> ## Documentation Index
> Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://docs.dishink.com/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.

# Generating Payroll

> Bulk-generate payroll for the whole team or produce a single record on demand.

Payroll generation reads clock-in hours, sales attributions, tip pools, deductions, and advances for the chosen period, then produces a **Draft** record per staff member. All calculations happen server-side through the `payroll-operations` edge function.

## Two ways to generate

<CardGroup cols={2}>
  <Card title="Bulk generation" icon="users">
    One click, all eligible staff, chosen period. Ideal for scheduled pay runs. <br />Action: `bulk_generate_payroll`.
  </Card>

  <Card title="Single staff record" icon="user">
    Generate for one staff member — useful for adjustments, final pay, or a new hire mid-period. <br />Action: `generate_payroll_record`.
  </Card>
</CardGroup>

## Bulk generation

<Steps>
  <Step title="Open the Records tab">
    **Staff → Payroll → Records**.
  </Step>

  <Step title="Set the period">
    Use the period navigator arrows or the date-range picker. Default is the last 7 days.
  </Step>

  <Step title="Click Generate Payroll">
    The Payroll Generation modal opens with the period pre-filled.
  </Step>

  <Step title="Select Bulk">
    Choose **Bulk generation for all staff**.
  </Step>

  <Step title="Review the summary">
    The modal previews how many staff qualify. Staff without a wage structure are listed as skipped.
  </Step>

  <Step title="Confirm Generate">
    DishInk creates one Draft record per staff member. The Records list refreshes.
  </Step>
</Steps>

<Frame caption="Payroll generation modal with bulk option selected.">
  <img src="https://mintlify.s3.us-west-1.amazonaws.com/dishink/images/staff/payroll-generate-modal.png" alt="Payroll generation modal" />
</Frame>

## Single-staff generation

<Steps>
  <Step title="Open the modal">
    Same **Generate Payroll** button.
  </Step>

  <Step title="Select Single Staff">
    Choose the staff member from the dropdown.
  </Step>

  <Step title="Confirm">
    A single Draft record is created for that staff member and period.
  </Step>
</Steps>

<Note>
  Regenerating for a staff member who already has a Draft record for the period replaces the existing draft. Approved and Paid records are never overwritten.
</Note>

## What a generated record contains

Each Draft record includes:

* **Hours** — regular and overtime, from clock-in/clock-out pairs.
* **Gross pay** — wage type applied to hours or attributed sales.
* **Tips** — pooled and distributed for the period (see [Tip Distribution](/staff/payroll/tips)).
* **Deductions** — statutory (PAYE, NAPSA) and custom, from the assigned deduction preset.
* **Advances** — approved salary advances auto-applied to this period.
* **Net pay** — the final take-home amount.

## Prerequisites

<Checklist>
  * Wage structures assigned to every staff member.
  * Clock-in/clock-out data captured for the period.
  * Tip distribution mode configured.
  * Deduction preset selected.
  * No open (un-clocked-out) shifts within the period.
</Checklist>

## Tips and best practices

* Close every open shift before generating — otherwise those hours are missing from the record.
* Distribute tips **before** generating so pooled tips appear on the pay slip.
* Use single-staff generation for termination pay or a mid-period new hire.
* Keep generation and approval on separate days if you have a review workflow.

## Common mistakes

* **Open shifts.** Hours after the last clock-out are not counted.
* **Missing wage structure.** Zero-gross record. Fix in the Wages tab and regenerate.
* **Skipping tip distribution.** Tips appear as 0 on the pay slip until you distribute the pool.
* **Regenerating after approval.** Not possible — approved records are locked. Revert to draft first.

## Related pages

* [Payroll Records & Lifecycle](/staff/payroll/records)
* [Wage Structures](/staff/payroll/wage-structures)
* [Tip Distribution](/staff/payroll/tips)
* [Deductions](/staff/payroll/deductions)
* [Salary Advances](/staff/payroll/advances)