IMPORTANT: This article is for new clients enrolling in OnPay
If you're already enrolled in OnPay, see this article for Creating additional pay schedules→
Your pay schedule outlines how frequently your workers have a pay day. It also determines the length of the pay period. A pay schedule can be weekly, bi-weekly, semi-monthly, or monthly.
When you create a Pay Schedule, you're able to determine:
- Schedule name (helpful for multiple pay schedules)
- How often employees will get paid (pay frequency)
- The first check date (subsequent check dates follow pay frequency)
- The span of time covered by the pay period (subsequent pay periods follow pay frequency)
After that, the Pay Schedule automatically manages these dates, but you can update them when needed.
You can set up multiple pay schedules, as well as process special off-cycle pay runs. There is no per-run fee, so you can run payroll as often as you need.
Schedule name and pay frequency
The simplest and most common approach to naming your schedule is to use the pay frequency as the name. The pay frequency determines how often your employees will be paid. A bi-weekly schedule (every two-weeks) could simply be named "Bi-Weekly" (left). But if you have multiple pay schedules, the name could include details about the schedule such as a team name, or pay date).
Whatever you decide, keep it simple so you, and anyone running payroll for your company, can easily pick the right schedule.
IMPORTANT
Many states have pay schedule frequency requirements for employers, which can be dependent on the size of the company and the industry.
To check these requirements, visit the United States Department of Labor.
Check Date & Period Start/End Date
Enter the first check date (the date you want employees to receive their first paycheck through OnPay), followed by the Period Start and Period End dates. This indicates the span of time this first paycheck is for. Remember to leave enough time between the end of the pay period and the check date to allow you to confirm hours worked (if hourly employees), and process payroll within your turnaround time (typically two business days).
Note:
Future pay periods and check dates will be scheduled based on this information, and the pay frequency.
Pay schedule preview
Based on this information, we’ll show you upcoming payroll cycles, including pay run deadlines, so you can preview how this schedule works before you finish creating it. You'll see future pay periods, payroll run deadlines, check dates, and when applicable, effective pay dates and holidays.
About pay periods
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For both weekly and bi-weekly pay frequency, choose the check date (first pay date), and the start and end dates for the period that check represents.
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Weekly: 7 concurrent days - one week hold - 52 paydays per year
Bi-weekly: 14 concurrent days - one week hold - 26 paydays per year
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For a semi-monthly pay frequency, choose the check date (first pay date), and the start and end dates for the period that check represents. Then, you'll set the start and end dates for the second period of each month.
Because every month is a little different, for this second period, there is some flexibility. You can choose a specific calendar day (up to the 28th), or select from the "End of month" options, with up to five days before (Ex: Feb 23rd, March 26th, and April 25th, are all 5 days before the end of the month).
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Semi-monthly: 2 pay periods per month (one 15-day period, and one period of varying length) - 24 pay periods per year
Note: If your check date falls on a weekend please keep in mind the employee will be paid on the next business day.
Monthly: 1 pay period per month - 12 pay periods per year
Click Update when you’ve confirmed the details of your pay schedule.
You should now see your upcoming pay schedule. You can also add another schedule. You may have as many as your company needs.
Next: Worksites
Now that you have at least one pay schedule, you can create your first worksite. Worksites represent physical locations where your employees perform their job duties. Worksite information is used to determine payroll tax obligations, and other state and local workplace compliance requirements.
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