CenterPoint Payroll - Using Pay Defaults

Pay Defaults Video - Duration: 7 min 21 sec

 

Document #:	3149	Product:	CenterPoint Payroll

 

Pay defaults provide for faster and easier payroll processing by establishing standard combinations of pay entry details (earnings, rates, departments, accounts, etc). When a pay default is selected while entering pay data, those details are entered automatically, increasing the speed of data entry and reducing the possibility of errors. If you use pay defaults to enter pay data, the details from the pay default will override the details set up on the employee. Any details not specified on the pay default will come from the employee's setup for the earning as usual. This can simplify payroll setup because one earning can be used with different details coming from pay defaults, rather than setting up several similar earnings on the same employee.

Examples of Pay Defaults

1. You use a different GL account for wages in each department and employees work in more than one department during one pay period. You can setup a pay default that combines department and GL account. When entering pay data for an employee, you can select the pay default for those hours and CenterPoint will automatically default the correct department and account. This allows you to have one hourly earning for an employee instead of different earnings set up for each department they work in.
2. You pay a standard rate for a job and employees work more than one job. For example, you pay a different rate for picking tomatoes versus picking strawberries but an employee picks both. A pay default can be set up for each job that sets a standard rate for the job as well as specifies the correct production information for that job, such as profit center. When used in a pay run, the pay default rate will override the rate setup on the employee for that earning.
3. Any other combination of payroll data you would like to default into your time entry.

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Create Pay Defaults

1. Select Setup > Payroll Details > Pay Defaults. Click New.

2. Enter an Abbreviation and Name for this Pay Default.

3. Select any of the Pay Information details that should be associated with this Pay Default. Any field filled in will override the employee setup when this pay default is used. Any field that is blank, zero, unchecked, or "none" is not considered part of the pay default. When the pay default is used, the information for these details will continue to come from the employee's setup. This is a sample pay default for Example 1 above.

4. Click Save.
5. Repeat for each pay default you wish to set up. You can have an unlimited number of pay defaults.

Use Pay Defaults

Pay defaults can be used in Time Sheets or in Pay Employees to facilitate time entry.

Option 1: Pay Defaults in Time Sheets

1. Select Processes > Time Sheets or Processes > Payroll > Time Sheets. Highlight the employee you are entering time for and click Add.

2. If Pay Default is not an available column, right-click and select Add/Remove Columns. Check the box for Pay Default and click OK. You can drag and drop the columns into your preferred order. It may be helpful to have the Pay Default column immediately after the Date column.
3. When the pay default is selected, the details for that pay default will fill into the grid. Any details not associated with the pay default will come from the employee setup for the earning selected. In this example, The Hourly Pay earning and Department 1 came from the pay default. The rate of $10.00 is the rate for hourly pay setup on the employee.
4. Continue entering time sheets for additional employees. For more information see the topic Process a Payroll using Time SheetsProcess a Payroll using Time Sheets.

Option 2: Pay Defaults in Pay Employees

1. If you do not use time sheets, pay defaults can be used when entering time in Processes > Pay Employees or Processes > Payroll >Pay Employees.

2. If you do not have a column for Pay Default, right-click on the grid and choose Add/Remove columns. Check the box for Pay Default and click OK. You can click and drag to reorder the columns if desired.
3. When you enter the pay default, the details from the pay default will fill into the grid. The remaining details come from the employee setup or are entered manually.
4. Continue processing the pay run as usual. For more information see the topic Process a PayrollProcess a Payroll.

See Also