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Free Downloadable Payroll Checklists
Written from the mistakes we see most often in real paystubs: overtime figured on base pay instead of the blended regular rate, meal breaks deducted from time that was actually worked, and hours averaged across a biweekly period. Download any checklist, edit the bracketed fields, and use it as your own.
Weekly Payroll Run Checklist
The 18 checks to clear before you approve a payroll run, in the order an experienced payroll clerk actually does them.
Best for: Payroll administrators, small business owners, bookkeepers.
Preview the checklist
WEEKLY PAYROLL RUN CHECKLIST BEFORE THE CUTOFF [ ] Confirm the workweek start and end used by this run [ ] Chase missing punches and unapproved timesheets [ ] Verify every employee confirmed their own hours [ ] Check for shifts crossing midnight assigned to the right day [ ] Review unpaid meal breaks that were auto-deducted but worked HOURS AND CLASSIFICATION [ ] Separate hours actually worked from PTO, holiday and sick hours [ ] Confirm PTO and holiday hours are excluded from the 40-hour test [ ] Recount overtime per workweek (never averaged across two weeks) [ ] Apply daily overtime and double time where state law requires it [ ] Re-check any employee treated as exempt this period REGULAR RATE [ ] Add nondiscretionary bonuses into the regular rate [ ] Add shift differentials, night and weekend premiums [ ] Add commissions and production incentives [ ] Recalculate the overtime premium on the blended regular rate [ ] Confirm two-rate employees use a weighted average rate DEDUCTIONS AND OUTPUT [ ] Verify garnishments, benefits and pre-tax deductions [ ] Confirm no deduction pushes an employee below minimum wage [ ] Reconcile gross totals against the previous period and explain variances [ ] Archive the approved timesheets with the payroll register AFTER THE RUN [ ] Confirm pay stubs meet your state's itemisation rules [ ] File the register and hours records (keep 3 years; 2 years for time cards) --- Free checklist from Overtime Pay Calculator USA — https://overtimepaycalculatorusa.com/payroll-checklists Educational estimates and sample language only; not legal advice.
Overtime Compliance Audit Checklist
A self-audit you can run in an afternoon, covering the six overtime errors that produce almost every FLSA back-pay claim.
Best for: HR managers, controllers, pre-DOL-audit reviews.
Preview the checklist
OVERTIME COMPLIANCE AUDIT CHECKLIST 1. WORKWEEK DEFINITION [ ] A fixed 168-hour workweek is defined in writing [ ] The same workweek is used in the timekeeping system and payroll [ ] Overtime is calculated per workweek, not per pay period 2. CLASSIFICATION [ ] Every exempt employee meets the salary basis and salary level test [ ] Exempt duties are documented, not assumed from job title [ ] Independent contractors are tested against economic-reality factors [ ] Salaried non-exempt employees still receive overtime 3. REGULAR RATE [ ] Nondiscretionary bonuses are included [ ] Shift differentials and premiums are included [ ] Commissions are allocated back across the earning period [ ] Discretionary gifts and true benefit payments are correctly excluded 4. HOURS WORKED [ ] Pre-shift and post-shift duties are recorded [ ] Working through unpaid meal breaks is captured [ ] Remote and after-hours messaging time is captured [ ] Required travel between worksites is paid [ ] Rounding is neutral and never favours the employer over time 5. RECORDS [ ] Time records are retained at least 2 years [ ] Payroll registers are retained at least 3 years [ ] Records show daily and weekly hours per employee [ ] Edits to time records show who changed what and when 6. POLICY AND TRAINING [ ] A written overtime policy exists and is acknowledged [ ] Managers are trained that all hours worked are paid, approved or not [ ] A complaint path exists that does not run through the accused manager [ ] Corrections are made on the next payroll run, not "next time" --- Free checklist from Overtime Pay Calculator USA — https://overtimepaycalculatorusa.com/payroll-checklists Educational estimates and sample language only; not legal advice.
Employee Scheduling Checklist
Build a schedule that covers the operation without pushing anyone accidentally past 40 hours.
Best for: Shift managers, restaurant and retail operators, clinical schedulers.
