Payroll runs

A payroll run is required each time you process a payroll. So, if you are paid weekly, you need to create a payroll run each week. When you create a payroll run, you specify the run type, check date, and pay period begin and end dates.

1. In the Navigation pane, highlight the Payroll/Human Resources > Payroll Runs folder.
2. Click . The New Payroll Run window opens.

   

3. Select the Run Type for the payroll run. The run type determines which employees are included in the payroll run (by disbursement sets) and which check lines are created on the checks (by employee automatics).
4. Enter the Check Date to print on checks for the payroll run.
5. The GL Batch field defaults from the batch name assigned to the run type. If you need to change the batch name, enter the name of the GL batch to assign to the GL entries for checks created from the payroll run. To create GL postings by payroll run, set this field to a unique value for each payroll run. The batch name is copied to the checks that are created in the payroll run.
6. In the Period Begin and Period End fields, enter the first and last date of the payroll period. The end date is used as the work date on the check lines created when the payroll run is processed.
7. If at least one GL segment requires a calendar (or if there is a default calendar) and the Split Period checkbox on the run type is marked and the pay period crosses a GL period boundary, the Split Period fields are enabled. In the first field, enter the number of work days between the pay period begin date and the GL period end date and then enter the GL period end date in the adjacent date field. In the second field, enter the number of work days after the GL period end date through the pay period end date. (The GL period end date comes from the control calendar designated on the payroll liability account associated with the payroll run type [or from the default calendar].)
8. To use a different date than the work date as the default date for check line distributions, enter the date in the Override Work Date as default distribution date field. Otherwise, leave this field blank.
9. Save the new payroll run.

Use this procedure to create a separation payroll run so that you can process separation checks and prevent inadvertent preparation of a separated employee's check in the next regular payroll run.

1. In the Navigation pane, highlight the Payroll/Human Resources > Payroll Runs folder.
2. Click . The New Payroll Run window opens.

   

3. Select the Run Type for the payroll run. The run type determines which employees are included in the payroll run (by disbursement sets) and which check lines are created on the checks (by employee automatics).
4. Mark the Separation checkbox. The state of this checkbox defaults from the Run Type you selected, but can be overridden. You cannot mark both the Separation checkbox and the Correction checkbox.
5. Enter the Check Date to print on checks for the payroll run.
6. The GL Batch field defaults from the batch name assigned to the run type. If you need to change the batch name, enter the name of the GL batch to assign to the GL entries for checks created from the payroll run. To create GL postings by payroll run, set this field to a unique value for each payroll run. The batch name is copied to the checks that are created in the payroll run.
7. In the Period Begin and Period End fields, enter the first and last date of the payroll period. The end date is used as the work date on the check lines created when the payroll run is processed.
8. If at least one GL segment requires a calendar (or if there is a default calendar) and the Split Period checkbox on the run type is marked and the pay period crosses a GL period boundary, the Split Period fields are enabled. In the first field, enter the number of work days between the pay period begin date and the GL period end date and then enter the GL period end date in the adjacent date field. In the second field, enter the number of work days after the GL period end date through the pay period end date. (The GL period end date comes from the control calendar designated on the payroll liability account associated with the payroll run type [or from the default calendar].)
9. To use a different date than the work date as the default date for check line distributions, enter the date in the Override Work Date as default distribution date field. Otherwise, leave this field blank.
10. Save the new payroll run.

Use this procedure to create a correction payroll run so that you can flag the checks in the payroll run as correcting checks. When a correction check is processed, the separation check validation which prevents two checks to an employee in the same pay period is skipped; otherwise, the correction flag is informational only.

1. In the Navigation pane, highlight the Payroll/Human Resources > Payroll Runs folder.
2. Click . The New Payroll Run window opens.

   

3. Select the Run Type for the payroll run. The run type determines which employees are included in the payroll run (by disbursement sets) and which check lines are created on the checks (by employee automatics).
4. Enter the Check Date to print on checks for the payroll run.
5. The GL Batch field defaults from the batch name assigned to the run type. If you need to change the batch name, enter the name of the GL batch to assign to the GL entries for checks created from the payroll run. To create GL postings by payroll run, set this field to a unique value for each payroll run. The batch name is copied to the checks that are created in the payroll run.
6. Mark the Correction checkbox. The state of this checkbox defaults from the Run Type you selected, but can be overridden. You cannot mark both the Separation checkbox and the Correction checkbox.
7. In the Period Begin and Period End fields, enter the first and last date of the payroll period. The end date is used as the work date on the check lines created when the payroll run is processed.
8. If at least one GL segment requires a calendar (or if there is a default calendar) and the Split Period checkbox on the run type is marked and the pay period crosses a GL period boundary, the Split Period fields are enabled. In the first field, enter the number of work days between the pay period begin date and the GL period end date and then enter the GL period end date in the adjacent date field. In the second field, enter the number of work days after the GL period end date through the pay period end date. (The GL period end date comes from the control calendar designated on the payroll liability account associated with the payroll run type [or from the default calendar].)
9. To use a different date than the work date as the default date for check line distributions, enter the date in the Override Work Date as default distribution date field. Otherwise, leave this field blank.
10. Save the new payroll run.

