7shifts Payroll: Run an Off-Cycle Payroll

There may be times when you need to pay employees outside of your regular payroll schedule—this is called an off-cycle payroll. Whether it’s to fix missed hours, pay out a bonus, or handle an employee termination, 7shifts Payroll makes it easy to process these one-off payments.

When to Run an Off-Cycle Payroll

You might need to run an off-cycle payroll if:

• An employee was missed on your regular payroll
• You need to pay out tips that weren’t ready on time
• You need to pay out a bonus and want it taxed as a supplemental rate 
• You’re processing final pay for a terminated employee
• You need to make corrections to wages already paid
• You want to issue an unscheduled reimbursement

How to Run an Off-Cycle Payroll

1. Log in to the 7shifts web app as an Admin.
2. From the left-hand navigation, go to Payroll > Run Off-Cycle Payroll.
   
3. In the pop-up window, choose one of the two entry methods:

   • Sync Timesheets and Tips
     Choose from one of your last 20 pay periods to automatically pull in timesheet data for selected employees. Only the selected employees’ data will sync.

     ⚠️ Selecting Sync Timesheets and Tips does not automatically include employees in the off-cycle payroll. You must still click + Add an employee. Once added, their timesheet and tip data will populate automatically from the selected pay period.

   • Manual Entry
     Choose any date range and manually enter earnings and hours. Great for bonuses, corrections, or terminations.

     ⚠️ Once selected, the entry method cannot be changed. You’ll need to delete and recreate the payroll to switch methods.
     
     ⚠️ If you are paying out only tips (with no worked hours), you must choose Manual Entry. Syncing an off-cycle payroll will automatically pull in both hours and tips for the selected pay period.

4. Configure payroll details:
   • Select the pay period start and end date
   • Decide whether to:
     • Tax all earnings as supplemental (flat rate tax for bonuses, overtime, etc.)
     • Apply benefits (health, retirement, etc.)
     • Apply post-tax deductions
   • Manually add any employees who require payment in an off-cycle payroll.
     • For salaried employee's, select their Location and Department, but skip the Role option to populate their annual pay. Leaving the role blank will automatically pull their annual salary.
5. Select Payment Option & Pay Date
   • Choose how you want to pay your employees:
     • Standard Processing (2 or 3-day)
       Follows your regular payroll processing timeline, based on your account's approved processing time.
     • Next Day Rush
       Only available to accounts approved for 2-day processing. This option ensures employees are paid the next business day.

     • Paper Checks
       You can choose to issue paper checks for immediate pay out. 

       Learn more about processing Payroll with Paper Checks here.
       ⚠️ Note: To ensure same-day payment via paper check, you must submit the payroll before 5 PM PST. Otherwise, payment will default to the next business day.
   • Set the payment date
6. Review and Run Payroll
   • On the Review Hours and Earnings page, add employees and verify their data:
     • Hours (regular, overtime, double overtime, holiday)
     • Tips (paid and unpaid)
     • Bonuses
     • Reimbursements
     • Gross pay
   • Make any necessary edits directly in the fields
   • Review and adjust Time Off as needed
7. Preview Payroll
   • Check the full breakdown of pay, taxes, benefits, and deductions
   • If everything looks good, click Submit Payroll
   • Confirm your submission one more time