The Multiple Period Report provides a complete view of your payroll(s) data across multiple pay periods. It lets you track compensation trends, verify payroll accuracy, and analyse costs over time.
Accessing and running the report
You can access the report for one or more payrolls from either Payroll -> Reports, or the Reports tab of an individual payroll. See Single and multi-payroll Reports.
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If you have accessed this report from the Reports side menu, select one or more payrolls.
Enter a start and end date into the fields above the report. The report will display data for all pay periods between these dates.
Understanding the report layout
The report column for each pay period.
The report's rows are organised into three levels:
Categories: For each pay period, the total amounts for the following categories are shown:
Additions: Money added to the employee's pay, such as base salary, overtime, bonuses, and commissions
Deductions: Money removed from the employee's pay, such as tax and pensions
Employer Overhead: Costs paid by your organisation, such as payroll taxes, employer benefit contributions
Net Pay: The employee's take-home pay after all additions and deductions
Specific headings: For each pay period, the total amounts for each heading (e.g. student loan repayment or cycle-to-work scheme) are shown.
Employee: For each employee, the report shows the take-home pay after all additions and deductions
You can expand any row by clicking its name.
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Benefits and uses of the report
Track trends
Monitor overtime costs over time
Identify seasonal patterns
Verify accuracy
Compare period-to-period totals to catch errors
Ensure consistent processing across pay periods
Analyse costs
Review total employment costs including overhead
Compare actual vs. budgeted payroll expenses
Track the impact of policy changes
Use for monthly reviews:
Generate the report covering the last 3-6 months
Look for unusual spikes or drops in any category
Focus on the summary level first, then investigate details
Use for annual analysis:
Run a full year report for comprehensive review
Compare year-over-year trends
Use for budget planning and forecasting
Use for problem-solving:
Use when employees question their pay
Verify calculations and deductions
Track down processing errors
Getting the most out of the report
Start broad, then narrow: Begin with category totals before looking at individual employees.
Compare periods: Look for consistent patterns or unexpected changes.
Use for compliance: The employer overhead section helps with tax reporting.
Regular monitoring: Run this report monthly or quarterly for ongoing oversight.
You can also customise the report and save it for future use. You can also return the report to its default state by clicking Reset.