How-To Guide

Correcting a Published Pay Run

Something's wrong and people may already be paid. Don't panic — pick the right correction for where the run actually is.

First: where is the run?

The right fix depends entirely on the run's status. Find yours in the first column:

Run status	The fix
Draft	Just edit it. Change the hours, amounts, or who's included, and recalculate. Nothing has happened yet.
Approved (not published)	Recall it. That returns it to Draft with everything intact — fix, re-approve, publish.
Published, bank file not yet sent	Recall is still possible but heavier (payslips were issued). If you can, recall, fix, and re-publish before money moves — then re-issue payslips.
Published, people already paid	Don't reopen it. Correct forward with an off-cycle run (to pay more) or a deduction on the next run (to recover an overpayment).

The golden rule

Once the money has moved, correct forward — never backward Recalling a run that employees have already been paid from creates a mismatch between your records and their bank accounts. After money moves, the clean path is always a new transaction: an off-cycle run to top someone up, or a one-time deduction on their next pay to recover an overpayment. Your records stay truthful and the employee sees exactly what changed.

Recovering an overpayment

If someone was paid too much, add a one-time deduction to their next pay run for the overpaid amount — set a payments limit of one so it stops after a single cycle. For larger amounts, agree a repayment schedule with the employee and spread it across several periods. Recovering quietly through an unexplained deduction invites a dispute; pair it with a note or conversation.

Paying a shortfall

If someone was underpaid, an off-cycle run pays the difference now rather than making them wait for the next cycle. Add the exact catch-up amount as earnings; statutory deductions apply on top, calculated against their year-to-date.

▶ Video placeholder

Three corrections, three situations (5 min)

Screen recording covering the decision table live: recall an approved-but-unpublished run and fix it; recover an overpayment with a one-time deduction on the next run; pay a shortfall with an off-cycle run. Emphasize "correct forward after money moves" throughout.

Save as: how-to__correct-published-payroll__vid1.mp4

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