Payroll processing is a multi-step process that a company uses to pay its employees. Payments include employees' salaries, bonuses, deductions, wage attachments, and taxes.
When processing a payroll, you are in control every step of the way. Whether you need to update an employee's earnings, create an additional check, or import a time clock file, you have the flexibility to process your payrolls accurately.
There are several processes and steps available to process your payroll from start to finish.
From the Process Pay section of the Payroll Gateway, use the view By Pay Group to process a single payroll at a time. When you only have a few payrolls to process, or you need to make many edits to the payroll, process the payroll by pay group.
To process a single payroll, select the pay group link from the Process Pay section. The Payroll Overview page appears.
The Payroll Overview page displays important payroll information and the processes needed to run the payroll successfully. Depending on the payroll model, your payroll has a specified list of steps for processing employee payments.
As each step is processed successfully, a green check mark appears on the left side of the step. If there was a problem, a warning indicator appears next to the step, and you cannot move forward until the problem is resolved.
Before you open your payroll, there are several administrative tasks to perform and audit reports to review to ensure a smooth payroll process.
Before starting the payroll process, ensure that all employee maintenance is up-to-date, including:
Update employee records and ensure that all permanent changes are completed before creating batches.
Submit all updates requiring workflow approval. If workflows with effective dates within the pay period are not approved before creating batches, the workflow request is not reflected in the payroll.
Before beginning your payroll process, complete a payroll audit and verify your payroll and employee information.
The Payroll Gateway page provides an overview of your pay groups, pay calendar, and payroll reports. The gateway also provides direct access to complete payroll functions from the Actions buttons and the More actions links at the top of the screen.
Note Depending on your privileges, the More actions links may appear below the Process Pay grid.
From the Process Pay section, validate your pay group information, including:
Note The ability to process payroll without generating reports is configured on the Payroll Settings page (Menu > Payroll Admin > Payroll Settings).
Generate People Analytics reports to audit your human resource and payroll information. There are several audit reports available in People Analytics (Open Menu > Content > Team Content > UltiPro BI Content > UltiPro BI for Core HR and Payroll > _UltiPro Delivered Reports > _Workplace Custom Reports).
You may have customized reports that were created for your company. Edit this area to include company-specific reports to generate in People Analytics (Open Menu > Content > Team Content > zzzCompany Folders > (your company name) > UltiPro).
Check your pay data before you run payroll to ensure the data appears as expected. From this page, you can also check for any discrepancies or errors found in recently close payrolls.
Navigation: Administration > Payroll Processing > Payroll Gateway
Payroll settings are configured from the Start payroll step. To open your payroll, select the Start payroll step.
An employee's payroll must be open to void a payment. Only employees with an open payroll are available to select to void a payment.
Navigation: Menu > Administration > Payroll Processing > Payroll Gateway > select a pay group
Create batches copies a snapshot of your employees’ pay records and creates a temporary table for processing payroll.
All employee maintenance should be completed before this step. Once you create the payroll batch table, any changes made to an employee’s payroll data must be manually updated on the employee’s pay checks.
Navigation: Menu > Administration > Payroll Processing > Payroll Gateway > select a pay group
From the Payroll Overview page, select Create Batches.Processing data from UKG Pro WFM does not require a file import or template selection. Instead, the pay data is submitted directly from UKG Pro WFM and processed in UKG Pro Pay .
Data from UKG Pro WFM is accrued based on day worked.Note If a pay rate is not provided for a primary job, the effective dated pay rate is determined based on the charge date and the employee's job history record.
The Submit Pay Data step is available when pay groups are assigned a model that includes the Bring In Pay Data process. The Submit Pay Data step validates the data, creates the batches, if appropriate, and begins processing the data.
The Bring In Pay Data step is available to upload any files, as needed. Depending on your business processes, you may have files with pay data that need processing in addition to the data received from UKG Pro WFM . Use the Bring In Pay Data step to select the appropriate template and upload those files.
