructions Upload Template_Example.xlsx11.6KB

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Note You must enter Client Worker ID in the Excel sheet to upload the workers onto the software correctly, this will allow unique identification of the worker.

4. Click ... then click Bulk Upload Payroll Instructions

5. Choose your file and upload
6. The new instruction will show up in the table

3.3. Filter Payroll Instructions

You can choose desirable criteria to filter lists of payroll instructions that you want to display in the table.

1. Click Filters
2. Select criteria that you want to filter (e.g. Payrun Country)
3. Set your criteria (e.g. Japan)
4. The filtered values regarding your criteria will show up in the table

The filter can be set and edited from the bar above the table as well.

3.4. Sort Payroll Instructions

The table can be sorted alphabetically and numerically in descending and ascending order.

• If data in the selected column is alphabetic data, it will be sorted alphabetically.
• If data in the selected column is numerical data, it will be sorted numerically
• If data in the selected column is in date format, it will be sorted from newest or oldest

The table can be sorted by one column at a time.

1. To sort based on that column, click on the head of a column until you get the desired sort

#️⃣

Symbols

Not Sorted

Ascending Order

Descending Order

2. The sorted table will show up

3.5. Edit Payroll Instruction

1. Click on the field of the desired employee and paycode that want to edit (e.g. Aysha Ho, Bonus)
2. Click Edit and then Edit Instruction
3. Edit the payroll instruction (e.g. change amount from ¥20,000 to ¥22,000)
4. Click Continue
5. Confirm the instruction edit (a change will be highlighted)

5. Click Submit
6. The edited instruction will show up in the table

3.6. Replace Existing Payroll Instruction

1. Click on the cell of the desired employee and paycode that want to end and create new (e.g. Aysha Ho, Salary)
2. Click Edit and then End and Create New
3. Set the new payroll instruction (e.g. change amount from ¥752,500 to ¥752,000 and from 04/2023 to 05/2023)
4. Click Continue
5. Confirm the instruction edit (a change will be highlighted)

6. Click Submit
7. The edited instruction will show up in the table

3.7. End Payroll Instruction

1. Click on the cell of the desired employee and paycode that want to end (e.g. Aysha Ho, Salary)
2. Click Edit and then End Payroll Transaction
3. Set the last payment month and effective end date (e.g. set to the end of April)

4. Click Save
5. The edited instruction will show up in the table

3.8. Delete Payroll Instruction

1. Click on the cell of the desired employee and paycode that want to delete (e.g. Aysha Ho, Salary)
2. Click Edit and then Delete Transaction
3. Click Delete
4. The deleted instruction will disappear from the table

3.9. Compare Payroll Instruction With the Previous Month

The yellow highlighted spaces indicate that there are differences of the number compared to the month before.

1. Hover on the cell of the desired employee and paycode that want to compare (e.g. Aysha Ho, Car/Travel Allowance)
2. The comparison will show up

4. Variance Tab

4.1. What is Variance Tab?

Variance tab displays the amounts and differences in the salary items by comparing the current amounts to last pay run. The default is a comparison of the current month to the previous one.

4.2. Compare Payroll Instructions To a Selected Month

You can easily change the default display and compare months based on your preference.

1. Select a month to compare with the current month

1.1. Click on the month before that is underlined and colored

1.2. Select the month to compare (e.g. Jan 2023)


2. Hover on the cell of the desired employee and pay code to see the comparison (e.g. Huang Qiu Tang)

5. All Instructions Tab

5.1. What is All Instructions Tab?

All Instructions tab shows all instructions that were added to this pay run. Each line indicates a specific paycode per worker and including all added data such as start and end date, amount, currency, supporting documents etc.

5.2. Download and Update Status of Payroll Instruction

1. Check the checkbox before the desired instruction
1. Check the top checkbox to select all
2. Click Download Instructions
3. Confirm the number of payroll instructions selected
4. Click Download Instructions

5. Downloaded Instructions will be downloaded as an Excel file