Pay periods define the date ranges used to group time entries for timesheets, invoicing, and payroll exports. This guide helps tenant administrators create and update pay periods and, when Greenshades payroll is enabled, align them with open Greenshades pay runs. For information on setting up Greenshades, see https://support.greenshadesonline.com/.
Pay periods apply to the active company and business unit. You need access to the Settings area for that business unit before you begin.
Create a Pay Period
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Go to Settings and then select Pay Periods.
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Select New.
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Enter the pay period details. Define the date range and whether the period is available for current workflows.
Complete the following fields:-
Name (Required): Enter a clear name that users can recognize in timesheet and time-entry selectors, such as Weekly Payroll Mar 16 to Mar 22.
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Start Date (Required): Select the first calendar date included in the pay period.
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End Date (Required): Select the last calendar date included in the pay period. It must be at least one day after Start Date.
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Active: Leave selected to make the pay period available for scheduling and time-entry workflows. Clear it when the period should remain in history but should not be used for current work. New pay periods are active by default.
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Select Save. The new period appears in the Pay Periods list for the current business unit.
A pay period cannot overlap another pay period in the same business unit. If either date falls inside an existing period, or the new range encloses an existing period, the form shows an inline error and Save remains blocked.
Align a Pay Period with Greenshades
When Greenshades payroll is enabled, the pay-period form can retrieve open pay runs and use one to populate the local period. Linking the pay run is required before approved timesheets for that period can be sent to Greenshades.
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Go to Settings and then select Pay Periods.
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Select New, or open an existing pay period from the Pay Periods list.
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In Align with Greenshades Pay Runs, select Fetch pay runs. The newest effective start dates appear first; runs with the same start date are sorted by name.
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Complete the following fields:
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Select Greenshades Pay Run: Choose an open pay run to copy its name, start date, end date, and identifier into the pay period. Review the copied values before saving. This field appears after pay runs have been retrieved.
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External Pay Run ID: Keep the identifier populated by the selected pay run, or enter the correct identifier manually. Leave it blank only when the pay period will not be used for Greenshades export. This field is shown when Greenshades is enabled or its status cannot be confirmed.
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Review and save. Confirm Name, Start Date, End Date, Active, and the payroll link, then select Save.
If no open pay runs are available, the application displays a warning. If it cannot confirm the tenant's Greenshades status, the alignment section remains available with guidance so you can enter the link manually.
Update an Existing Pay Period
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Go to Settings and then select Pay Periods.
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From the Pay Periods list, select the pay period you want to update.
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Update the name, dates, active state, or Greenshades link as needed.
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Select Save. The revised values apply to the pay period in the current business unit.
Changing Start Date or End Date runs the same date-order and overlap checks used during creation. Correct every inline date error before saving.
Operational Notes
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End Date must be later than Start Date. After Start Date is chosen, the End Date picker begins with the following day.
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Keep pay-period ranges continuous only when that matches your payroll calendar. The application prevents overlaps but does not require adjacent periods.
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An active pay period is available to current scheduling and time-entry workflows. Inactive periods remain available as historical setup records.
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Approved timesheets can be sent to Greenshades only when their pay period has an External Pay Run ID.