Freedom automatically creates each regular payroll for you ahead of its payday, so most pay periods need nothing more than a quick review and approval.

1. Your pay schedule sets the calendar. Every company has one or more pay schedules that define how often you pay (weekly, every two weeks, twice a month, monthly, quarterly, or annually), when each pay period starts and ends, and the payday your team is paid on. Freedom uses this schedule to know when the next payroll is due.

2. Freedom creates the payroll automatically. Once a day, early in the morning, Freedom checks your pay schedules. On the first day of a pay period, or five business days before payday if that's earlier, it creates a payroll for that period, covering the employees and contractors assigned to that pay schedule. When your company's setup is complete, Freedom creates its payrolls right away instead of waiting for the next morning's check.

3. Pay details auto-fill. Each eligible employee gets one pay line from their active pay rate, with hours already filled in: their Workweek hours times the weeks in the pay period, such as 80 hours for a 40-hour week paid every two weeks. Salaried employees get their standard salary for the period, and contractors on a fixed amount get that amount. Hourly employees start with the same standard hours, so update them to the hours actually worked, either by hand or by importing a spreadsheet. Freedom doesn't add bonuses, reimbursements, or other recurring earnings, and benefit and post-tax deductions apply when the payroll is calculated. For who gets filled in and which changes it picks up, see What auto-fills on your payroll.

4. You review and approve. Before the approval deadline, shown on the payroll as "Approve by", review the payroll, make any adjustments (hours, bonuses, reimbursements, one-time changes), and approve it (see Run payroll for the steps). Approval locks in the numbers and starts the funding and payment process so your team is paid on the scheduled payday.

5. Funds are debited and paid out. After approval, Freedom debits the total from your company bank account and pays employees and contractors by direct deposit on payday.

If you expected a payroll and don't see one, work through the checks below.

Freedom can only create a payroll from a pay schedule. Open Pay Schedules from Pay in the sidebar and check that a schedule is listed. If none is, add one (see Set up and manage pay schedules). Each schedule's row shows its next payday.

Freedom creates a payroll on the first day of the pay period, or five business days before payday if that's earlier. If that day hasn't arrived, the payroll doesn't exist yet. Freedom checks once a day, early in the morning. On Home, a payday under Coming up that has no payroll yet shows when it opens for review.

Freedom only creates a payroll if there are workers on that schedule. If everyone is on a different schedule or unassigned, there's nothing to create. Confirm your team members are assigned to the correct pay schedule.

Changing a company's pay frequency shifts the pay-period and payday calendar. Right after a change, the next expected payroll may fall on a different date than before. Check the new schedule's next payday on Pay Schedules (Pay in the sidebar) so you're looking for the payroll on the right day. If you moved workers from another schedule onto a new one, Freedom adds them to its payroll only if that payroll's pay period hasn't started. Otherwise, add them yourself. A worker who had no pay schedule is added the next morning if they're eligible. See Change your company's pay frequency.

Freedom doesn't create a second payroll for the same pay period on the same schedule, whatever the status of the first one. That includes a payroll that failed. Open Pay and look for a payroll with that payday. If it's there, open it instead of waiting for a new one.

Freedom creates one payroll for each pay period. If you delete it, Freedom doesn't create another for that period, so contact Freedom support and we'll help you pay that period.

Freedom doesn't create a payroll on the payday itself. If a payday is today and no payroll exists, contact Freedom support and we'll help you pay that period.

If your company's setup isn't finished, Freedom can't create payrolls yet. Finish the steps still open under Onboarding in the sidebar or on Home, then check again. When your company's setup is complete, Freedom creates its payrolls right away instead of waiting for the next morning's check.

If you manage more than one company, confirm you're viewing the one you expect. It's easy to look for a payroll under the wrong company.

If you've confirmed an active pay schedule, assigned workers, a creation day that has passed, no existing or deleted payroll for the period, a payday that isn't today, completed setup, and the right company, and the payroll still hasn't appeared, contact support with your company name and the payday you expected so we can look into it.