Sahel EDU

School staff payroll: from hours actually taught to the payslip

In a school, payroll gets complicated as soon as part of the staff is paid by the hour: lessons taught have to be counted, absences removed, replacements added, advances deducted. With Sahel EDU, school payroll software, hours are calculated from the timetable checked against clock-ins, each month is closed once verified, and everyone receives their payslip. Contribution rates remain for the school to validate.

What you need to gather to prepare a school’s payroll

Preparing payroll means gathering the same items every month, leaving none out. The work is easier when they are kept in one place.

Whatever the tool, the list is as follows.

  • Each person’s rate, hourly or monthly, with its effective date.
  • The hours actually taught, for staff paid by the hour.
  • The month’s bonuses and deductions.
  • Advances granted, to be deducted.
  • Contributions and taxes, at the rates the school has had validated.
  • A payslip handed to each person, and a record for the school.

Why hourly pay causes disputes

The dispute almost always comes from the count of hours: everyone has their own version, and nobody can prove it.

  • Hours are recounted by hand at the end of the month, from memory.
  • A lesson covered by a replacement is paid twice or not at all.
  • An absent teacher sometimes appears on the pay list.
  • An advance is forgotten when the net pay is calculated.

Preparing the month’s payroll in Sahel EDU

Each person has a dated rate, hourly or monthly: when it changes, the old one is closed but kept. The “Prepare the month’s payroll” button then calculates the hours taught from the timetable, checked against what actually happened.

The rules are clear and applied the same way to everyone. Bonuses, deductions and advances are entered by hand and kept when the month is recalculated. Once everything is verified, “Close the payroll” freezes the month.

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  • A lesson missed or excused is not paid.
  • A lesson covered by a replacement is paid to the replacement.
  • A lesson with no clock-in is paid only if the management has accepted the explanation.
  • Days without lessons in the calendar are excluded.
  • Bonuses, deductions and advances entered stay after a new calculation.
  • A closed month can no longer be changed.

Payslip, advances and payment

When the month is closed, each person has a one-page PDF payslip, with contributions at the set rates. They find it under “My pay”, where they confirm receipt. A payslip is never erased: an error is corrected by an amending document, in the form of a credit note.

An advance is recorded with its receipt and then deducted from pay. Paying salaries creates the day’s “salaries” expense; it goes into the cash desk when payment is made in cash.

Read also: School Cash Desk and Expenses Management

  • The payslip fits on one page.
  • “My pay” gives everyone access to their own payslips, with acknowledgement of receipt.
  • A salary certificate can be issued.
  • An advance has its receipt and its deduction.
  • The salaries expense enters the day’s cash desk if paid in cash.

Contributions, declarations, accounting: what remains to be validated

Contribution rates are settings that the school must have validated: Sahel EDU does not impose them. Likewise, payroll declarations are documents prepared for the school to file; they are not filed electronically.

On the accounting side, a SYSCOHADA chart of accounts is proposed, which the accountant validates, with the journal, the ledger and the entries file in CSV and Excel. Access to payroll is reserved for authorised people, such as the accountant.

Read also: Part-Time Teachers: Hours, Attendance and Pay

  • Contribution rates are for the school to have validated.
  • Declarations are prepared, never sent to the administration.
  • The proposed chart of accounts is validated before use.
  • The payroll calculation is checked before the month is closed.
  • The calculation of hours depends on a timetable kept up to date.

Frequently asked questions

How do we pay a part-time teacher?

Enter the hourly rate. Hours are calculated from the timetable checked against clock-ins, then the payslip is produced when the month is closed.

What happens to an advance already paid?

It is recorded with its receipt and deducted from pay. Advances entered are kept when the month is recalculated.

Does Sahel EDU file the social declarations for us?

No. Payroll declarations are prepared documents that the school files itself; contribution rates are for the school to validate.

Can an employee look at their payslip?

Yes. In “My pay”, everyone finds their payslips for closed months and confirms receipt.

Can we try it before committing?

Yes. The free trial lasts 30 days, with no commitment. The price is then negotiated with each school and can be read on the Pricing page.

Try Sahel EDU for free

Try Sahel EDU free for 30 days, no commitment. Afterwards, the price is negotiated with your school and confirmed in writing.

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