An employee pay rate change needs more than a new number in payroll. The approved amount, effective date and hours paid at each rate must agree. A small date error can apply a raise too early, omit it from the first affected payroll or alter the history needed to explain a later question.
Confirm the authorized amount and start date, preserve the previous wage record, enter the new effective-dated rate, then compare the first affected payroll with an independent calculation. Keep the approval and verification together so another reviewer can follow the change.
Separate the effective date from payday
The effective date identifies when the new rate starts applying. The approval date records when the change was authorized. The entry date records when payroll received or entered it. Payday is when the resulting wages are paid. These dates can differ without being wrong, but the difference must be deliberate.
For example, a manager may approve a raise on October 28 that starts November 9 and appears on a later payday. Entering October 28 simply because it is today's date changes the instruction. Entering payday can leave earlier eligible hours at the old rate.
Record the date in an unambiguous format, such as 2026-11-09, alongside the applicable pay period. If a shift crosses the effective-date boundary, document how the hours will be allocated before processing. Verify the actual policy and system behavior rather than assuming an entire overnight shift belongs to one rate.
Use a pay rate change review form
This is an internal processing record you can copy into a restricted payroll workflow. It supports review; it does not replace an employment agreement, required notice or approval process. Store compensation details only where authorized staff can access them.
- Employee and assignment
- Employee ID; legal entity; relevant role, wage group or assignment.
- Current and proposed pay
- Old amount; new amount; currency; hourly or salary basis; salary period if applicable.
- Effective date and affected period
- Start date; first affected pay period; first expected payday; any boundary shift to investigate.
- Authorization and communication
- Approver; approval date; supporting reference; person responsible for required employee communication.
- Processing and verification
- Entry owner; entry date; calculation reference; reviewer; exceptions and resolution.
- Completion evidence
- Saved wage record; first affected earnings review; correction reference if needed; completion date.
Keep the rate basis explicit. “60,000” does not identify whether a figure is annual salary, a period amount or a value in a different currency. Resolve missing information with the approver before entry. A title change alone is insufficient evidence of an approved rate.
If the raise accompanies an internal move, coordinate the separate assignment and approval changes with the employee department transfer checklist.
Process the change in five reviewable steps
1. Validate the instruction
Match the request to the employee ID and authorized assignment. Compare the old rate with the current record, confirm the new amount and date, and check the approval reference. If the current rate differs from the form, investigate another pending change before replacing anything.
2. Map the affected earnings
Identify the first affected pay period and the time records on each side of the date. Flag multiple assignments, premiums, overtime, paid leave and salary changes for their own review. An hourly base-rate example cannot establish the correct treatment of every earning type.
3. Preserve the history
Keep the record explaining the old rate and add the new authorized change using the system's effective-date workflow. Avoid treating a historical record as a blank form for the next raise. Save the approval reference with the processing record so a future reviewer can reconstruct the sequence.
4. Recalculate and compare
Use the appropriate calculation workflow for the affected payroll state. Compare hours, rate and earnings by employee and earning type. When another system calculates payroll, verify the receiving system's rate as well; changing the source record alone is not evidence that the receiving payroll used it.
5. Close the handoff
Record the review result, reviewer and any follow-up. If the first affected payroll has not yet been generated, leave a dated verification task with an owner. “Entered” and “verified in payroll” are separate milestones on this suggested review form.
Worked example: a raise within a pay period
Assume a fictional employee has 80 approved regular hours in a two-week period, November 2–15, 2026. The hourly rate changes from $25 to $27 effective November 9. Exactly 40 regular hours fall before the date and 40 fall on or after it. The example excludes overtime, premiums, leave, taxes and deductions.
| Work dates | Hours | Rate | Earnings |
|---|---|---|---|
| November 2–8 | 40 | $25/hour | $1,000 |
| November 9–15 | 40 | $27/hour | $1,080 |
| Period total | 80 | Two dated rates | $2,080 |
The review calculation is (40 × $25) + (40 × $27) = $2,080. Paying all 80 hours at the old rate gives $2,000, an $80 shortfall in this example. Paying all hours at the new rate gives $2,160, an $80 excess. A correct period total should also reconcile to the correct dates and earning lines.
Do not split the hours 50/50 merely because the change falls near the middle of a period. Use the employee's actual approved hours in each date range. A part-time employee, absence or uneven roster can produce a different allocation.
Stop and review these exceptions
- Late or retroactive instruction: identify whether the affected payroll is still open, already calculated or already paid. Assign a correction owner and review the difference against the original payment.
- More than one rate: confirm which assignment or wage group changes. A raise for one role should not silently become an instruction for every role.
- Salary or pay-basis conversion: verify the salary period and approved partial-period method. Do not apply the hourly example to a salary change without checking the calculation basis.
- Overtime, premiums or paid leave: inspect how the change affects the relevant earning rules. Do not assume the base-rate difference is the entire adjustment.
- Conflicting changes: resolve overlapping effective dates, duplicate requests and canceled approvals before processing.
A date in the past does not establish the correct correction method or payment deadline. Confirm the applicable requirements and approved compensation terms for the employee's location. Keep unresolved questions visible in the review record instead of marking the change complete.
Enter and verify the new wage in TimeTrex
The official TimeTrex payroll FAQ describes adding a raise through Employee → Employees: edit the employee, open the Wage tab, choose New, complete the wage fields and save.
The Wages documentation explains that each change should have a new wage record to retain history. Verify the wage group, type, amount and effective date. Its Recalculate TimeSheets option recalculates open pay periods from that date. Check the resulting earnings after processing.
For changes affecting payroll that has already been paid, follow the documented closed-pay-period adjustment procedure. Review the generated adjustment against the original paid record and close the period again when finished. The documentation warns that intervening policy changes can affect recalculation.
Connect the wage change to payroll review
Explore TimeTrex payroll and review how your team will check effective-dated wages alongside approved time. Bring a representative change and exception to your implementation discussion.
Pay rate change checklist
Use these temporary checkboxes during review. They reset when the page reloads and do not save employee information.
Frequently asked questions
Should the effective date equal payday?
Use the authorized start date for the new rate. Payday identifies payment timing and may fall later. Confirm both dates in the review record.
Can I edit the employee's previous wage record?
For a new raise, TimeTrex's payroll FAQ recommends creating a new wage entry and retaining the existing wage history. If a previous entry itself is incorrect, review its affected periods before correcting it.
What if the raise arrives after payroll is paid?
Identify the affected dates, original paid earnings and approved new rate. Route the difference through the appropriate correction process and confirm payment timing. Do not count saving a wage change as proof that a correction was paid.
Does this form calculate overtime or salary proration?
No. It organizes approval and verification. The example covers regular hourly earnings only; review the applicable earning rules and partial-period method separately.
Sources checked October 28, 2026: official TimeTrex Wages, Payroll FAQ and Adjusting a Closed Pay Period documentation linked above. The review form, processing controls and fictional calculation are suggested operational guidance.
