🧾 Payroll Process Overview: Best Practice for a Smooth Pay Run

Applies to: All customers using ZonePayroll
Last Updated: May 2025

This guide walks you through the end-to-end payroll process in ZonePayroll — from initial preparation to final payment and payslip distribution.

While the system allows flexibility during the pay run process, the best way to reduce errors and rework is to complete as much setup as possible before starting the pay run. Preparing thoroughly in advance helps ensure a smoother, faster, and more accurate payroll experience.

✅ Pre-Pay Run Preparation (Best Practice)

These steps are your first line of defense against mistakes. We strongly recommend completing them before clicking “Start Pay Run.”

1. Setup New Employees
   Add any new team members who need to be paid in this cycle.

2. Add Payroll Details to Employees
   Ensure pay rates, pay schedules, and any recurring allowances or deductions are correctly entered.

3. Enter NetSuite Time for Casuals/Part-Timers
   Record all relevant hours worked using NetSuite time entries.

4. Approve Time
   Unapproved timesheets won’t appear in the pay run. Make sure all time entries are reviewed and approved.

5. Review Unapproved Leave & Time Requests
   Resolve pending leave or timesheet items so that everything flows correctly into the run.

🧠 Pro Tip: While you can make adjustments during the pay run, it’s faster and safer to get it right up front. Think of this as your payroll checklist!

▶️ Running the Pay

Once you're confident everything’s set, you’re ready to begin the pay run.

1. Run Payroll

Choose which employees to include in this pay cycle.

2. Enter Timesheets

The system pulls in all approved time — normal hours, overtime, and leave.

3. Enter Variable Components

Adjust any bonuses, deductions, or allowances already set up on the employee. You can change the rate or quantity here.

4. Enter One-Off Payments (Optional)

Manually add payments that aren’t stored on the employee’s record.
Set:

• The payment period

• The amount

• P&L account

• Payee (if needed)

This can be done before or after payslip processing.

5. Process Pay Slips

The system calculates taxes, superannuation, and generates pay slip data.

✅ Finalise & Distribute

6. Approve

Review payslips, check for variances, and make any final changes. You can recalculate if needed.

7. Post

This step posts journals and updates leave balances.

8. Pay

Creates the payment journal, ABA bank file (if applicable), and PDF payslips.

9. Print & Distribute

Payslips are emailed and published in the Employee Self-Service (ESS) portal.

📌 Tip

Your pay date doesn’t need to match the period end date.
For example, even if your pay period ends on the 26th, you can set the pay date for the 28th (or earlier/later) depending on business needs.