---
title: "Payroll screen overview"
slug: "viewing-a-payroll"
updated: 2026-06-26T15:12:05Z
published: 2026-06-26T15:12:05Z
canonical: "help.cintra.co.uk/viewing-a-payroll"
---

> ## Documentation Index
> Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://help.cintra.co.uk/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.

# Payroll screen overview

When you open a payroll, the payroll name and current period are shown at the top of the page.

![](https://cdn.document360.io/fc2cda72-4645-4b36-96bf-60439ec11f11/Images/Documentation/image(613).png)

Use the arrows on either side of the period to navigate to a previous period. You cannot navigate beyond the current period, and you can click the green icon to return to the current period.

![](https://cdn.document360.io/fc2cda72-4645-4b36-96bf-60439ec11f11/Images/Documentation/image-QYB3FMLL.png)

Select **Go back** to return to the payrolls list.

### **Payroll summary and payment history**

Three buttons are available at the top right of the page:

- **Payroll Summary**: This button opens the [Payroll Summary Dashboard](/docs/payroll-summary-dashboard).
- **Payment History**: A screen will display any payments that have been made for the selected period.

![](https://cdn.document360.io/fc2cda72-4645-4b36-96bf-60439ec11f11/Images/Documentation/image(619).png)

- **Submit:** submits the payroll to your bureau for processing. See [Understanding the payroll cycle](/docs/understanding-the-payroll-cycle).

### Group status

This feature currently applies to the Payroll-only version of Cintra People, NOT the integrated Payroll and HR version. For more information on this feature, see [Cintra Groups](/payroll/docs/what-is-cintra-groups).

### **Payroll status**

![](https://cdn.document360.io/fc2cda72-4645-4b36-96bf-60439ec11f11/Images/Documentation/image-LQNJYKZ6.png)

**Outsourced service customers only**: The status pipeline at the top of the page shows where the payroll is in its current cycle, with completed stages highlighted in green. For more information, see [Understanding the payroll cycle](/docs/understanding-the-payroll-cycle).

### **Recalculate**

If changes have been made to the payroll, a banner will prompt you to recalculate. Select **Recalculate** to update your estimated totals. This takes a few seconds, after which a confirmation message is displayed. The banner reappears if further changes are made.

### **Summary tiles**

![](https://cdn.document360.io/fc2cda72-4645-4b36-96bf-60439ec11f11/Images/Documentation/image(616).png)

Five tiles across the middle of the page summarise key payroll figures for the current period. Each tile shows the percentage change from the previous period.

Hover over any icon to view the previous period’s value, and select any tile to change the view below, and you can download any view as a .csv file. Only employees that match any keyword or filters that you’ve chosen will be appear in the .csv file.

- **Gross pay**: The total gross pay for the period. This tile is selected by default. Use the dropdown to switch between net pay and total cost views.
  - ![](https://cdn.document360.io/fc2cda72-4645-4b36-96bf-60439ec11f11/Images/Documentation/image(618).png) A warning icon may appear on this tile, e.g. if a significant change has yet to be reconciled with pay values. Hover over the icon to find out more.
  - Selecting this tile displays all the employees in the current period. See [Employees](/docs/viewing-a-payroll#employees) below.
- **New starters / Leavers**: the number of new starters / leavers for the selected period. See [New starters / Leavers](/docs/viewing-a-payroll#new-starts-leavers) below.
- **One-off payments & deductions**: The total amount of payments and deductions for the current period. See [One-off payments and deductions](/docs/viewing-a-payroll#oneoff-payments-and-deductions) below.
- **Salary & allowances**: The total of all the gross amounts paid to employees this payroll (not including any sick pay). See [Salary and allowances](/docs/viewing-a-payroll#salary-allowances) below.

### **Employees**

![](https://cdn.document360.io/fc2cda72-4645-4b36-96bf-60439ec11f11/Images/Documentation/image(623).png)

With the Gross pay / Net pay / Total cost tile selected, the area at the bottom will display a list of employees in the selected payroll period. Select **Selected period** or **All time** to toggle the view.

