From Played to Paid - Week 7

When Payroll Makes a Mistake: How to Spot It and What to Do

When your paycheck is off by $0.37 and your trust in the entire system collapses. 😳📉

Paycheck errors hit hard. Even small ones feel personal. But before you hit send on that ALL CAPS email to Payroll, let’s talk about what really happens when something’s wrong with your paycheck—and how you can fix it without adding unnecessary stress to your life (or theirs).

Payroll People Are People Too

Let’s start here: Payroll professionals are human. They get paychecks, too. They care deeply about getting things right, because they know what it feels like when it’s wrong.

And here's something that might surprise you:

Payroll WANTS you to be paid everything you are due, every time.

They’re not gatekeepers. They’re translators. They take information from dozens of different systems and departments—and try to make it all add up perfectly by payday.

The Golden Rule Applies to Payroll, Too

"The one with the most gold, wins!"

... JUST KIDDING!

If something does look "off," the best thing you can do is pause before you panic. Ask questions. Bring a solution-oriented mindset.

And above all:

Treat Payroll the way you’d want to be treated if you were the one fixing the error.

So Where Do Mistakes Really Start?

More often than not, payroll mistakes aren’t actually payroll’s fault. In fact, it’s my solemn belief (based on years of experience) that:

98% of all “perceived” payroll mistakes come from outside the payroll department.

Here’s how that happens:

• A manager forgets to approve your timecard

  
  

• HR updates your benefits after the deadline

  
  

• Someone mistypes a pay rate during a job change

  
  

• A timesheet error gets submitted and not caught

Payroll is the final stop, not the starting point.

What to Do If Your Paycheck Is Wrong

Here’s your calm, collected action plan:

1. Double-check your pay stub.

   Look at hours, pay rate, deductions, and taxes. Compare to last pay period.

   
   

2. Review your timecard and job details.

   Did your hours, location, or position change recently?

   
   

3. Reach out to your manager or HR first 

   if the issue looks tied to hours worked, a job change, or benefit enrollment.

   
   

4. Then reach out to Payroll.

   Be clear, specific, and respectful.

   They’ll appreciate it—and they’ll get to the fix faster.

Prevention Is the Best Fix

Want to avoid issues before they start? Try this:

• Submit timesheets early (and accurately)

• Monitor changes to your job or benefits

• Keep copies of approvals or confirmations

• Read your pay stub every single payday (yes, seriously)

When your pay is wrong, it feels big. And it is! But the path to fixing it starts with understanding the process—and the people behind it.

Remember:

• Payroll didn’t cause the error.

• Payroll is how you found out about it.

• And Payroll wants to fix it, as fast and accurately as possible.

So take a breath. Ask good questions.

And if you really want to make someone’s day?

Say thank you when it’s fixed. 💙

That’s a wrap for Week 7 of From Played to Paid.

Join us next week as we tackle leave, FMLA, and how time away from work affects your paycheck.

Because your time off matters just as much as your time on. ⏳💼