> ## 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.

# Pay Schedules

> Choose weekly, bi-weekly, or monthly pay cycles and set the day payroll is generated.

A pay schedule defines how often DishInk generates payroll records and when the period ends. The default period is 7 days ending today, but you can tune the cadence to match how you pay your team.

## Supported cadences

<CardGroup cols={3}>
  <Card title="Weekly" icon="calendar-week">
    7-day periods. Common for hourly kitchen and waiter staff.
  </Card>

  <Card title="Bi-weekly" icon="calendar-days">
    14-day periods. Reduces admin overhead while keeping cash flow visible.
  </Card>

  <Card title="Monthly" icon="calendar">
    Full calendar month. Standard for salaried managers and admin staff.
  </Card>
</CardGroup>

## Setting your schedule

<Steps>
  <Step title="Open Payroll Settings">
    Go to **Staff → Payroll → Settings** (see [Payroll Settings](/staff/payroll/settings) for the full reference).
  </Step>

  <Step title="Choose the pay frequency">
    Weekly, bi-weekly, or monthly.
  </Step>

  <Step title="Pick the pay day">
    The day of the week (weekly/bi-weekly) or day of the month (monthly) when payroll is generated.
  </Step>

  <Step title="Save">
    The period navigator on the Records tab now defaults to the correct window.
  </Step>
</Steps>

<Frame caption="Period navigator on the Payroll Records tab.">
  <img src="https://mintlify.s3.us-west-1.amazonaws.com/dishink/images/staff/payroll-period-navigator.png" alt="Payroll period navigator" />
</Frame>

## Mixing schedules

DishInk allows different wage types to align with different cadences:

* Monthly salaried staff → monthly pay run.
* Hourly and commission staff → weekly or bi-weekly.

In practice, most operators pick one cadence for simplicity and use monthly proration (see [Wage Structures](/staff/payroll/wage-structures)) to reconcile salaried staff into weekly runs.

## Tips and best practices

* Pay on the same weekday every cycle. Staff plan around it.
* Avoid pay days that fall on public holidays — shift them forward by one working day.
* Use the period navigator arrows to preview upcoming runs before generating.

## Common mistakes

* **Changing cadence mid-period.** Split the current period first: generate and pay the partial period on the old cadence, then start fresh.
* **Choosing month-end for hourly staff.** Delays their pay unnecessarily. Weekly or bi-weekly suits hourly better.

## Related pages

* [Payroll Settings](/staff/payroll/settings)
* [Generating Payroll](/staff/payroll/generating)
* [Wage Structures](/staff/payroll/wage-structures)