A practical monthly
payroll checklist.
A repeatable monthly close helps teams collect approved inputs and resolve discrepancies before payroll is finalised.
Adapt this checklist to your internal controls, organisation and applicable requirements. Use approved, secure channels for employee information.
1. Set an input cut-off
Publish dates for attendance, leave, overtime and variable-pay submissions. Confirm who approves each input and how late changes are handled.
2. Reconcile employee changes
Review approved joiners, exits, transfers, salary revisions and bank-detail changes against authorised HR records. Use approved secure channels for personal and banking data; do not place sensitive details in public forms or ordinary email threads.
3. Validate time and earnings inputs
Check attendance totals, leave, overtime and one-time earnings against source records and the approval trail. Investigate missing or unusual entries before processing.
4. Review deductions and statutory items
Check authorised deductions and recurring statutory inputs relevant to your organisation and location. Rules can change and vary, so confirm current treatment with a qualified payroll or compliance professional.
5. Review outputs and protect records
Use a second-person review where your process allows. Reconcile payroll totals to approved records, distribute payslips through the appropriate channel, restrict access to payroll files and retain records according to company policy and applicable requirements.
Document exceptions and update the checklist.
Review the process when your organisation or applicable rules change. This article is general information, not payroll, tax or legal advice. Contact Meridian to discuss payroll operations support.
General information only. Confirm current requirements with an appropriately qualified professional.
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