What does this guide cover?
Overview
Payslips can be previewed and sent to employees at two stages of the payroll process:
Upcoming (Draft) - While a payroll run is still in draft, you can send employees a preview of their payslip. This allows them to see their earnings before payroll is finalised.
Published (Posted) - Once the payroll run is posted, you can send employees their official, finalised payslip.
Employees can view their payslips by email and through the mobile app.
For payroll officers: sending payslips
Any payroll officer or administrator with permission to edit payroll runs can send draft previews and published payslips.
Sending draft payslip previews
Previews can only be sent while the payroll run is in draft. There are two ways to send them:
All employees: on the payroll run page, click Email Payslip Previews.
One employee: open that employee's payslip in the payroll run and click Email Payslip Preview.
You can resend previews as many times as needed before the run is posted. The mobile app always shows the most recent version.
Draft payslips are marked DRAFT PAYSLIP – PREVIEW ONLY. Their year-to-date totals include previously posted payroll runs only, not the current draft.
Once the run is posted, previews can no longer be sent. The draft is replaced by the published payslip.
Sending published payslips
After posting a payroll run, you can send the published payslips:
All employees: on the posted payroll run page, click Email Payslips. Once at least one payslip has been sent, a Resend Payslips button also appears.
One employee: open the employee's payslip and click Email Payslip to send or resend it.
Where employees can view payslips
Employees can view payslips by email, in the mobile app and, for published payslips, on desktop.
Where | Draft payslips | Published payslips |
A link to the preview, sent when a payroll officer emails it | A link to the published payslip, sent when a payroll officer emails it | |
Mobile app | On the Home page or under Profile > Payslips, once the preview email has been sent | Under Profile > Payslips, once the pay date has arrived or the payslip has been emailed, whichever comes first |
Desktop | Not available | Under the Payslips tab on the employee's profile page |
Information shown on a payslip
Each payslip is split into the sections below. Most amounts show both the figure for this pay period and a year-to-date total.
Section | What it shows |
Header | Employee name and address, National Insurance number, tax code, NI category, payroll ID, position, pay frequency, employment type, hourly rate or salary (where applicable), employer name and address, pay period dates and pay date |
Gross Pay | Each earning type (e.g. salary, regular hours, overtime, leave), with hours and rate for hourly workers, the amount and a year-to-date total. Statutory payments (SSP, SMP, SPP, etc.) appear as separate lines with current and year-to-date amounts |
Tax | Income Tax (PAYE), with current and year-to-date amounts |
Deductions | Employee National Insurance, employee workplace pension, student and postgraduate loan repayments, salary sacrifice and any other deductions, each with current and year-to-date amounts |
Employer Contributions | Employer workplace pension and employer National Insurance, with current and year-to-date totals. Shown for information only; not deducted from pay |
Reimbursements | Reason and amount (no year-to-date total) |
Payrolled Benefits | Benefit name, value and year-to-date total, where applicable |
Paid to | Bank account (partially masked) and net pay amount |
For employees: Understanding your payslip
Your payslip shows what you earned this pay period, what was taken off, what your employer contributed, and the final amount paid to you.
Prefer a printable version? [Link to example-payslip-explained.pdf]
Gross Pay
Gross Pay is what you earned before Income Tax, National Insurance, pension contributions and other deductions.
Salaried – your salary for this pay period.
Other earnings – depending on how you've been paid, you may also see regular hours, overtime, holiday or leave pay, tips, bonuses or statutory payments such as Statutory Sick Pay or Statutory Maternity Pay. Each appears on its own line.
Total – your total gross earnings on this payslip.
Tax
Income Tax – the PAYE Income Tax deducted from your pay, based on your taxable earnings and your tax code.
Total – the total Income Tax deducted on this payslip.
Deductions
Deductions are amounts taken from your pay before you're paid.
Workplace Pension – your own contribution to your workplace pension.
National Insurance – your employee National Insurance contribution for this pay period.
Other deductions – where they apply, such as student or postgraduate loan repayments.
Salary sacrifice – pay you've agreed to give up in exchange for a benefit, such as extra pension contributions. It's taken before Income Tax and National Insurance are worked out, so it reduces the tax and NI you pay.
Employer Contributions
These are amounts your employer pays on top of your pay. They are not taken from your pay and are shown for your information only.
Workplace Pension – your employer's contribution to your workplace pension.
National Insurance – the employer National Insurance your employer pays on your earnings.
Reimbursements
Reimbursements repay money you've spent on your employer's behalf, such as approved expenses. Approved business expenses aren't earnings, so they aren't taxed.
They're added to your pay after deductions, which increases the amount paid to you.
Payrolled Benefits
If you receive a benefit such as private medical insurance or a company car, its taxable value may be shown here. You don't receive this amount as money. It's included so the right amount of Income Tax can be collected on the benefit through your pay.
Paid to
This shows the bank account your net pay is sent to, partly hidden for security, and the amount paid.
Gross pay vs net pay
Gross pay is what you earned before tax and deductions. Net pay is what's paid into your bank account.
Net pay = gross pay − Income Tax − deductions + reimbursements
Here's how it works for the example payslip above, which has no reimbursements:
Item | Amount |
Gross pay | £3,166.68 |
Income Tax | −£397.20 |
Workplace pension (employee) | −£132.33 |
National Insurance (employee) | −£169.49 |
Net pay (Paid to) | £2,467.66 |
Your employer's pension and National Insurance contributions don't appear in this calculation because they aren't taken from your pay.
FAQs
Why are emails not being sent out
Why are emails not being sent out
Check that the employee has a valid personal email address saved in their profile. Payslip emails are sent to the employee's personal email address.
Why can't employees see their upcoming payslip in the mobile app
Why can't employees see their upcoming payslip in the mobile app
A payroll officer must have sent the preview email while the payroll run was still in draft. If the payroll run has already been posted, the upcoming preview is no longer available.
The employee should look under their published payslips instead, which requires a payroll officer to have emailed the finalised payslip or for the pay date to have arrived.
Why can't an employee see a published payslip in the mobile app
Why can't an employee see a published payslip in the mobile app
Published payslips appear once either the pay date has arrived or a payroll officer has emailed the payslip, whichever happens first. If neither condition has been met, the payslip will not yet be visible.
Why don't the year-to-date figures on my draft payslip include this month?
Why don't the year-to-date figures on my draft payslip include this month?
Draft payslips only count payslips that have already been published. This pay period is added once the payroll run is posted.
Why is my net pay more than gross pay minus tax and deductions?
Why is my net pay more than gross pay minus tax and deductions?
You might have a reimbursement this period. Reimbursements are added after deductions, so they increase the amount paid to you.
Why can't I see my payslip in the mobile app?
Why can't I see my payslip in the mobile app?
A draft payslip appears once your payroll officer has sent the preview email. A published payslip appears once the pay date arrives or the payslip has been emailed to you.
Can a draft payslip change?
Can a draft payslip change?
Yes. Draft figures may change before payroll is finalised. The app always shows the latest version, and your published payslip is the final record.
Are employer contributions taken from my pay?
Are employer contributions taken from my pay?
No. Employer pension and National Insurance contributions are paid by your employer on top of your pay. They're shown for information only.