> ## 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.

# Payroll Overview

> End-to-end automated payroll: wages, hours, tips, deductions, and advances rolled into approvable records.

DishInk Payroll turns clock-in data, tips, wage structures, and deductions into ready-to-approve payroll records in one click. It is designed for restaurant operators who need Zambia-compliant PAYE and NAPSA calculations without a spreadsheet.

## Who this is for

* **Owners and finance managers** approving pay runs and cutting salaries.
* **HR administrators** managing wages, deductions, and advances.
* **Staff** viewing their own pay slips, tips, and history on the Staff Earnings portal.

## What Payroll automates

<CardGroup cols={2}>
  <Card title="Wage calculation" icon="calculator">
    Reads hours from Clock In/Out and applies the staff wage structure (hourly, daily, monthly, or commission) with overtime rules.
  </Card>

  <Card title="Tip distribution" icon="hand-holding-dollar">
    Splits pooled tips by role or routes them directly to the assigned waiter, and appends them to the pay slip.
  </Card>

  <Card title="Statutory deductions" icon="landmark">
    Applies Zambia PAYE (25%) and NAPSA (5%) presets, plus any custom or hospitality-specific deductions you configure.
  </Card>

  <Card title="Salary advances" icon="hand-holding">
    Auto-deducts approved advances from the next payroll record and marks them settled.
  </Card>
</CardGroup>

## The admin Payroll workspace

Open **Staff → Payroll** to see six tabs:

| Tab        | What it does                                                                 |
| ---------- | ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- |
| Records    | Generate, approve, and pay records for a chosen period.                      |
| Tips       | Configure distribution mode, preview payouts, and view distribution history. |
| Wages      | Assign hourly, daily, monthly, or commission structures per staff member.    |
| Deductions | Apply Zambia Standard, Basic, Full Package, Hospitality, or custom presets.  |
| Advances   | Review, approve, or reject salary advance requests and set per-staff limits. |
| Reports    | KPIs, composition charts, net pay by staff, hours by staff, CSV export.      |

<Frame caption="Admin Payroll page with the six tabs and period navigator.">
  <img src="https://mintlify.s3.us-west-1.amazonaws.com/dishink/images/staff/payroll-overview.png" alt="Payroll admin workspace" />
</Frame>

## The staff self-service view

Each staff member sees a **My Earnings** page on their dashboard with six tabs: Earnings, Wage, History, Tips, Deductions, Advance. See [Staff Earnings Portal](/staff/payroll/staff-earnings) for the full breakdown.

## The typical pay run

<Steps>
  <Step title="Pick a period">
    The period navigator defaults to the current 7-day window. Use the arrows to move week-by-week or open the picker for a custom range.
  </Step>

  <Step title="Generate payroll">
    Click **Generate Payroll** to run bulk generation for every eligible staff member, or pick a single staff for a one-off record. See [Generating Payroll](/staff/payroll/generating).
  </Step>

  <Step title="Review draft records">
    Each record shows gross, tips, deductions, advances, and net pay. Open a record to inspect the [pay slip breakdown](/staff/payroll/pay-slips).
  </Step>

  <Step title="Approve">
    Move records from **Draft** to **Approved** once you are satisfied. Approved records are locked to edits.
  </Step>

  <Step title="Mark as paid">
    Record the payment (bank transfer, mobile money, cash) and set the record to **Paid**. The staff member sees it instantly on their Earnings page.
  </Step>
</Steps>

<Note>
  Records that need investigation can be flagged as **Disputed**. See [Payroll Records & Lifecycle](/staff/payroll/records) for the full state machine.
</Note>

## Prerequisites before your first pay run

<Checklist>
  * [Staff Accounts](/staff/staff-accounts) created for every person on the payroll.
  * [Wage structure](/staff/payroll/wage-structures) assigned to each staff member.
  * [Payroll Settings](/staff/payroll/settings) reviewed (OT threshold, monthly proration, negative net pay policy).
  * [Deductions](/staff/payroll/deductions) preset selected (Zambia Standard is the default).
  * [Tip Distribution](/staff/payroll/tips) mode chosen (Equal Split or To Waiter).
</Checklist>

## Tips and best practices

* Run payroll at the same day and time every period so staff know when to expect payment.
* Approve records in bulk once you have verified totals — approval is the audit-safe checkpoint.
* Use **Reports → CSV Export** to keep an offline archive for accounting.
* Enable [Salary Advances](/staff/payroll/advances) with sensible limits (default K1,000/request, K2,000/month) to avoid cash requests mid-shift.

## Common mistakes

* **Skipping wage structures.** Staff without an assigned wage generate a zero-gross record.
* **Forgetting to clock out.** Open shifts do not contribute hours to the current period.
* **Approving before checking tips.** Distribute tips first, then generate — otherwise the record excludes the pool.
* **Editing an approved record.** Approved and paid records are immutable. Revert to draft if a correction is needed and re-approve.

## Related pages

* [Generating Payroll](/staff/payroll/generating)
* [Wage Structures](/staff/payroll/wage-structures)
* [Tip Distribution](/staff/payroll/tips)
* [Deductions](/staff/payroll/deductions)
* [Salary Advances](/staff/payroll/advances)
* [Payroll Reports & CSV Export](/staff/payroll/reports)
* [Staff Earnings Portal](/staff/payroll/staff-earnings)