The Submit Pay Data step automatically generates a Time Import Validation report for the data in the pay group. Review the reports from the Completed tab of the Standard Reports page (Menu > Administration > Reporting > Standard Reports > Completed). If the report is blank, there are no exceptions.
If you are using another third-party system in addition to UKG Pro WFM , you can upload those files for processing.
Navigation: Menu > Administration > Payroll Processing > Payroll Gateway > select a pay group
Note All files are imported to temporary Time Clock Import files. The files are processed and validated against employee data.
The Submit Pay Data step validates the data, creates the batches, if appropriate, and begins processing the data.
Navigation: Menu > Administration > Payroll Processing > Payroll Gateway > select a pay group
Note The Summary of Pay Details page lists the source of the data, number of items, the sum of hours, the sum of amounts, and the pay item type (earnings or deductions).
Note These checkboxes are available based on the data in the system. For example, if you have data only from UKG Pro WFM , the File Import option is not available.
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Note The Bring in Pay Data step also processes with the Submit Pay Data step. The Submit Pay Data process validates the data and creates the batches for valid pay data.
Tip When earnings or deductions pay data are received from UKG Pro WFM , the system will create new pay data entries. Existing or recurring earnings or deductions will not be replaced or removed.
Note Exceptions appear for file uploads as well as data received from UKG Pro WFM . When the Validation Status is Submitted, the pay data was successfully submitted to the batches.
When new pay data records are available for a pay period with a payroll in process, the system shows the pending time records.
Navigation: Menu > Administration > Payroll Processing > Payroll Gateway > select pay group
Important To view the Analytics section including the New pay data available card, Smart Pay Analytics must be enabled. Refer to the Configure Smart Pay Analytics and Compare Data job aid on the UKG Community Library for instructions.
You can view the payroll results to delete an item or an entire pay manually, as needed.
Navigation: Menu > Administration > Payroll Processing > Payroll Gateway > select a pay group
Important After you delete a pay or an item submitted from UKG Pro WFM , the system returns that pay data when you undo a payroll process and resubmit the same pay data or recreate pays.
Process the pay data from UKG Pro WFM for a terminated employee.
Navigation: Menu > Administration > Payroll Processing > Payroll Gateway > select a pay group
Note Employees must have a Terminated status and the Date Paid Through must be 35 days or less prior to the current pay period.
Note An acknowledgement notification is shown at the top of the pay to notify you that this is a pay created from data received from UKG Pro WFM for a terminated employee who has a paid through data prior to the current period start date.
Note You can view a list of all employees with errors in the payroll (such as a missing acknowledgement on a pay) from the Unresolved Payroll Items page (Menu > Administration > Payroll Processing > Payroll Gateway > select the Unresolved Payroll Items action button).
Multiple resources and reports are available to help you validate pay data and correct exceptions to ensure accuracy.
To verify that employee payroll data is imported correctly, without exceptions (errors), and to balance and/or view data before posting to the employees' pay, review import validation and balancing reports.
The following items are available to help you verify data in the import file:
| Tool Name | Description |
|---|---|
| Pay Data History Page | Accessed from The Payroll Overview page > Things I Can Do, this page provides details of imported pay data files and data from UKG Pro WFM . This page indicates if the data has been imported successfully or if it includes exceptions. |
| View Pay Data Page | Accessed from the Payroll Overview page > Things I Can Do, this page populates after you process a file from the Bring in Pay Data step and then shows the data from UKG Pro WFM after you complete the Submit step. The data from UKG Pro WFM remains until the payroll is closed. This information supplements the Time Clock Balancing report details, so both can be used to validate your imported time. |
| Time Import Exceptions Report | Accessed from the Exceptions link on the Payroll Overview page (Menu > Administration > Payroll Processing > Payroll Gateway > select pay group), includes errors that occurred during the time clock import. If the link does not appear, there are no import exceptions. |
| Time Clock Balancing Report | Accessed from the Standards Reports page (Menu > Administration > Reporting > Standard Reports > Completed), includes a summary of all employee data that was imported via the time clock import. |
| Pay Details for Payroll Page | Accessed from the Payroll Gateway (Menu > Administration > Payroll Processing > Payroll Gateway > select More actions > select view Pay Details for Payroll), provides the ability to sort, view, and export pay data received for your employees from UKG Pro WFM before you process payroll. |
Verify the pay data Import file by checking the imported information with employee changes made since the Bring in Pay Data step was completed.
