Payroll coordination brings approved inputs into a reviewable packet before the employer's cutoff. The coordinator tracks preparation and exceptions; the employer retains payroll decisions and release authority.
Agree the cycle and responsibilities
Record the pay period, intake cutoff, review time, authorized reviewer and escalation contact. Define the source accepted for each input and the approved repository. Set access around the assigned tasks rather than sharing a broad payroll login.
Use a preparation checklist
| Input group | Preparation check | Hold when |
|---|---|---|
| Time records | Correct employee and period; required approval attached | Hours conflict or approval is missing |
| New starters | Employer's required onboarding inputs received | Required field or authorized start date is unclear |
| Departures | Approved instruction and effective date linked | Treatment requires an employer decision |
| Pay changes | Authorized source and effective period recorded | Source versions disagree |
| Deductions or reimbursements | Required instruction and supporting record present | Eligibility or treatment is undecided |
| Corrections | Original item, requested change and reason linked | Correction has no review owner |
Adapt the checklist with the payroll owner. It is an administrative collection tool, not a determination of legal obligations or payroll calculations.
Keep late and incomplete inputs separate
Maintain a change register with request ID, employee reference, period, source, status, exception owner and next action. Mark inputs received after cutoff rather than quietly adding them to an already prepared packet. The payroll owner decides how late changes will be handled.
Example: an unsigned time correction
A manager sends an illustrative time correction shortly before cutoff, but the required approval is absent. The coordinator records the request and missing approval, alerts the designated reviewer and leaves the item held. The coordinator does not treat deadline pressure as authorization. Once the accepted decision arrives, its reference is recorded before the prepared packet changes.
Hand over a reviewable packet
Provide a packet index, the ready items, held items and late changes. Check that source links work for the reviewer. Reconcile the number of requests against the statuses so an input cannot disappear between email and the tracker. Identify unusual changes for review without making unsupported judgments about their correctness.
Record the outcome
Keep the review decision and completion reference under the employer's access and retention rules. Preserve a trail when an accepted input is corrected after handoff. At the next cycle, review recurring missing inputs and unclear ownership with the payroll owner.
Does prepared mean approved?
No. Prepared means the coordinator has assembled the agreed inputs. Approval and payroll release remain separate states owned by the authorized people.
What if the reviewer cannot open a document?
Route the permission issue to the system owner. Do not create a public link to employee information as a shortcut.
Use the payroll change log alongside the checklist, then discuss the coordination role around your actual cycle.