When you process a payroll run, ActivityHD creates a check for an employee if (1) the payroll run type matches the run type on the employee's disbursement set, and (2) if the check date for the payroll run falls within the range of valid dates for the disbursement set. ActivityHD creates check lines based on employee automatics. For an automatic to be included on a check line, (1) the check date for the payroll run must fall within the range of valid dates for the automatic, and (2) the payroll run type must match the run type on the PRCode OR the PRCode must have no run type. Check lines for automatics which reference a PRCode with no run type are always created. Checks and/or direct deposits created when processing a payroll run use the employee's disbursement rules to determine how to apportion an employee's net pay.

To process a payroll run:

1. In the Navigation pane, highlight the Payroll/Human Resources > Payroll Runs folder.
2. Right-click and select Select and Process from the shortcut menu.

   

3. In the Payroll Run field, select the payroll run to process.
4. In the Batch field, enter a batch name for the checks created in this process.
5. To suppress duplicate errors during processing, mark the Silently skip duplicates? checkbox. If you do not mark the checkbox and ActivityHD detects that a check it is trying to create already exists, ActivityHD returns an error. Either way, ActivityHD does not create duplicate checks.
6. Select the Employees tab.

   

7. Define any filters you want to apply to the data to limit the employees who are included in the payroll run.
8. Click Next >>. ActivityHD prompts you to confirm that you want to process the payroll run.

   

9. Click Yes. ActivityHD processes the payroll run and reports its results.

   

   If necessary, resolve errors and try again.

10. Click Next >>. ActivityHD shows the checks created in the payroll run.

    

    At this point, you can double-click the check(s) in the right pane to drill down to the Check window, you can delete checks, run one of several check reports, proof checks, merge checks, print checks, process direct deposits, validate GL accounts on checks, or void checks.

11. When you finish viewing or working with the checks, click Finish.

From time to time you may want to compare the current payroll run to a prior run in order to test your payroll run for accuracy. ActivityHD allows you to compare one payroll run to another and produces a report of the differences. The report can show new employees and new PRCodes that have been added for employees. It can also report missing employees and missing PRCodes between the two payroll runs as well as show net pay differences and check line differences.

To compare two payrolls:

1. In the Navigation pane, highlight the Payroll/Human Resources > Payroll Runs folder.
2. To start the Payroll Run Comparison wizard, either right-click the Payroll Runs folder and select Select and Compare from the shortcut menu or highlight one of the payroll runs you want to compare in the HD view and click .

   

3. On the Employee tab, define any filters to apply to restrict the employees who appear on the comparison report.
4. Select the Check Line tab.

   

5. Define any filters you want to apply to restrict the check lines which appear on the comparison report.
6. Select the Compare tab.

   

7. If you started the wizard by selecting a payroll run in the HD view, that payroll run is loaded in the Payroll Run field. Otherwise, select a payroll run to compare.
8. In the Compare To field, select the payroll run to compare the first payroll run to.
9. Select the Options tab.

   

10. Mark the checkbox(es) for the additional information to include:
    • Missing Employees
    • New Employees
    • Missing PRCodes
    • New PRCodes
    • Net Pay Differences
    • Check Line Differences. If you mark this checkbox, the three checkboxes below are enabled. Indicate the check line differences to include:
      • Source Differences
      • Rate Differences
      • Result Differences
11. Select the Output tab.

    

12. In the Design field, the built-in "Payroll Run Comparison" report is selected for you. If you want to run a custom report, select the report to run.
In the toolbar, click the icon for the type of output you want:
• - Provides access to two preview options.
  • Preview - Click the icon or click the drop-down arrow and select Preview from the drop-down menu to view the report in the Crystal Reports viewer.
  • Preview to PDF - Click the drop-down arrow next to the icon and select Preview to PDF to view the report in the PDF reader.
• - Opens the Print dialog so that you can select and configure a printer and then print a paper copy of the report.
• - Opens the Report Email dialog so that you can address and compose an email that the report will be attached to. For best results, ensure your email client is running before you attempt to send a report via email.
• - Opens the Export Report dialog so that you can save the report to a file. File types include Crystal Reports (.rpt), PDF (.pdf), Microsoft Excel (.xls), Microsoft Word (.doc), rich text (.rtf), and XML (.xml).

Closing a payroll run makes the payroll run unavailable for selection in the Process Payroll Run wizard and hides it in the HD view unless you mark the Include Closed checkbox. Closing is useful for decluttering the payroll run Find dialog box, but is a purely optional procedure.

To close a payroll run:

1. In the Navigation pane, highlight the Payroll/Human Resources > Payroll Runs folder.
2. In the HD view, locate and double-click the payroll run to close. The Payroll Run window opens with the payroll run loaded.
3. Mark the Closed checkbox.
4. Save your changes.