Now that you have completed onboarding and verified your bank account, another one of your next key steps before running your first payroll is to finalize your Pay Groups.
Quick Links
- What Is a Pay Group?
- Setting Up Your Pay Groups
- Before You Run Your First Payroll
- Frequently Asked Questions
What Is a Pay Group?
Pay Groups tell Jane when a group of staff members gets paid and on what schedule.
- If everyone is paid biweekly, you only need one Pay Group.
- If some staff are paid monthly and others biweekly, you will need two.
Pay Groups are just how Jane keeps track of the different pay frequencies you need for your payroll setup.
Pay Groups can also be a useful way to organize your team for record keeping and reporting, even when everyone is on the same schedule. For example, you might create one Pay Group for your employees and another for your contractors, just to keep things tidy when you’re reviewing reports.
A few things worth knowing:
- There’s no limit to how many Pay Groups you can create.
- You can mix employees and contractors within the same Pay Group.
- Staff within the same Pay Group can have different Pay Types (hourly, salary, fee split, and so on).
Setting Up Your Pay Groups
You will have already seen Pay Groups mentioned during onboarding. During that process, a default Pay Group is created based on the pay frequency you selected.
If you need to create a new one or edit an existing Pay Group before running payroll, you will find Pay Groups in the Payroll area under Billing → Account.
Here, you can click Edit next to Pay Groups.
From there, you can either select the + Add Pay Group option to set up a new pay frequency or click the 3 dots beside an existing one to make edits.
When creating a new Pay Group, you’ll begin by naming the group and then selecting the pay frequency (e.g., biweekly, monthly). Then, you’ll complete the parameters required to set up the Pay Group.
Once you’ve completed those pieces, you’ll hit Next.
Then, you will be prompted to add the relevant staff members to this Pay Group. Once you’ve selected those that need to be included, click Next.
Lastly, you will need to select which bank account you want this particular Pay Group to be funded from.
If your business uses one bank account, or you’d prefer to use the account already set up in your Payroll Account, leave the selection as Use employer default funding account.
If you have multiple bank accounts, you’ll need to first have them set up in your Payroll Account under Bank Accounts. Then you can set a preferred default for each Pay Group at this stage and override it for individual payroll runs if / when needed.
💡 Tip: Setting a default funding account for each Pay Group keeps payroll funded from the right account every time and cuts down on reconciliation work.
Once complete, you can click Save, and you’re all set to begin using this Pay Group.
Before You Run Your First Payroll
Before running payroll, we recommend checking the following:
- Each staff member is assigned to the correct Pay Group.
- The pay frequency and start and end dates align with your payroll schedule.
- You have set up your Pay Types. See the Jane Payroll (Beta): Pay Types guide for details.
📍 Note: Pay Groups are managed in your Payroll Account area, not in individual staff profiles.
Frequently Asked Questions
Do I need more than one Pay Group?
Only if you pay different groups of staff on different schedules. For example, if practitioners are paid monthly but admin staff are paid biweekly, you would need two Pay Groups. If everyone is on the same schedule, one Pay Group is all you need.
Can a Staff Member be added to more than one Pay Group?
No, staff can only be included in one Pay Group. If you add them to a new Pay Group, they will automatically be removed from their current one.
Can I change my team or an individual Staff Member's Pay Group when needed?
Yes, you can move staff members between Pay Groups. However, there are a few important things to keep in mind depending on the type of change being made.
If the pay period type is staying the same (for example, splitting a bi-weekly group into two bi-weekly groups on alternating weeks), no additional steps are required outside of Jane.
If the pay period type is changing (for example, moving from bi-weekly to semi-monthly), you will need to issue a Record of Employment (ROE) for the affected employees through Service Canada. One of the reason code options on the ROE is “Change of Payroll Frequency.”
If you’re unsure whether your specific situation requires an ROE, please connect with the Jane Payroll Support Team.
Can I change a Pay Group after I have run payroll?
It is best to confirm your Pay Group settings before running your first payroll. If you need to make changes after payroll has been run, please reach out to the Jane Payroll Support Team, and we will help you figure out the best path forward.
Where do I assign a staff member to a Pay Group?
Pay Group assignments are managed in your Payroll Account settings under Billing → Payroll → Account → Pay Groups, not inside individual staff profiles.
Pay Types are assigned at the staff profile level. See the Jane Payroll (Beta): Pay Types guide for more on that.
How do I set up a weekly Pay Group?
Follow the steps outlined in the guide above to create a new Pay Group by heading to Billing → Payroll → Pay Groups.
When creating the Pay Group, give it a custom name under Pay Group Name and select Weekly under the Pay Frequency.
You will be prompted to enter the first pay date for the particular pay group and when the first pay period ends.
Once you’ve set your pay cycle parameters, take a moment to review the pay periods and pay days that populate below to confirm everything looks right for this Pay Group.
Lastly, you’ll follow the remaining steps outlined in the guide above and assign the relevant staff members and the bank account before saving.
How do I set up a bi-weekly Pay Group?
Follow the steps outlined in the guide above to create a new Pay Group by heading to Billing → Payroll → Pay Groups.
When creating the Pay Group, give it a custom name under Pay Group Name and select Bi-Weekly under the Pay Frequency.
You will be prompted to enter the first pay date for the particular pay group and when the first pay period ends.
Once you’ve set your pay cycle parameters, take a moment to review the pay periods and pay days that populate below to confirm everything looks right for this Pay Group.
Lastly, you’ll follow the remaining steps outlined in the guide above and assign the relevant staff members and the bank account before saving.
How do I set up a semi-monthly Pay Group?
Follow the steps outlined in the guide above to create a new Pay Group by heading to Billing → Payroll → Pay Groups.
When creating the Pay Group, give it a custom name under Pay Group Name and select Semi-Monthly under the Pay Frequency.
You will be prompted to enter the first and second pay dates for the month, when both pay periods end and the first pay date for this pay group.
Once you’ve set your pay cycle parameters, take a moment to review the pay periods and pay days that populate below to confirm everything looks right for this Pay Group.
Lastly, you’ll follow the remaining steps outlined in the guide above and assign the relevant staff members and the bank account before saving.
How do I set up a monthly Pay Group?
Follow the steps outlined in the guide above to create a new Pay Group by heading to Billing → Payroll → Pay Groups.
When creating the Pay Group, give it a custom name under Pay Group Name and select Monthly under the Pay Frequency.
You will be prompted to enter the day of the month you’d like to be pay day, the first pay date for the month, and when the first pay period ends.
Once you’ve set your pay cycle parameters, take a moment to review the pay periods and pay days that populate below to confirm everything looks right for this Pay Group.
Lastly, you’ll follow the remaining steps outlined in the guide above and assign the relevant staff members and the bank account before saving.