Tired of always having to chase your employees to submit and review their hours? With Connecteam, you can easily define your payroll cycle and set up reminders for your staff! Processing payroll and getting to payday prepared and punctual is crucial for any business to run smoothly and maintain employee satisfaction. To help you do this, set up reminders for your employees to go over their timesheets and for managers to approve timesheets on time!
How to Set Up Your Payroll Cycle
To begin head over to the Time Clock feature found in the left sidebar and access the relevant Time Clock. Next, click on Settings at the top right of the page, and enter on the Payroll tab.
Here's how to get there:
A payroll cycle is a set schedule on which a company processes and distributes employee wages. To define your payroll cycle simply follow these simple steps:
Select the day the week starts.
Click on the 'Payroll cycle' dropdown menu to choose your payroll cycle.
Select a recent closing date for payroll (when your latest payroll period ended). Note that we will start counting the payroll cycle from that date and it will automatically update for the next period.
Save changes to ensure the new payroll cycle settings are applied.
How to Choose Your Payroll Cycle
When choosing a payroll cycle, several factors should be taken into consideration. They may vary depending on your business's needs and circumstances. Some factors that can influence your choice include business requirements, compliance and legal obligations, cash flow, or employee preferences.
No predefined cycle: The system will not present a payroll cycle. In the Timesheets tab, you will be given the option to select a date range only. This option supports custom setups, such as every 15 days with rotating start days, by manually adjusting pay periods.
1 Week: The system will count 1 week (7 days) from the start day chosen.
2 Weeks: The system will count 2 weeks (14 days) from the selected recent closing date for payroll. This results in 26 pay periods per year and does not align with specific calendar months.
4 Weeks: The system will count 4 weeks (28 days) from the selected recent closing date for payroll.
Twice a month: The system will count two payroll cycles in a month based on the days of the month chosen for when the first and second pay periods end. You can choose to end the second pay period on a specific day of the month or on the last day of the month. This results in 24 pay periods per year and aligns with the calendar month.
1 Month: The system will count 1 month (30 days) from the selected day the pay period ends. You can choose if the pay period ends on a specific day of the month or the last day of the month.
The system will automatically present the current payroll period every time you and your employees view the timesheets. To view past payroll periods, click on the date range in the Timesheets tab, and select the relevant period.
How to Set Your Scheduled Pay Date
Your payroll cycle defines the period you pay for. Your scheduled pay date defines when your employees actually get paid. These are two different dates: the payroll cycle can end on the last day of the month while payday lands a few days later. Setting a scheduled pay date lets Connecteam align time off accruals and reporting to the real payday, not just the end of the pay period.
To set your scheduled pay date, head to the Time Clock feature in the left sidebar and open the relevant Time Clock. Click Settings at the top right, then open the Payroll tab.
The way you set the pay date depends on the payroll cycle you chose:
Weekly cycle: choose the day of the week payday falls on (for example, every Friday).
Monthly cycle: choose the day of the month payday falls on (1 to 28), or choose the last day of the month.
Bi-weekly, four-weekly, or twice-a-month cycles: choose how many days after the period ends payday falls on (1 to 7 days).
Once set, Connecteam records each payday as it passes so your reporting and time off accruals stay aligned to when employees are actually paid.
💡 Tip: The scheduled pay date is optional. If you leave it blank, Connecteam keeps working exactly as before and simply tracks the payroll period. Set it when you want time off balances and reports to line up with your real payday.
Customization Examples
Semi-Monthly Cycle with Specific Date Ranges:
To configure pay periods like 29th–11th and 12th–28th:
Set the first period to end on the 11th and the second on the 28th.
Connecteam will automatically generate non-overlapping periods.
Twice-a-Month Cycle for 1st–15th and 16th–End of Month:
Set the first period to end on the 15th and the second on the last day of the month.
Align Payroll Cycles to Specific Dates (e.g., 5th and 20th):
Use the "Twice a Month" option and select the desired dates.
Differences Between Bi-Weekly and Twice-a-Month Cycles
Bi-Weekly:
Fixed 14-day intervals, independent of the calendar month.
Suitable for organizations needing consistent pay intervals.
Twice-a-Month:
Tied to specific dates, such as the 15th and last day of the month.
Ideal for aligning payroll with monthly financial reporting.
How to Set Up Overtime for Overnight Shifts
To enable the option of having work hours, overtime, and breaks assigned to the day the shift started instead of the next day starting at midnight, make sure to check the option in the Payroll tab for 'Overnight shifts' total hours will be assigned to the day the shift started'.
For more information on this setting, check out our article about Setting Up Overtime for Overnight Shifts.
How to Set Up Payroll Notifications
To ensure that your team stays on top of payroll, you can set up push notifications to remind your employees to review their timesheets and for your managers to approve their employees' timesheets. This notification can serve as a reminder to review any pending requests as well (shift requests and time off requests).
Related Articles
For more information on processing payroll using Connecteam, check out these articles:
*Setting your payroll period is available on the Operations Hub Basic Plan and up*
*Payroll reminders are available from the Operations Hub Advanced Plan and up*
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