Payroll and payment issues

Always start from the payroll-run state. A safe correction while the run is Draft may no longer be appropriate after approval or payment.

No period is available when creating a payroll run

Check first

1. The correct organisation and intended date range are selected.
2. The matching attendance period displays Attendance closed.
3. A payroll run for the same period and scope does not already exist.

Fix it

Open System → Settings → Payroll periods. If the period is still Attendance open, complete its checks and select Close attendance. Return to Payroll → Payroll runs. If a run exists, open it instead of creating a duplicate.

Expected result: the period appears under Attendance-closed period and the new run is Draft.

Still not working? Prepare the period name, attendance state, and an image of existing runs. Do not reopen attendance without understanding the cause.

A Service Charge period cannot be reopened for correction

Check first

1. The period shows Locked under Payroll → Policies → Service Charge.
2. Whether the period is already linked to a payroll run.
3. If linked, whether that payroll run is Draft, approved, or paid.
4. The current account can update Service Charge periods.

Fix it

If the period is not linked to payroll, open its menu, choose Reopen period, and confirm. If it is linked to a Draft payroll run, remove that exact draft through the payroll workflow, return to the Service Charge period, and reopen it. Rifena never unlinks it automatically. Preserve approved or paid history and use an authorised adjustment instead.

Expected result: an unlinked period returns to Open and becomes editable; a period linked to protected payroll history remains locked until the correct payroll-state action is completed.

Still not working? Prepare the Service Charge period, linked payroll-run state, and visible message. Do not create a replacement period or force the link to disappear.

Payroll figures did not change after source data was corrected

Check first

1. The run is Draft, Pending approval, Approved, or Paid.
2. The change belongs to attendance, leave, overtime, contract, payroll configuration, or another source.
3. Its effective date falls inside the run.

Fix it

For a Draft run, remove only that run, reopen attendance when required, correct the owning source, close attendance, then create the run again. For Pending approval, the approver rejects it back to Draft first. Preserve an approved or paid run and use the company's authorised adjustment process.

Expected result: the replacement draft reflects verified source data while confirmed history remains unchanged.

Still not working? State the incorrect line, corrected source, effective date, and run state. Do not attempt to edit net pay directly.

Submit for review, Approve run, or Create payment is missing

Check first

1. The run's state allows the intended action.
2. A Draft run contains employees and has completed the calculation shown on screen.
3. The current account owns the approval step and has the required scope.
4. The submitter is not trying to approve their own run where separation is required.

Fix it

Complete the missing action for the current state. For approval, open Approvals with the assigned account and check the waiting owner. Select Create payment only after the run displays Approved. Do not broaden access to bypass the approval route.

Expected result: the action appears for the correct person and the run advances after success.

Still not working? Note the run name, state, submitter, waiting owner, and missing action.

The bank file will not generate, or Validate reports an error

Check first

1. The payroll run, source account, and export template are correct.
2. Every recipient has the required account-holder and bank details.
3. The payment-order total matches the approved total.
4. Every error and warning under Validate has been read.

Fix it

Correct each named source field, select the intended template again, and run Validate. Select Generate files only when no blocking error remains. Never edit amounts manually inside the generated file to force the total to match.

Expected result: validation passes, the file belongs to the correct run, and its total matches the payment orders in Rifena.

Still not working? Send the template name, bank, error-row count, and message. Mask account numbers in images.

The run is not Paid, or an employee cannot see their payslip

Check first

1. Every order is Completed, Failed, Cancelled, or still Processing.
2. The bank result was recorded on the correct order.
3. Payslips were published or emailed to the intended recipient scope.

Fix it

Select Confirm completed only for a genuinely successful order. Use Mark as failed and Retry processing on the specific failed order. When the run is eligible, review a sample payslip and publish only to the intended people. Never post payslips in a group chat.

Expected result: every order has a clear result, the run displays Paid, and each employee sees only their own payslip.

Still not working? Prepare the run name, order counts by state, and one sample recipient. Do not attach real payslip contents.

See Monthly payroll cycle for the canonical sequence.