What's covered in this guide:
1. Test run
Once Payroll has been enabled on your account, it starts in test mode by default. Use this to run practice pay runs, approving timesheets, creating a pay run, and reviewing payslips, without submitting anything to HMRC or paying staff for real.
Before fully implementing the payroll system integration, it is highly recommended to conduct a thorough test run.
2. Finalise previous payroll system and enable live mode
Once you're ready to pay staff through Workforce Payroll, switch to live mode. Once you've switched, any practice pay runs made in test mode will be cleared.
To enable live mode:
Disable your existing payroll integration through Settings > Integrations
Set the Workforce Payroll file to apply to all staff (or specific locations if you have multiple payroll files) through Payroll > Payroll Settings > Reporting Details
Enable live mode under Payroll > Payroll Settings and scroll to the bottom of the page, and click Switch to Live Mode.
You can switch back to test mode at any time from the same place, using the Switch to Test Mode button.
💡 Important to note: before switching to live mode, make sure your Government Gateway user ID and password are entered under Payroll > Payroll Settings > Company Setup > HMRC Settings - these credentials are what let RTI submissions (FPS) actually reach HMRC once you're live. Live mode itself doesn't establish any automatic connection; it only unlocks real submissions using whatever credentials are already on file.
3. Approve timesheets
At the end of your pay period and on the day you normally run payroll, ensure timesheets are finalised in Workforce.
To do this, navigate to the Time & Attendance tab and select the Timesheets tab for the relevant pay period. Approve any pending timesheets.
4. Create a pay run
Once timesheets have all been approved, you're ready to create a pay run.
Click the Preview Export button at the top of the timesheet page.
On the next page, view a summary of the timesheets, including any warnings or errors.
Note: warnings do not prevent a pay run from being created.
Once ready, click the Create Payrun button in the top right corner.
5. Review payslips
Once the pay run has been successfully created, navigate to Payroll > Run Payroll to review payslips.
To review an employee's pay items for the pay period, click their name on the list of payslips.
If you need to make additions, such as deductions, leave taken, or earnings, you can do so on this screen by clicking + Add next to the relevant section.
A payslip preview can be downloaded from this page, including any additions made to the pay items.
6. Post your pay run
Before finalising your pay run, ensure that the payment date aligns with your organisation's pay schedule.
Once payslips have been reviewed and you're ready to pay your staff, navigate back to the Run Payroll page and click the Post Pay Run button.
If you have multiple payroll files (and therefore multiple draft pay-runs), navigate to the Pay Runs page and select the relevant payroll file's pay run.
7. Email payslips to staff
Send staff their payslips by navigating to Pay Runs > [select the pay run period] > Email payslips. Once emailed, payslips will also be available for staff to access in the Workforce.com mobile app.
8. View journal entries
Details of the journal entries from the pay run can be found under the View journal entries tab. You'll have the option to download the totals as a CSV, or to match your accounting system at the bottom of the summary.
9. Send RTI
Send FPS via RTI: Submit the FPS file to HMRC by navigating to payroll > RTI tab. Once the new FPS is submited, wait for acknowledgement from HMRC confirming that the submission was received successfully.