The Verify Pay Data step automatically generates two standard reports, Time Clock Import Validation and Time Clock Balancing.
Navigation: Menu > Administration > Payroll Processing > Payroll Gateway > select pay group
Before finalizing your employees' payments, audit your employee information and enter any outstanding adjustments. The payroll is unable to finish with any exceptions or discrepancies to employees' pay checks.
Submit pay data to the payroll batch tables and calculate payroll.
The gross-to-net amounts are calculated for all checks in the payroll batch tables. The Submit Pay Data and Calculate Payroll step automatically generates the following standard reports:
| Report | Description |
|---|---|
| Pre-Check Exceptions | Provides an audit of the current payroll with potential issues to employee payments. Review for any inconsistencies before printing checks. If the report is blank, there are no import exceptions. |
| Payroll Edit Detail Listing | Provides information that can be used to verify that the payroll data was correctly entered or imported for the current pay period. |
| Pre-Check Detail Listing | Provides a detailed list of each employee pay information. Use this report to find data errors after finalizing payroll, but before posting information to the history tables. The report provides employee information not included in the payroll edit listings but does not provide employer information. Review the Pre-Check Summary Liability Listing report to view employer information. |
Review these reports from the completed tab of the Standard Reports page (Menu > Administration > Reporting > Standard Reports > Completed).
Navigation: Menu > Administration > Payroll Processing > Payroll Gateway > select a pay group
Use the View or edit payroll results/instant check page to perform additional payroll actions:
Instant checks are on-demand checks and can be created with or without running payroll.
Modify individual employee pays from the Pay Detail page.
If the web access rights are enabled, add eligible earnings and deductions directly to the employee's record and pay from the Pay Detail page. The Earnings or Deduction tab enables you to update employees' pay information without navigating away from the payroll. Updates made from the Earnings or Deduction tab of the Pay Detail page permanently update the employee's record.
You can view the payroll results to modify pay items manually, delete an item, or delete an entire pay, as needed.
Navigation: Menu > Administration > Payroll Processing > Payroll Gateway > select a pay group
Note You can add earnings and deductions, or you can modify the existing earnings and deductions pay data.
You can leverage the Search Employee Pays Action card on the Payroll Gateway to help facilitate convenient access to your employee pay data across pay groups. From here, you can perform manual adjustments to pays.
Navigation: Menu > Administration > Payroll Processing > Payroll Gateway > select the Search Employee Pay action card
Note You can search for and view only the employees for whom you have the appropriate security access. In addition, you can add pays only for payrolls that are in progress.
Create an instant check from the Payroll Overview page.
Navigation: Menu > Administration > Payroll Processing > Payroll Gateway > Select pay group
Complete the following steps to enter earnings and deductions data and to calculate the instant check.
Navigation: Menu > Administration > Payroll Processing > Payroll Gateway
Note Select Add in the Deductions section if deductions need to be entered on the Instant Check. Unlike earnings, you cannot add multiple rows for the same deduction.
To remove any manual changes you have made and revert to the original data on the pay, you can recreate the pay.
Navigation: Menu > Administration > Payroll Processing > Payroll Gateway > select a pay group
You can view the payroll results to manually delete an item or an entire pay, as needed.
Navigation: Menu > Administration > Payroll Processing > Payroll Gateway > select pay group
Important After you delete a pay or pay data submitted from UKG Pro WFM , the system will resubmit the pay data when you undo the Bring in Pay Data, Create Batches, and Start Payroll processes, or recreate a pay.
