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Configure variable-cost payroll

Behind every payroll month is a set of rules that decide how variable pay is worked out. This article covers where you set those rules up so the monthly figures come out right.

Before you start​

  • You need the Configure payroll costs permission.
  • This is the deep configuration that decides how variable pay is calculated. Most organisations set it up once and rarely change it, so you will not need this often.
  • Changes here affect how future payroll months calculate. Take care, and recalculate a month afterwards to see the effect.

What you can set up​

  • Dedicated-days rules. Rules for days that are paid a set way, so those days are treated correctly when a month is calculated.
  • Pay elements per job role. The extra pay items that apply to each job role, so the right allowances and bonuses are picked up for the people in that role.
  • Activity mappings. The links that connect an activity to a cost, so that when someone registers that activity it feeds the right amount into payroll.

Steps​

  1. Open the Timekeeper module, then Payroll, then Variable Cost Configuration.
  2. Set up your dedicated-days rules for the days that need special handling.
  3. Set the pay elements that apply to each job role.
  4. Map each activity to the cost it should feed into payroll.
  5. Save your changes.
  6. Open a payroll month and recalculate it to confirm the figures come out as you expect. See Manage a payroll month for where these rules are applied.

The variable-cost payroll setup with tabs for Dedicated Days, Job Role Pay Elements, and Activity Cost Mappings, showing the Dedicated Days mapping table and its Add Mapping button.