A manual check is an off-cycle check issued outside the regular payroll processing cycle. It may be necessary for immediate payments due to payroll errors, missed hours, or adjustments required outside the standard payroll run. Manual checks offer extensive customization options in how they are structured to meet specific payment needs for the employee.
Initiating a Manual Check
To create a manual check for an employee, navigate to their Employee Profile and select the blue "Manual Check" button located at the top right of the screen.
Upon initiating a manual check, a screen will appear that closely resembles the Pay Entry screen in payroll. This is where the manual check for the employee is entered.
When processing the Manual Check, there are the options to handle it as a Gross to Net transaction, similar to a traditional paycheck, or as a Net to Gross transaction if there is a need for the employee to receive a specific net amount.
Please note that the Check Settings for Manual Checks will automatically block any recurring earnings (fringe benefits), deductions, and additional withholding by default.
After configuring the manual check with the appropriate amounts and check settings, click the blue button that says "Save to VM batch".
Upon saving the manual check to the VM batch, a screen will pop up to finalize how the manual check will be processed and paid.
- Period Start/End Dates - By default, the period start and end date will populate to the current pay period, however if the manual check is for retroactive pay, this can be adjusted as needed.
- Bank Account - The default bank account on file will be pre-selected. If multiple bank accounts are on file, the desired account for paying the manual check can be selected.
- Check Number/Override check number - This field will initially populate with the next available check number for the bank account but can be overridden if needed.
- Print check now - Toggling this on will print the check upon saving this and not when processing the VM batch.
- Check Paper Format - This determines the format of the check that will be printed if the toggle for Print check now is turned on.
Upon saving the manual check, it will transfer to the VM batch only if the toggle for "Print check now" is toggled off.
If Print check now is toggled on, the system will generate a PDF of the check immediately upon saving, which can then be printed. It will not be until the VM batch is verified and submitted where the pay records associated with this check are updated.
Recording Pay Issued Outside of Empeon Workforce
Sometimes, organizations may issue a cash payment or check to an employee outside of Empeon Workforce and later need to record it in the system to ensure it is applied toward taxes. In these cases, it is best to record the payment as a Manual Check and enter the amounts as "Net to Gross." This allows the system to calculate the gross amount based on the net payment received, accounting for applicable taxes.
Once the Manual Check is entered, click Save to VM Batch.
In the "Save Check" options, please note the Override check number field. If the check was already issued, this may need to be updated to match the check number of the issued check. For cash payments, the check number is not relevant.
Since the check has already been paid, make sure that the Print check now toggle is on. However, when clicking Save & Print, do not print the check PDF generated (since the check has already been paid). This will prevent the VM batch from producing a duplicate check once the batch is processed.