The Margin
Why payroll corrections should not rewrite history.
A payroll correction should not pretend the first run never happened. It should preserve what was approved, record what arrived late, and derive the exact change.
The correction sequence.
The record should answer what changed and why.
1Original runKeep the facts, rules, calculation, approval, and evidence that existed at the knowledge horizon.
2Late factRecord the rate change, missing time, work location, deduction, tip, reimbursement, or tax fact with its effective and recorded dates.
3RecomputeRun the same payroll period under the corrected knowledge and compare it to the approved result.
4DeltaPay, collect, carry forward, or explain the difference with residuals and unsupported claims visible.
Why this matters.
Payroll is accounting, worker trust, tax record, and legal memory at the same time.
Bad correctionRiskBetter correction
Overwrite the checkNo one can tell what was known at approval.Preserve the approved run and append the new fact.
Manual adjustmentThe amount may be right but unexplained.Derive the delta from the recalculation.
Screenshot supportEvidence gets detached from the calculation.Attach source, rule, math, approval, and settlement evidence.
A correction is a payroll event, not a cover-up.
Runbook's correction model keeps original history visible and derives the change.
Explore correction path