Your payslip explained: a guide for employees

What the your payslip explained: a guide for employees gives you

A payslip is full of abbreviations and numbers, and most employees never check them. This short guide walks through every line of a Kenyan payslip, from basic pay and allowances to PAYE, NSSF, SHIF and the Housing Levy, explains what each is for and shows a simple five-step check so you can tell whether your pay is right.

Who it is for

Employees who want to understand their pay, HR staff who explain payslips to new hires, and employers who want to give staff a clear guide.

How to use it

1. Take your latest payslip and read the guide beside it.
2. Match each line on your payslip to the explanation.
3. Work through the five-step check.
4. Ask HR or payroll about anything that does not add up.
5. Keep a signed or dated copy with your records, so you can show what was agreed or done.

What is inside

• Every payslip line explained
• What PAYE, NSSF, SHIF and the Housing Levy are for
• A five-step check of your own pay
• Questions to ask payroll
• A glossary of payslip words

The document is a ready-to-print PDF with these parts: What a payslip is for, The lines on a payslip, The five-step check, Words you may meet. It is laid out for A4, with the headings, tables and tick boxes already in place, so you can print it and fill it in by hand, or type into it with a PDF editor.

Tips for getting it right

• Keep every payslip; you need them for loans and visas.
• Check the first payslip after any pay change.
• Ask in writing if a deduction is unclear.
• Compare your payslip to your contract once a year.

Why it helps

Staff records go wrong in small, repeated ways: a figure typed twice, a deadline forgotten, a promise that nobody wrote down. A tidy workbook that everyone uses the same way removes most of those problems. It also gives you something to show an employee, an auditor or a labour officer when a question comes up months later, and it makes the next payroll quicker because the facts are already in one place.

Questions people ask

Can I edit it? It is a PDF, so it is meant to be printed and completed, or filled with a PDF editor. If you want to change the wording, copy the text into Word or Google Docs and adapt it to your business.

Is it legal advice? No. It is a practical starting point written for Kenya. Rules change, so check the current position and ask a professional where the stakes are high.

Will it work on my phone? Yes for reading. For filling in and printing, a computer or a PDF app works best.

Keeping it safe and up to date

Payroll records are personal data and tax records at once, so keep the file somewhere only the people who need it can open, and keep each month's copy for at least five years. Statutory rates such as NSSF limits and the Housing Levy change, so check the Rates sheet against the official source before you rely on a figure.

Read how to run payroll for a small business for the wider picture. Free calculators that go with it: Paye calculator, Net to gross salary calculator. See more payroll templates or ask us for a custom one.

This document is general information, not tax, legal or accounting advice, and it is not affiliated with the Kenya Revenue Authority. If something does not work as described, contact us and we will put it right.

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