Payroll Process Path

Payroll Path

A key feature of the Pay Run page is the Payroll Path function, accessed from the Payrolls tab > Select Payroll ref > Select current pay Run.

The path provides Payroll Administrators with a visual representation of all the stages required for working through the full payroll process for any given period. It will ensure that the various functions are processed in the correct sequence. If there is a requirement to revert to a previous step in the process e.g. to make corrections, the Payroll Path will update accordingly to ensure the correct sequence is maintained.

The Payroll Path is colour coded making it easier for the user to see the next step in the processing sequence. The path steps will change colour according to what process the user is able to perform next. This will automatically update on completion of individual stages within the overall process.

To process a particular stage in the Payroll process click on the relevant step e.g. 'Prepare'.

The Payroll path colour coding is as follows:

Blue: Active

• The first blue step on the path is the next logical stage in the payroll process.

• Any other steps coloured blue are also available for processing at that point

Grey: Not currently available

• A later stage may be grey because an earlier stage has not yet been completed

• The stage is not relevant e.g. there are no retro records to process

Green: Complete

• Stage has been processed

• If the user hovers over a stage that has been completed and the colour changes to a dark green it is possible to reprocess that stage, otherwise it becomes inactive i.e. cannot be reprocessed.

Example:

In the above example the FPS is the next function due to be processed. It is also possible at this point to Revert to draft or to run the Draft Finance and/or Draft Pensions functions. When the user hovers over BACS the colour changes from light to dark green indicating that the BACS step is also available for reprocessing. The Prepare, Retro and Finalise/approve steps do not change to dark green therefore cannot be reprocessed. If Revert to draft is reprocessed the Prepare and Retro functions will once more become available.

Record Counts

At each stage in the Payroll process a series of counts is displayed above the Payroll Path. These will update at each stage up to the point of finalising the Payroll and provide the user with an instant view of the number of employees to be processed under the criteria specified below. Each count is a clickable link which opens a report detailing employee records included within the relevant count.

• Eligible EEs: a count of employees who are eligible to be processed in the current Pay Run. If the Prepare function has not been processed this will show as ‘View’.

• Retro pending: a count of employees who have a retro record that has not yet been processed. Note - any employees with a retro event that has been excluded will be included in the count.

• Current pending: a count of employees with current pending events since the last draft pay run

• Pay: the number of Pay Summaries created during the draft (or retro) Pay Run. Payslips and associated Pay Details, Pay Summaries and YTDs can be viewed directly from this report for any given employee.

• Excluded: a count of employees who have been manually excluded from the draft Pay Run. Note - employees excluded from a retro run are not included in the 'Excluded' count.

Information and Error Messages

Messages may be shown at each stage of the path.

Message with follow critical path i.e. no employees added or excluded, no records deleted and everything is run in sequence:

Click Prepare:

Click on Retro (option only exists if there are any retro records to process):

Click Draft:

Click Finalise/Approve:

There is no message when clicking on the BACS or FPS option.

Messages that are output when critical path is not followed:

Previous Pay Run FPS: error message output if the FPS has not been submitted to HMRC in previous period:

Retro Changes Awaiting Processing: warning message output if click on Draft (or Finalise/Approve) and Retro pending records still exist:

Messages as a result of Employees being Added to or Excluded from Retro:

If employees are excluded from a Retro run after the Retro run has already been processed, this toast message tells the user they must rerun Retro:

Retro Pay Run - clicking on Retro will then show the following message advising that previously drafted payments for employees excluded since last retro will be deleted:

If employees are added back into a Retro run and the Retro run has already been processed, this toast message tells the user they must rerun Retro:

Messages as a result of Employees being Added to or Excluded from a Draft Run:

If employees have been excluded from the Draft pay run and the Draft pay run has already been processed, this toast message tells user they must rerun Draft:

Pay Run - clicking on Draft will then show the following message advising that previously drafted payments for employees excluded since last draft will be deleted:

If employees have been added back into the Draft pay run and the Draft run has already been processed, this toast message tells use r that they must rerun Draft:

Finalise/Approve Messages

Include/Exclude Employee(s) - error message after clicking Finalise/Approve telling user that employees must be processed before pay run can be made final if employees have been added or excluded since the last draft:

Mandatory Retro Change(s) - error message after clicking Finalise/Approve telling user that mandatory retro changes (deleted retro records since last draft) must be reprocessed before the pay run is made final:

Mandatory Changes(s) - error message after clicking Finalise/Approve telling user that mandatory changes (deleted current records since last draft) must be reprocessed before pay run is made final:

Toast Error Message for FPS Path Refresh

When click on the FPS path option a new tab opens with the created FPS from where it can be submitted. The existing Payroll tab remains open and needs to be manually refreshed. The unrefreshed Payroll path will still show the FPS in blue - if the user clicks on this the following toast error message is output: