---
title: "How do I set up pay spines?"
slug: "how-do-i-set-up-pay-spines"
updated: 2026-06-10T11:26:21Z
published: 2026-06-10T11:26:21Z
canonical: "help.cintra.co.uk/how-do-i-set-up-pay-spines"
---

> ## 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.

# How do I set up pay spines?

Pay Spines and Grades are used by many organisations as a means to pay, group, and report on employees. This is set up in three steps:

## Step 1: Create the Pay Spine Summary

1. Within Employee Settings, select Pay Spines. Right-click in the Navigator and select new. The **Insert Pay Spine Wizard** appears.
2. Enter the name, description, access level (where necessary) and select Pay Salaries Using Heading.
  - This is the Payment Addition Heading used when being paid via the Pay Spine.
3. Define the **Increment Processing** by selecting either **Fixed Date (**this date of incrementation is controlled by the user) or **Anniversary** (this date of incrementation is automatic).
4. Enter the **Minimum number of months at a spine point before increment** value.

> [!TIP]
> **Example:** If an employee starts in March, and the next increment for staff is due in April would this employee be entitled to it?
5. Select the **Post date increment where minimum number of months not met?** (where necessary). This gives the employee the increment once they had served the minimum number of months but not back date the award.
6. Click the **Next** button. The **Spine Point Details** form appears.

## Step 2: Define the Spine Point Details

1. Right-click: **New** in the upper pane. The **Insert Spine Point** form appears.
2. Enter the **Spine Point ID, Description and Increment Sequence.**
  - > [!TIP]
> **Tip:** Keep the **IDs** in sequential order so that they are easy to assign to **Grades**. e.g. 1, 2, 3.
3. Click the **OK** button. The record appears in the upper pane.

## Step 3: Associate a value to the Spine Point

1. Ensure the desired **Spine Point** record in the upper pane is highlighted.
2. In the **Spine Point History** tab, right-click: **New**. The **Insert Spine Point Values** form appears.
3. Enter the **From** and also the **To Date** (where applicable).
4. Enter the **Annual Salary,** and an **Hourly Rate** (where applicable).
  - An hourly rate can be calculated using functions within Adjustment Headings. But, it could be that a specific amount is required which cannot be achieved using a function calculation and therefore by entering it here you can use this amount instead of deriving it.
5. Enter the **Leave Entitlement**.
6. Click the **OK** button. The **Spine Point Value** record is created and associated to the **Spine Point**.
7. Continue to create the different levels of spine points and pay. Click the **Finish** button when satisfied all is complete.