Generate reports to audit your payroll information before closing your payroll.
| Report | Description |
|---|---|
| Pre-Check DDA Listing | Provides a listing of employees receiving direct deposits for this payroll, categorized by bank account. |
| Pre-Check Detail Listing | Provides a complete gross-to-net breakdown, detailing all earnings, taxes, and deductions, by employee. Verify several employees, especially those employees who have changes effective on this payroll. |
| Pre-Check Exceptions | Provides an audit of the current payroll with potential issues to employee payments. Review for any inconsistencies before printing checks. If the report is blank, there are no import exceptions. |
| Pre-Check Deductions by Deduction Code | Provides the current employee, employer, goal, and balance amounts for all deduction codes. Using the report filters, modify the report to include more or less deduction codes to review. |
| Pre-Check Earnings Listing | Provides a listing of all earnings paid, by code, to each employee for the current payroll. Verify the hours entered for each earnings code. |
| Pre-Check Summary Liability Listing | Provides information for UKG Pro Tax Filing and Wage Attachment Disbursement services. This report provides a total projected funding for net pays, tax, and wage attachment disbursement. Use this report to identify the total funding amount for which the company is responsible. Additionally, this report provides current payroll totals for the grouping selected. The report also provides subtotals based on the Sorting selection. |
| Pre-Check Summary Listing | Provides a grand total of all your earnings, deductions, and taxes (including employee and employer amounts). It also provides a total for live checks and direct deposits. |
| Employees Not Paid Edit Listing - Current Period | Provides a list of active employees who have not been paid for the current pay period. |
Note From People Analytics, you can run the Accruals Data From Other Sources Delivered Report, which reports on accruals data from UKG Pro WFM and UKG Ready. Refer to the Accruals Data from Other Sources Delivered Report in People Analytics job aid in the UKG Community Library for instructions.
Coordinate any necessary adjustments with payroll personnel:The appropriate site personnel can return signed copy of total page indicating approval.
During the Finish Payroll process, several steps are completed automatically as your payroll is printed, distributed, and posted to history.
Create a direct deposit file for each pay group.
If direct deposit or NACHA file payroll automation is configured, then the direct deposit files are automatically created, combined (when configured), and sent to your financial institution. The Direct Deposit Print file is available from the File Transfers page (Menu > Administration > Reporting > File Transfers). Use the Direct Deposit print file to view or print copies of the Direct Deposit Advices.
Confirm receipt and totals with your bank.
Once the checks have been printed, the payroll cannot be modified.
Navigation: Menu > Administration > Payroll Processing > Payroll Gateway > select a pay group
Print employee pay checks for each pay group.
The Pay Documents are available from the File Transfers page (Menu > Administration > Reporting > File Transfers). The Check Positive Pay file is available when printing live checks.
Confirm receipt and totals with your bank.
Once the checks have been printed, the payroll cannot be modified.
Navigation: Menu > Administration > Payroll Processing > Payroll Gateway > select a pay group
Note If you have Pay Statement Messaging enabled, a pop-up message displays where you can select the Add a message to pay statements option, enter your message, and then select Continue .
When you select Print , all calculated transactions are printed, and checks are generated. If a third party prints the checks, the check export files are generated.
The Finish step posts the pay data from the temporary batch tables to the employee pay history.
Navigation: Menu > Administration > Payroll Processing > Payroll Gateway > select a pay group
Close your payroll to finish the payroll process. Once the Finish step is completed, the payroll is closed and the next scheduled payroll is now available to start.
Navigation: Menu > Administration > Payroll Processing > Payroll Gateway > select a pay group
After your payroll is completed, generate the audit reports, balance the payroll totals, and process your General Ledger.
Balance your completed payroll and create funding documents. Run additional posted payroll audit reports, as needed.
Several reports are generated when payroll is closed. These reports are also available for Canada payrolls (the letters "CAN" appear at the end of the report names to designate Canada reports).
