A sum of money set aside for a period to be shared out among staff, such as a service charge, a tips pot or a team bonus.
When to use it
When a pot of money is divided among a group instead of paid as a fixed amount per person.
Before you start
Know the amount, the period it covers, and how it is meant to be split.
Where to find it
Open the HR area from the main menu, then Payroll, then Compensation Pool.
The fields on this screen
| Field (on screen) | What to enter | Required |
|---|---|---|
| Pool Code | (not explained yet) | No |
| Pool Name | (not explained yet) | No |
| Period Start | (not explained yet) | No |
| Period End | (not explained yet) | No |
| Amount | (not explained yet) | No |
| Distribution Basis | (not explained yet) | No |
| Branch | (not explained yet) | No |
| Cost Center | (not explained yet) | No |
| Notes | (not explained yet) | No |
How it works
Saving records the pot: its name, the period it belongs to, how much is in it, how it should be divided, and which branch or cost centre it belongs to.
Payroll does not read it. A pay rule set to share out a pool finds nothing and pays zero on every slip, with no error and no warning on the run. That holds for an even split and for a split weighted by post. Today nobody receives anything from a pool through payroll.
Pay the shares yourself
Until that changes, a pool has to reach people by hand:
- Record the pot here, so there is one agreed figure written down in one place.
- Work out each person's share outside the system.
- Enter each share as a Compensation Adjustment against that employee, dated in the period.
- Run payroll, check each share appears on the right slip, then go back and close each adjustment. An adjustment left pending is paid again next period.
- Add up the adjustments and check they come to the amount recorded here.
Tips and common mistakes
- A pay rule pointing at a pool does not mean the pool is being paid. Check the slips.
- Keep the pool period the same as the payroll period. That is what makes the check in step 5 possible.
- The distribution basis on this screen is a note of your intention. It divides nothing.
Related guides
- Compensation Adjustment, which is how a share actually reaches a payslip today
- Compensation Policy, where a pool share rule would be set up
- Salary Slip, where you check each share landed