Can I add a child support deduction to cover missed weeks?
If a child support order was not entered on time and your employee now owes for past weeks, you can take action directly in 7shifts to stay compliant. As an employer, you are responsible for submitting these specific retroactive amounts to the appropriate agency.
Question
Can I add a child support deduction to an employee's profile to cover missed weeks?
Answer
Yes. You can add the deduction to the employee's profile and include the past-due amounts in your upcoming payroll run. However, you must first contact 7shifts Support to set up the official automated deduction for current and future periods.
Why This Happens
This usually occurs when a child support order is received after a payroll cycle has already started or if there was an oversight during employee onboarding. Because 7shifts Payroll does not automatically calculate or pull funds for pay periods that have already been finalized, these missed amounts must be handled as manual catch-up entries.
What To Do
Note: You must have the official court order or agency notice containing the case number, agency name, and specific payment amounts before beginning.
- Submit your official withholding order to 7shifts Support so they can configure the managed deduction for future payments.
- Determine the total sum that should have been withheld during the missed pay periods. Ensure the combined total of the current deduction and the retroactive amount does not exceed state or federal garnishment limits.
- Navigate to the employee's profile and add the missed amount as an additional one-time post-tax deduction. See how to add post-tax deductions to an employee profile
- This should be labeled clearly (e.g., "Child Support Arrears", “Past-Due Child Support”).
- Contact the child support agency to confirm their preferred method for receiving retroactive payments.
Important: When catching up on missed payments, ensure the total deduction (current + catch-up) does not exceed federal or state garnishment limits.
Important: 7shifts will only automatically remit the current deductions configured by Support. You are responsible for manually sending any retroactive catch-up funds directly to the child support agency.