Preview the checklist
EMPLOYEE SCHEDULING CHECKLIST COVERAGE MATH [ ] Coverage hours calculated: open hours x days x people needed on shift [ ] Absence buffer added (typically 6-10% of planned hours) [ ] Capacity compared to headcount x standard hours [ ] Structural gap identified and priced as overtime or a new hire BUILDING THE SCHEDULE [ ] Schedule published before the week begins (14 days where required by law) [ ] No employee scheduled past 40 hours unless overtime is intended [ ] Rest between shifts respected; clopening shifts avoided [ ] Minors' hour restrictions checked [ ] Two trained people available for every critical task DURING THE WEEK [ ] Mid-week hours report reviewed (Wednesday works best) [ ] Extra shifts offered first to employees furthest from 40 hours [ ] Shift swaps documented so payroll sees the real assignment [ ] Late changes logged with any predictability pay owed LEGAL EXTRAS [ ] Predictive scheduling / fair workweek rules checked for your city and state [ ] Daily overtime and double time rules applied where they exist [ ] On-call and reporting-time pay rules confirmed [ ] Meal and rest break timing built into the shift, not left to chance --- Free checklist from Overtime Pay Calculator USA — https://overtimepaycalculatorusa.com/payroll-checklists Educational estimates and sample language only; not legal advice.
New Hire Payroll Setup Checklist
Everything that has to be right on day one so a new employee's first paycheck is correct.
Best for: Onboarding, HR generalists, first-time employers.
Preview the checklist
NEW HIRE PAYROLL SETUP CHECKLIST PAPERWORK [ ] Form W-4 completed and filed [ ] Form I-9 completed within 3 business days of the start date [ ] State withholding certificate completed where required [ ] Direct deposit authorisation collected [ ] State new-hire reporting submitted PAY SETUP [ ] Exempt or non-exempt status decided and documented with reasons [ ] Pay rate, pay frequency and workweek confirmed in writing [ ] Overtime eligibility explained to the employee out loud [ ] Shift differentials, bonuses and commission terms recorded [ ] Wage notice provided where state law requires one TIMEKEEPING [ ] Employee added to the timekeeping system before the first shift [ ] Employee shown how to record all time, including remote work [ ] Rounding and break rules explained [ ] Manager approval workflow assigned POLICIES ACKNOWLEDGED [ ] Overtime policy [ ] Timekeeping and off-the-clock work policy [ ] Meal and rest break policy [ ] PTO, holiday and sick leave policy [ ] Payroll error reporting path FIRST PAYCHECK REVIEW [ ] Hours, rate and overtime verified before the run [ ] Pay stub reviewed with the employee [ ] Any correction scheduled for the next run in writing --- Free checklist from Overtime Pay Calculator USA — https://overtimepaycalculatorusa.com/payroll-checklists Educational estimates and sample language only; not legal advice.
Employee Paycheck Audit Checklist
A worker-side checklist for reading your own pay stub and catching the errors that cost real money.
Best for: Hourly employees, union reps, anyone disputing a paystub.
Preview the checklist
EMPLOYEE PAYCHECK AUDIT CHECKLIST MATCH THE BASICS [ ] Pay period dates match the workweek you actually worked [ ] Total hours match your own record of clock-ins and clock-outs [ ] Base hourly rate is correct [ ] Any raise took effect on the right pay period CHECK THE OVERTIME [ ] Hours over 40 in a single workweek are paid at 1.5x [ ] Overtime is not averaged across two weeks of a biweekly period [ ] Daily overtime applied if you work in a daily-overtime state [ ] Double time applied where state law requires it [ ] Overtime rate reflects bonuses and differentials, not just base pay CHECK THE HOURS THEY MISSED [ ] Pre-shift setup and post-shift cleanup time [ ] Working through an auto-deducted meal break [ ] Required travel between job sites [ ] Mandatory training and meetings [ ] After-hours calls, texts and emails CHECK THE DEDUCTIONS [ ] Taxes, benefits and garnishments look consistent with last period [ ] No deduction for uniforms or shortages that drops you below minimum wage [ ] PTO balance moved correctly IF SOMETHING IS WRONG [ ] Keep your own copies of schedules, stubs and messages [ ] Report the discrepancy in writing and keep the reply [ ] Ask for the correction on the next payroll run [ ] If unresolved, contact your state labor agency or the federal Wage and Hour Division --- Free checklist from Overtime Pay Calculator USA — https://overtimepaycalculatorusa.com/payroll-checklists Educational estimates and sample language only; not legal advice.
How to actually use a payroll checklist
A checklist only works if it runs at a fixed moment in the week. Attach the payroll run list to the hour before you approve the register, the scheduling list to the day you publish the schedule, and the compliance audit to a calendar reminder once a quarter. Checklists that live in a folder never catch anything.
Pair them with the numbers: use the employee schedule calculator to size coverage, the overtime planning calculator to budget premium hours, and the FLSA overtime calculator to verify a blended regular rate before it hits a paycheck.
Frequently asked questions
Downloads, recordkeeping, and audit questions.