Review these payroll audit reports:
| Report | Description |
|---|---|
| Detail Payroll Register | Provides a listing of all transactions for the pay period. Print this report each pay period and maintain it as the hard copy audit for pay statements issued to each employee. This report does not provide employer payroll amounts. |
| Summary Payroll Register | Provides a grand total of the payroll's gross-to-net breakdown, detailing all earnings, deductions, and taxes for employee and employer amounts. |
This report should be used to reconcile the payroll with the Cash Analysis.
In addition to these reports, the following Canada post payroll reports are available:
After your payroll is completed, create the General Ledger (GL) Report and Export Files.
After processing your General Ledger, the GL Summary Distribution and GL Summary Suspense reports appear in the Completed tab of the Standard Reports page. The GL Export file appears on the File Transfers page.
Navigation: Menu > Administration > Reporting > General Ledger
Note When the All value, indicating all pay groups, is selected in the Ledger Period section, enter the From and To dates for the calendar period or use the Calendar icon to select the dates.
Balance your payroll totals using the balancing worksheets available from the UKG Community Library .
Balance tax filing and wage attachment reporting to validate your payroll information with Tax Filing Services.
For detailed information on Tax Filing Reports, refer to the Tax Filing Services Reports job aid in the UKG Community Library .
For detailed information on Wage Attachment Reports, refer to the Wage Attachment Services Reports job aid in the UKG Community Library .
Export all payroll-related files to your Third Party Vendors.
In certain scenarios, it is more efficient to undo a process than it is to edit individual checks. When a payroll process is undone, the process is available to run again.
Note If your payroll includes pay data from UKG Pro WFM , when you Undo the Bring in Pay Data step, the data from UKG Pro WFM remains available and you are not required to resubmit the pay data.
If the Cancel Pay Data & Lose Changes step is not available, the previous payroll step must be undone to remove the pay data. Any payroll process initiated after checks have been printed cannot be undone. No other changes can be made to the payroll until the Undo process completes.
Undo does not remove any of the pay group's payroll reports from the Completed Standard Reports or File Transfers pages. If payroll reports are generated upon completion of the Undo process, ensure that you are viewing the most recent versions and the correct data.
An audit report is available from the View Pay Data History page (Payroll Processing > Payroll Gateway > Things I Can Do section > View Pay Data History). This page reports the processes that were completed successfully for the pay group's selected pay period. The report shows the user who completed the process and the date of completion. Information from the Payroll Process History report can be exported in .XLS or .CSV format by selecting the format from the Actions drop-down list.
Navigation: Menu > Administration > Payroll Processing > Payroll Gateway > select a pay group
Note The Validation status for pay data received from UKG Pro WFM is either Submitted when successful or Exception when an issue needs to be resolved. The Validation Status for files is either Valid when successful or Exception when an issue needs resolution.
To process payroll for multiple pay groups at the same time, use the By Status page to process several payroll processes at once.
When processing a payroll By Status, the Process Pay page provides a central area for viewing, selecting, and processing payrolls simultaneously for multiple pay groups. Each listed pay group displays the next available steps to process depending on the payroll model.
From the Process Pay page,you can:
The Undo Payroll Process function is only available from the Payroll Overview page and cannot be completed when processing By Status.
Based on security access given to pay groups for roles assigned to administrators, the Process by Status may or may not display all pay groups available.
The By Status page displays all pay groups you have access to. This page displays helpful information such as the process group, payroll model, model process, and payroll status for each pay group.
Navigation: Menu > Administration > Payroll Processing > Payroll Gateway > By status
As you process multiple payrolls, you can modify and run a single process for a payroll by selecting the pay group link. The Payroll Overview page appears, enabling you to modify the payroll or run single processes, as needed.
Note Do not navigate from the Process Pay page until the processes in pending queue are complete. When Pending Queue appears as 0, you are able to navigate away from the page while the rest of the queued processes continue to process.
Note If additional pay data is received from UKG Pro WFM during a payroll process, a message is displayed during the Print step. You can choose to continue finishing your payroll, or you can return to the Bring in Pay Data step to bring in the updated pay data.
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