This article provides an introduction to the Preliminary payroll section and explains the structure and most important functions of the payroll table and export. The Preliminary payroll functionality helps you choose which data attributes are relevant for your payroll processor, review that data, and then extract the prepared processor inputs via an export. Here you can:

Review personal information, compensation data and time off records, as well as changes to those data attributes since the last approval.
Approve the monthly payroll and freeze the Personal info, Salary and Time off tabs so you know exactly what data is considered for this payroll cycle.
Create a Preliminary payroll export at any time with the current changes highlighted in the Excel file.
Manage Preliminary payroll settings from the Manage tab.

To learn how to configure preliminary payroll settings, read our article on the topic. For more information on the behavior of Preliminary payroll, read our article on frequently asked questions in Preliminary payroll.

Note:
Something seems different? Preliminary payroll settings are moving from the Settings area to the Manage tab. Eventually, they will be available only in the Manage tab.

The payroll table

The Preliminary payroll area is organized by payroll month and payroll group if enabled. To access this section, go to Payroll in the navigation bar on the left and then select a legal entity using Preliminary Payroll from the dropdown. Here, you can:

Navigate across tabs to review payroll-relevant data.
Approve Preliminary payroll: On the top right of the preliminary payroll table, an overview displays the status of your preliminary payroll for the selected month. You can approve by clicking the relevant button on the top right. An export is generated automatically.
Generate exports: You can generate additional exports anytime before and after approval of the month's preliminary payroll by clicking the respective button. Go to the Documents tab to download any exports.

The table is also divided into several tabs to review the different sets of data. You can find more details on each tab below.

The People tab

The People tab is the place to view all the data attributes you have selected to include in payroll under Manage > Personal Information.

This will eventually take the place of the existing Personal Info tab, in order to take advantage of improved table sorting, filtering, and views. This creates a table of employees organized into three preset views:

All Employees: This view will display the data for all employees in the pay run.
Starters: Focus on new hires in the current payroll period and group. Ensure payroll details are correct. View hire dates, positions, and other important info.
Leavers: Manage data for employees leaving the company in the current payroll period and group. Ensure all necessary data is entered. Review termination dates, reasons, and related details.

For each view, you can adjust the columns displayed and filter, sort and search employees according to your preference. Click on an employee's name to go to their profile for more information.

The Personal info tab

Get a comprehensive overview of payroll data and changes for all employees. Here, you can:

Get an overview: View a table of employees included in the payroll for each payroll period. Each employee is displayed in a row showing their personal info and compensation attributes.
Review data changes: See at a glance what information has changed and make adjustments, if necessary.
View details: Click on an employee's detail view. There, you can review data changes for this employee, see time off periods, and navigate to their profile to update any information if needed.

Once you approve preliminary payroll, the table view freezes and no further changes are marked.

The Salary tab

The salary tab provides a comprehensive, itemized view of all compensations per employee in the payroll period. Here, you can:

View detailed compensation data: Each compensation type and its related salary component (Examples: base salary, recurring compensation type) is displayed in a separate row.
View compensation details: See comments for compensation types like bonuses and recurring compensations directly in the table. Hover over an employee's name for further information and navigate to their profile to make updates if needed.

You can adjust the columns displayed and filter, sort, and search employees according to your preference. Once you approve preliminary payroll, the table view freezes and no further changes are marked.

The Time off tab

Here, you can view a table of all the relevant time off records for employees included in the payroll period. Here you can:

View time off records: Get an overview of approved time off records occurring in the current payroll period. Each time off record is displayed in a separate row.
View details: View comments for time off, time off periods, and their approval status and employee's supervisors. Hover over a supervisor's name to contact them directly, for example in case of pending time off period approval. Hover over an employee's name for further information and navigate to their profile to make updates if needed.

The Employee changes tab

The Employee changes tab gives you a streamlined overview of all changes. Choose between two pre-set views:

All changes: See changes to the employee attributes you have included in the Manage tab, as well as all changes to compensations. Changes after approval are in the next payroll period.
Retroactive changes: See changes dated before the current payroll period.

On each view, you can change columns and filter, sort, or search employees. Click on an employee's name to go to their profile for more information.

The Documents tab

In the Documents tab, you can download all payroll exports created within the displayed payroll period.

The Manage tab

Note:
Preliminary payroll settings are moving from the Settings area to the Manage tab. Eventually, they will be available only in the Manage tab.

Set up and manage your preliminary payroll settings from the Manage tab. The settings found here impact the legal entity for which you are viewing, and include the following:

Payroll identifiers: Select up to two attributes to identify employees across all tabs and exported sheets.
Personal information: Select the employee attributes you want to track in Payroll.
Time off: Select all the absence types you wish to display in the absence tab and the export.
Export data: Select which attributes can be included in the export.

For more detailed information on managing preliminary payroll settings, read our article on the topic.

The preliminary payroll export

With the export, you can produce a single Excel file that includes employee changes, starters and leavers, and cleanly formatted compensation data. You can hand this file to your tax advisor or payroll processor.

See every employee at a glance: The People tab lists everyone in one view and clearly labels starters and leavers.
Track every change: The Employee Changes tab lists every data change effective in the current period, and flags retroactive changes in their own column.
Use compensation values right away: Value and currency each get their own column, and values are formatted as real numbers, so the file works directly in formulas.
Handle multiple currencies cleanly: Employees paid in more than one currency get a separate row per currency.
Know the status of every file: Each file carries the status Draft, Final, or Updated, so you always know what stage the data is in.
Keep working while files generate: Exports build in the background, so you don’t have to wait.
Customize your columns: Choose and reorder which attributes appear in the People tab of your export.

Customize which columns appear in the export

Once you have defined the payroll-relevant attributes in the Manage tab, you can select and reorder which of those attributes appear in the People tab of your export:

Go to Payroll and open the relevant period.
In the People tab, click Columns.
Click the toggles to select the columns you want to display in the export.

Generate an export when you approve a period

Approving and exporting in one step means the file always matches the data you approved.

Go to Payroll and open the period you want to approve.
Click Approve.
From the Export template list, select Excel - All data.
To review the export first, click Preview.
Click Confirm to approve the period and start the export.
Wait for the Exporting data notification to finish.
Find the file in the Documents tab with the status Final.

Generate an export after you approve a period

If something changes after approval, generate a fresh file without redoing the approval.

Go to Payroll and open an already approved period.
Click Export.
From the Export template list, select Excel - All data.
To review the export first, click Preview.
Click Confirm to generate the export.
Find the file in the Documents tab with the status Updated.

Find the answers you need

Overview of Preliminary payroll