A pay stub is the statement that comes with each paycheck, showing how gross pay became net pay. Whether you must provide one, and what it must show, is set by state law.
| Line | What it shows | What to check |
|---|---|---|
| Pay period and pay date | The dates the check covers and when it was paid | Matches the pay schedule |
| Hours and rates | Regular hours, overtime hours and each rate | Hours match the timesheet; overtime is per workweek |
| Gross pay | Hours times rates, plus tips, bonuses and differentials | Bonuses and differentials appear |
| Taxes | Federal and state income tax, Social Security, Medicare, local taxes | Withholding matches the latest W-4 |
| Deductions | Benefits, retirement, garnishments | Pre-tax and after-tax are labeled |
| Net pay and YTD | Take-home pay and running totals for the year | YTD rises by the right amount |
A server’s stub for the two weeks ending November 14 shows 61.5 regular hours. Her own count is 66. Comparing the stub with the timesheet shows a Saturday shift with a clock-in at 4:00 p.m. and no clock-out; the system closed it at 4:00 p.m., so the shift counted as zero.
To total hours with breaks and overtime, use our time card calculator.
She submits a missed-punch request with the actual clock-out of 8:30 p.m. The manager approves it, and the 4.5 hours appear on the next check as a correction with a note. Without hours on the stub, the error would have been invisible. EZTime handles the missed-punch request and approval side; the stub itself comes from your payroll provider.
Most payroll questions arrive the day after payday. A short one-page guide to your pay stub, sent at hire and posted where employees can find it, answers many of them: where hours appear, what each deduction code means, how overtime and differentials show, and who to ask about a difference.
Encourage employees to compare stub hours with their own approved hours each period. When approved hours are easy to look up, the comparison takes a minute, and errors are found while they are easy to correct.
A warehouse worker notices a new deduction of $42.50 on his stub labeled with a code he does not recognize. He assumes it is a mistake and is upset.
HR explains it is his first dental plan deduction after the waiting period ended, as stated in his enrollment form. HR then adds every deduction code with a plain description to the one-page stub guide and sends a note to employees whose benefits start in the next month. Similar questions drop the next quarter.
It depends on the state. Most states require some form of wage statement, and some, such as California, set out a detailed list of what it must include. Check your state labor department.
A pay stub covers one pay period. A W-2 summarizes wages and taxes for the whole year for tax filing.
Often yes, if employees can access and print them. Some states require consent or a paper option. Check the state rule.
Most mismatches come from a missing or edited punch, a shift tagged to the wrong period, or overtime counted in a different workweek. Compare the stub with your timesheet and ask for a correction.
Compare it with your approved hours, then tell your manager or payroll with the specific dates and hours that differ.
Many keep them at least until the year’s tax return is filed and the W-2 has been checked against them.
Approved hours, breaks and missed-punch corrections come together in signed reports, ready to export to PDF or Excel.