![](https://cdn.document360.io/fc2cda72-4645-4b36-96bf-60439ec11f11/Images/Documentation/image(624).png)

- **Gross Pay / Net Pay**: The employee's pay before and after tax
- **Net Variance**: If the employee's net pay has increased or decreased since the previous payroll period, the % variance will be displayed. Hover over the figure to view the previous pay.
- **Total cost**: The total cost of employing the employee for the payroll period, generally their gross pay plus employers NI contributions.
- **Positions**: This feature currently applies to the Payroll-only version of Cintra People, NOT the integrated Payroll and HR version. For more information on this feature, see [Employment & position](/payroll/docs/employment-position).
- **Starter / leaver tags**: If the employee has left the company, or if they are a new starter in the current period, an icon will appear beside their name. ![](https://cdn.document360.io/fc2cda72-4645-4b36-96bf-60439ec11f11/Images/Documentation/image-28FNFKPF.png)![](https://cdn.document360.io/fc2cda72-4645-4b36-96bf-60439ec11f11/Images/Documentation/image-BTC04RHG.png)

You can filter the list of employees by using one of the following:

- **Keyword search**: Start typing into the **Search for keywords** field. Only employees with a matching name / employment ID will be displayed.
- **Group**: Employees can be assigned to one or more groups to streamline payroll and reporting. Selecting one or more groups from the **Groups** drop-down will filter the list by its members.
  - This feature currently applies to the Payroll-only version of Cintra People, NOT the integrated Payroll and HR version. See [Cintra Groups](/payroll/docs/what-is-cintra-groups).

#### Employee pay details

To view more information about the employee’s pay for the selected period, click their menu icon ![](https://cdn.document360.io/fc2cda72-4645-4b36-96bf-60439ec11f11/Images/Documentation/image(625).png) and then select **View pay details**.

- **Payments**: A list of payments which contribute to the employee's gross pay is shown. The ![](https://cdn.document360.io/fc2cda72-4645-4b36-96bf-60439ec11f11/Images/Documentation/image-7FER4S7K.png) icon will display more information about the employee's salary.
- **Deductions**: These generally include tax, NI & pension contributions, and student loan repayments.
- **Corrections**: Including rectifying mistakes from previous pay periods.
- **Net Total**: Payment totals minus deduction totals plus/minus any corrections.
- You can use the arrows to view the employee's pay details for other periods and press X to close the window when finished.

If the employees payslip has been published, you can download it as a PDF document by clicking **Download payslip**.

![](https://cdn.document360.io/fc2cda72-4645-4b36-96bf-60439ec11f11/Images/Documentation/image(685).png)

### New starters / Leavers

New starters displays employees who have started this period, showing each employee's employment ID, name, start date, and HMRC checklist status. Hover over the HMRC checklist indicator to see a warning if the checklist has not been completed.

![](https://cdn.document360.io/fc2cda72-4645-4b36-96bf-60439ec11f11/Images/Documentation/image(622).png)

Leavers displays employees who have left / are leaving this period, showing each employee's employment ID, name, net last pay, leaving date, leaving reason, and position.

To view a full list of all leavers (over every pay period), select **All time**.

![](https://cdn.document360.io/fc2cda72-4645-4b36-96bf-60439ec11f11/Images/Documentation/image(620).png)

> [!NOTE]
> **Note:** Only leavers who are leaving in the current period will be listed in the **Leavers** tile. However, in the full list of employees, a label is shown beside all employees who have left the organisation. ![](https://cdn.document360.io/fc2cda72-4645-4b36-96bf-60439ec11f11/Images/Documentation/image-BTC04RHG.png)

### One-off payments and deductions

Displays one-off payments and deductions. Two tabs are available:

- **Current period:** payments and deductions applied in the current period.
- **Import history:** previously imported payments and deductions.

For information on adding these, see the articles in the [One-off payments & deductions](/docs/one-off-payments-deductions) category.

![](https://cdn.document360.io/fc2cda72-4645-4b36-96bf-60439ec11f11/Images/Documentation/image(621).png)

### Salary & allowances

Displays salary and allowance records for the period, with a separate row for each salary or allowance paid to an employee. Click **Advanced view** to open the Salary and allowances detailed report.

![](https://cdn.document360.io/fc2cda72-4645-4b36-96bf-60439ec11f11/Images/Documentation/image(627).png)

For more information on assigning salary and allowances, see [Add and remove employees > Complete employee setup in Payroll](/docs/payroll-tasks-after-adding-an-employee#salary-allowances).

For more information on assigning salary and allowances, see [Salary and allowances](/payroll/docs/salary-and-allowances-1).
