Payroll preparation starts before a calculation is run. It involves checking the records and decisions that the calculation will use. A cutoff checklist gives HR, supervisors and payroll reviewers a shared view of what is ready and what still needs attention. Adapt the sequence below to your own approved process.
Agree on the period and review owners.
Write down the period being reviewed and the internal deadline for corrections. Make sure everyone is working from the same period rather than different exports or message threads. Assign a reviewer for employee information, schedule questions and attendance exceptions.
The checklist is an operational tool. It does not set statutory deadlines, calculate entitlements or replace your payroll team’s approved rules.
- Confirm the period covered by the review.
- Identify where corrections are recorded.
- Name the person responsible for resolving each type of question.
- Agree how an unresolved item is escalated.
Make the payroll handover specific enough to review.
The handover should tell the next person which records are ready, which are unresolved and who can answer each question. Sending a file without a version, period or exception list leaves the receiving reviewer to reconstruct the preparation process.
An unresolved input should have an explicit status and owner. The preparation team should not choose an unsupported attendance value to make the file look complete. How an unresolved input affects processing is a decision for the authorized payroll workflow.
| Field | What the receiving reviewer needs |
|---|---|
| Period and scope | The cutoff, employee population and any exclusions. |
| Data version | The exact reviewed file or report and when it was prepared. |
| Resolved exceptions | The correction references and review status. |
| Open items | The issue, owner, next action and intended review point. |
| Authorization | Who prepared the handover and who is responsible for accepting it. |
Check employee details before time records.
An attendance record may be present while the employee information needed for processing is incomplete. Review the details that your process requires and identify changes that need checking. Avoid treating a field marked complete as proof that its underlying information is correct.
Use access appropriate to each reviewer. A supervisor checking a schedule does not necessarily need access to all employee information.
Review attendance in its schedule context.
Look at the relevant schedule, recorded times and available leave information together. A missing punch, a duplicate source record or an overnight shift can require different follow-up. Do not silently replace uncertain information just to clear a list.
Review changes and make a clear handoff.
Check which adjustments or schedule changes have been reviewed and whether they require payroll follow-up. Separate confirmed records from unresolved questions. The handoff should explain what has been checked, which items remain open and who is responsible for them.
After processing, use recurring exceptions to improve the next cutoff. Keep the discussion focused on the process and source records rather than assuming the software can determine the right outcome for every case.
Use the missing-punch review process for unresolved attendance inputs and the overnight-shift review questions when a shift crosses midnight. Compare the process with the current FilWorx HRIS scope before discussing configuration.
- Employee-data gaps reviewed.
- Relevant schedules and attendance exceptions checked.
- Adjustments and decisions recorded in the agreed place.
- Open questions assigned to a named reviewer.
- Payroll reviewer confirms that the handoff is usable.
Measure readiness at the handover.
Track inputs received by your agreed internal deadline: complete input sets divided by expected input sets, multiplied by 100. Report unresolved exceptions separately; completeness is not payroll accuracy.
Keep the period, population and definitions consistent when comparing results. These are suggested measures, not industry benchmarks or observed FilWorx customer outcomes.
The National Privacy Commission’s data-quality principles call for accurate personal data and appropriate handling of incomplete records. Keep the review proportionate to its purpose; a checklist does not establish legal compliance.
Sources & further reading.
Further reading from the original publishers. Product documentation describes that publisher’s product; it does not establish FilWorx capabilities.