Payroll Processing Checklist

Information

• Products: Sparkrock 2016
• Summary: Step by step checklist to complete the payroll process

Details

The steps listed will guide you on how to process payroll from end to end.

Cause

Not Applicable

Impact / Risks

It is very important that all the areas which payroll touches have been configured correctly so that your payroll process runs smoothly. It is in your best interest to follow the steps listed in order to avoid critical errors and/or not being able to post your payroll journal.

important Note: Any skipped steps can lead to critical errors and you will be unable to post your payroll journal.

Resolution

Carefully follow each of the six steps below including all the sub-steps within the major steps.

Step 1: Pre Load/Calculation

You are able to make any manual adjustments that may be required in this calculation/ Pre Load step.

1. Ensure all HR Requests relevant to the current pay cycle are fully processed.
2. Open your Payroll Journal and select the Pay Cycle.
3. Complete all of the below items that apply to your processes:
   • Payroll Journal Pre-Load
   • Get Time Entries
   • Get Schedule Entries
   • Get Employee Allocations
   • Payroll Journal Import
4. Calculate the Payroll Journal (Gross to Net).
5. Review the Gross to Net results.
6. At this point, you may enter manual adjustments to overwrite a calculated value if necessary.
   Note: You must re-calculate if any values are overwritten to arrive at the new Gross to Net.

Step 2: Run a Test Report

After the calculations step, run a test report.
Note: It is very important to run the test report before clicking Print Checks. As well, continue with Step 3 and Step 4 before you are ready to print checks. 

1. Click the Pre-Check Test Report checkbox.
2. Review and fix any errors, and re-calculate.

Step 3: Review and Resolve Errors and Warnings

When you run the test report any errors and warnings will be flagged. Review each one and handle as needed.

1. In the Payroll Journal > Actions Tab (from the ribbon), click the Calculation drop-down and select Calculation Errors.
   The Payroll Errors page opens displaying the errors generated during Step 2.
2. If there are errors, you must correct and re-calculate after the corrections have been made (see Steps 1 and 2).
3. If there are warnings, you may choose to correct warnings if necessary.
   Note: Correcting Warnings is optional. You are still able to process your Payroll if there are unresolved warnings.
4. If you have made corrections based on the warnings you must re-calculate after the corrections have been made (see Steps 1 and 2).
5. You should not have any employees in the Payroll Journal with a 0.00 Net Pay or a Positive Net Pay.
   Note: You can run a Comparison Analysis and look for Payroll Type NET Pay = 0 or >0.
6. Perform a search where Document Type is = to Computer Check.
   Note: If any records are found that have Document Type: Computer Check, it will be up to you to either enter Pay Distribution for the employee or leave as Computer Check if that's your business process. This must be handled prior to releasing the batch.

Step 4: Release the Batch

This step MUST be done prior to clicking Print Checks. If there are any errors or invalid dimensions, return to Steps 1 - 3 and fix everything then start this step again.
Note: If there are any errors or invalid dimensions, keep repeating Steps 1 - 3.

1. Open the Allocation Batch (from the ribbon) to ensure there are no further errors.
   Note: For more details, you can find information on Payroll Journal Validation with Batch Allocation in this Quick Guide.
2. Release the batch. The batch must be released in order to Print checks.
   Note: You will not be able to release the batch if you have errors or invalid dimensions.

Step 5: Print the Checks

It is only time to print the checks once steps 1 through 4 have been successfully completed without errors or missing dimensions in your batch.

1. Return to the Calculation Batch and Print Checks.
2. Review the journal lines after Print Checks. The Document No. will be populated for all employees and the Check Printed box will contain a checkmark.
3. If there is an employee without a Document No. you must determine why
   Note: Do not create the Direct Deposit / transmit export until this is resolved and a check is printed for everyone in the payroll journal.
4. Be especially careful if you are using filters in the payroll journal.
   Note: Make sure filters are cleared before clicking the Print Checks button.
5. When applicable, click to export the Direct Deposit file.
6. When applicable, click to export the Direct Deposit transmit.

Step 6: Post Payroll

Now that you have finished all of the above steps you are ready to successfully post payroll.

1. Open Allocation Posting Batch.
2. Click Post Payroll.

Workaround

Not Applicable    

Related Information

Use these links to access related Payroll Setup and Payroll User guides.

Update History

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