FAQ: Payroll by Employee Report
Quick answers to common questions about running, reading, and using the Payroll by Employee report.
Q: How do I find payroll details for a single employee?
A: Run the Payroll by Employee report and use the Employee Name or Employee ID filter to narrow the results to just that person. Then export or print if needed.
Q: Why does the employee's net pay look wrong?
A: Net pay is calculated as Gross minus Deductions (with benefit adjustments). Check each deduction line—if a deduction seems unusual, verify it against the employee's benefits plan or speak with HR admin. Common issues include:
- New tax withholding (e.g., social security rate change)
- A new benefit deduction (e.g., health insurance)
- A loan or advance repayment
- A correction for prior over/under pay
If the deduction is truly unexpected, it may indicate a data entry error and should be reviewed with your payroll administrator.
Q: Can I compare two employees' payroll side-by-side?
A: The Payroll by Employee report shows all selected employees in a single table. To compare specific employees, filter the report to include only those two (using Employee Name or Employee ID filters), then export to Excel where you can arrange columns side-by-side for comparison.
Q: Why is an employee's pay lower/higher than the previous month?
A: Common reasons include:
- Overtime hours: An employee worked more or fewer hours in overtime.
- Absence: The employee took unpaid leave, sick time, or was absent during part of the period.
- Bonus or incentive: A one-time bonus or incentive was added this period.
- Rate change: The employee received a salary increase or the hourly rate changed.
- Deduction change: A new deduction (e.g., loan repayment) was added or removed.
Compare the Gross Pay and Deductions columns to the previous month's report to identify which component changed.
Q: How do I print individual payroll slips for employees?
A: Filter the report to a single employee using the Employee Name or Employee ID field. Export to PDF, and print. This creates an individual payroll slip record for that person. You can do this for multiple employees by running the report and exporting to PDF for each employee separately.
Q: Can I export the payroll data to use in Excel calculations?
A: Yes. Export the report to Excel (.xlsx) and import the file into your spreadsheet. Once imported, you can use Excel functions (SUMIF, VLOOKUP, pivot tables) to perform further analysis or consolidate data across periods.
Q: My employee says they didn't receive their full pay. How do I verify?
A: Run the Payroll by Employee report for that employee and the pay period in question. Review:
- Gross Pay — Is it the expected amount?
- Deductions — Are they correct?
- Net Pay — What amount was supposed to be paid?
- Compare Net Pay to the bank transfer record on the Payments page.
If the report shows the correct net pay but the employee did not receive it, the issue may be with the bank transfer, not payroll processing. Contact your finance or IT admin.
Q: Can I use this report for compliance or audit purposes?
A: Yes. The Payroll by Employee report is an official record of what each employee was paid and can be used for compliance audits, employee disputes, or regulatory reporting. Save the exported PDF or Excel file in your archives for future reference. Ensure sensitive payroll data is stored securely.
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