How Do You Close a Pay Period?

Use the same close process every time

Before payroll, check:

• Every hourly employee has a complete time card.
• Missing punches are corrected with reasons.
• Overtime, breaks, job changes, and location exceptions are reviewed.
• Manual edits have reasons.
• Managers approve final time cards.
• Payroll receives approved hours.
• Late corrections after close are documented separately.

The goal is not to slow payroll down. The goal is to stop open questions from becoming payroll numbers.

Approval comes before export

Payroll should receive approved hours, not a list of unresolved exceptions.

The manager closest to the work usually knows what happened during the shift. Payroll can process the final hours, but the business still needs someone to approve the record before export.

Do not hide late corrections

A closed pay period can still have a mistake.

Fix it, but keep the correction visible. The record should show the earlier approved time, the later correction, the reason, and the payroll adjustment path.