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What Is a Pay Stub? All You Need To Know

Pay Stub

Everything in life is a balance between the things that you want to accomplish and the things you have to do. Employee pay stubs are like forcing a youngster to eat a plate of brussels sprouts. It’s simple to look at them as the second priority. They may ask: How many do I need to eat before I receive dessert? Also, you could wonder: What else will it take to get all these pay stubs out through the door & move on to more essential things?

Brussels sprouts may be transformed from a childhood dread to a superb dining experience by just adding crispy bacon as well as a balsamic glaze. A seamless and secure payroll process, including the delivery of pay stubs, may be made for all parties involved by having an awareness of the numbers that go into pay stubs, the software that manages this data, and any requirements for sending them. And what about the more significant matters, such as…? Pay stubs, on the other hand, aren’t as flashy as a company’s incentive and recognition programs, but they’re just as important.

What Is a Pay Stub?

Employees get a pay stub with each paycheck as a financial record. Employees used to cash a paper paycheck that came with a “stub” that listed their hours worked, deductions, earnings, and taxes. This was the norm before the advent of digital banking. Despite widespread usage of direct deposit, many workers still get their 1st paycheck at a fresh job on paper, replete with an actual, old-fashioned, paper pay stub. Paper paychecks are far from gone.

On paper or in an electronic format, pay stubs must be sent to workers so they may view the breakdown of their paychecks, regardless of how the medium is used.

On a pay stub, what information is included?

The following financial and demographic information should be included on pay stubs:

  • Employee data such as name, address, and social security number,
  • Information about the employer, such as name and address
  • The pay period’s start and end dates
  • Employee pay rate
  • Gross earnings
  • Withheld taxes
  • Employee contributions to pensions, retirement plans, and other funds
  • Deductions
  • Net pay

Also included in a pay stub should be information about gross salaries, such as:

  • The hourly rate
  • The number of hours worked
  • Any overtime hours
  • Any bonuses

Pay for salaried employees is frequently calculated by working 40 hours per week at a rate equal to their yearly wage. A pay stub showing sick leave accumulation is also required in certain states.

Is it mandatory for me to provide my employees with a pay stub?

Pay stubs are required by most states, thus it is most probable that your company is required to give pay stubs to workers.

Do My State’s Pay Stub Requirements Apply to My Situation?

The federal government does not have any regulations in place to ensure that pay stub information is made available to employees, so you’ll need to check with your state. Starting with pay stubs, these state laws address whether or not businesses are obligated to provide employees access to their pay stub information. Pay stub distribution methods are also specified in certain jurisdictions, such as whether or not businesses must offer print access to pay stubs in their policies.

No Requirements

Employers in these states are not obligated to make pay stub information available to employees.

  • Alabama
  • Ohio
  • South Dakota
  • Tennessee
  • Arkansas
  • Georgia
  • Louisiana
  • Mississippi
  • Florida

Access Requirement

Pay stub information must be made available to employees in these states. The manner of access is unrestricted.

  • Alaska
  • Arizona
  • Idaho
  • Illinois
  • Indiana
  • Kansas
  • Kentucky
  • Oklahoma
  • Montana
  • Nebraska
  • Pennsylvania
  • Rhode Island
  • South Carolina
  • New Hampshire
  • Maryland
  • Utah
  • Virginia
  • West Virginia
  • Wisconsin
  • Wyoming
  • Nevada
  • Michigan
  • Missouri
  • New Jersey
  • New York
  • North Dakota

Print/Access Requirement

Employees must have the ability to print out their pay stubs in these states if they get pay stub information electronically.

  • Iowa
  • Maine
  • California
  • Colorado
  • Connecticut
  • Texas
  • Massachusetts
  • New Mexico
  • North Carolina
  • Vermont
  • Washington

Requirements for Opt-In/Opt-Out

The option to revert to paper pay stubs is available to workers in Minnesota, Delaware, and Oregon if a business moves to an electronic-only pay stub distribution system. Electronic pay statements or pay stubs must be given to workers in Hawaii unless they provide their permission.

These pay stub access standards must be understood in order for your business to comply with them. Stop there, but consider the advantages; just as eating your vegetables promotes your health, simplifying the availability of pay stubs indicates the health and competency of a firm.

What Can I Do to Make Employees’ Pay Stubs More Pleasant?

Employees’ fundamental payroll expectations may be met by providing them with pay stub access, which is the first stage. Employees’ pay information may be more than just a notice when they have access to up-to-date information.

For example, RisePath HRTeam’s Pay Info page displays a screenshot of the most recent pay stub. This is only the beginning of what RisePath HRTeam can accomplish for you. If a lender wants to know about an employee’s wages over the last two months, it’s far easier to retrieve that information in RisePath HRTeam than by trawling through an email and downloading PDF pay statements again and again.

Rather than relying on administrators for information, workers can take care of their own financial affairs when you go beyond the essentials of a pay stub and provide them with clear, integrated, and accessible pay information. Everyone has a lot more enjoyable time as a result.


Christine Lee

Christine is a former HR manager from Fortune 500 tech companies and has managed hiring, compensation and benefits, and payroll responsibilities for multiple companies.

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