Payslip issue register

What the payslip issue register does

Employees are entitled to a payslip, and a record that you issued it protects you in a dispute. List each payslip with the month, the employee and the net pay, mark whether it was issued, and note the date and whether the employee acknowledged it. The register counts how many are still outstanding.

Who it is for

Payroll officers and small employers who want proof of payslips issued, and HR teams preparing for an audit.

How to use the workbook

1. Record each payslip with its month, the employee and the net pay.
2. Mark whether it was issued and enter the date.
3. Mark whether the employee acknowledged it.
4. Check the outstanding count at the top before you close the month.
5. Save a copy under a new name for each month or year, so earlier records stay as they were.

What is inside

• Month, employee and net pay for every payslip
• Issued and acknowledged columns
• Count of payslips not yet issued
• Count not acknowledged
• Summary by month

The workbook has these sheets: Instructions, Register, By month. The main table has the columns Month; Employee; Net pay; Issued?; Date issued; Acknowledged?; Status. Yellow cells are for you to fill in and grey cells calculate by themselves, so leave the grey cells alone. The example rows show how it works; type over them with your own entries.

Tips for getting it right

• Give each employee a payslip in writing or by email on pay day.
• Keep a copy with the payroll file.
• Ask employees to confirm receipt.
• Keep records for at least five years.

Why keep this record

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

Do I need to know Excel formulas? No. Type into the yellow cells and the rest is worked out for you. The formulas are visible if you want to see how a figure is reached.

Can I add rows or change the layout? You can add your own columns to the right and your own notes. If you insert rows inside a table, copy the grey formula cells down so the new rows calculate too.

Will it work on my phone or in Google Sheets? Yes for viewing and typing, but dropdown lists and the charts look best in desktop Excel or LibreOffice.

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: Payslip generator. See more payroll templates or ask us for a custom one.

The workbook works in Microsoft Excel, LibreOffice and Google Sheets. It is a tool to help you work out and record figures, 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.

Related guides, calculators and templates

• Free calculator: Payslip Generator
• Guide: How to budget on a Kenyan salary after statutory deductions
• Guide: How to read your payslip line by line
• Guide: How to run payroll for a small business in Kenya
• Another template: Monthly payroll workbook (up to 150 employees)
• Another template: Monthly payroll workbook (up to 50 employees)
• Another template: Monthly payroll workbook (up to 500 employees)

Need something different? Request a custom template, browse all guides or see every Excel template.