Once payroll runs, admins can view a detailed breakdown of every staff member's paycheck, including gross pay, deductions, taxes, and overtime. This article explains how to find and read individual paychecks, and how to make sense of what you see.
Find an Individual Paycheck
You can view any staff member's paycheck details directly from a processed payroll. This is helpful when a staff member has questions about what they were paid, or when you want to verify that their hours, rate, and deductions were applied correctly.
From your Admin Dashboard, navigate to the Payroll tab and click Dashboard.
Under Past Payrolls, click the payroll you want to review.
On the payroll summary page, scroll to the Employee Amounts section. You'll see a row for every staff member included in that pay run.
Click on any staff member's name to open their individual paycheck detail view. This shows a complete breakdown of everything that went into their pay for that period.
💡 You can also access individual paychecks by going to Payroll → Reports → Paycheck Summary and filtering by staff member and date range.
Why Federal Income Tax May Not Be Withheld
Federal income tax is not deducted from a paycheck if the employee's earnings fall below the withholding threshold for that pay period. This threshold is not a fixed amount; it varies based on the filing status and elections the employee selected on their W-4. If earnings were below the threshold for a given pay period, no federal income tax will be withheld from that paycheck, even if the employee expects a deduction.
Read a Paycheck Breakdown
Every paycheck in Playground is broken into the same core sections. Here's what each one means:
Section | What It Shows |
Earnings | All pay types included in this check, regular hours, overtime, PTO, bonuses, reimbursements, or any other earning types. Each line shows the hours and rate that were applied. |
Employee Taxes | Federal, state, and local taxes withheld from the employee's gross pay. These are calculated automatically based on the employee's W-4 and your school's tax setup. |
Deductions | Pre-tax and post-tax deductions such as health insurance, retirement contributions, or garnishments that have been set up on the employee's profile. |
Employer Taxes | The taxes your school owes as the employer, including Social Security, Medicare, and FUTA/SUTA. These do not come out of the employee's pay. |
Net Pay | The amount the employee actually receives after all taxes, deductions, and adjustments are applied. This is what hits their bank account on payday. |
💡 If a line item on the paycheck looks unfamiliar, check the employee's profile under Payroll → Employees → [Staff Name] → Deductions to see what's been set up.
Understand Overtime on a Paycheck
Playground automatically calculates weekly and daily overtime pay. When overtime applies, it will appear as a separate line item in the Earnings section of the paycheck. Playground will take the extra 0.5 that is outside of the typical rate and create a separate payment line in the paycheck that shows the overtime payment.
🚨 Need more detail here. If you have questions about how overtime or weighted overtime appears on a specific paycheck, reach out to the Support Team via [email protected]
Print or Download a Paycheck
If a staff member needs a copy of their pay stub, or if you need a record for your files, you can download or print paychecks directly from Playground.
From your Admin Dashboard, navigate to the Payroll tab and click Dashboard.
Click the payroll that includes the paycheck you need.
On the payroll summary page, click Print All Checks in the top right corner to generate a PDF of all paychecks for that run.
The PDF will open in a new tab. Download it to save or share with staff as needed.
💡 Playground supports the DLT159 check format. If you need physical check stock, you can order it from Deluxe.
FAQ
How do I know if a staff member worked overtime in a given pay period?
How do I know if a staff member worked overtime in a given pay period?
Open the payroll and click the staff member's name to view their paycheck detail. If an overtime line appears in the Earnings section, overtime was applied. You can also run a Total Staff Hours report under Reports → Staff Reports to see hours worked per week.
Can I see a staff member's paychecks across multiple pay periods in one place?
Can I see a staff member's paychecks across multiple pay periods in one place?
Yes. Use the Paycheck Summary report:
From your Admin Dashboard, navigate to Reports → Staff Reports → Total Staff Hours.
Switch the Report Type to Paycheck Summary.
Filter by staff member and date range to see pay history across multiple periods.
Click Generate Report.
What's the difference between Employer Taxes and Employee Taxes on a paycheck?
What's the difference between Employer Taxes and Employee Taxes on a paycheck?
Employee taxes are withheld directly from the staff member's gross pay before they receive their net pay. Employer taxes are paid by your school on top of the employee's wages and do not reduce the employee's paycheck. Playground calculates and remits both automatically.
A deduction is showing up on a paycheck that I didn't expect. How do I find out where it came from?
A deduction is showing up on a paycheck that I didn't expect. How do I find out where it came from?
Check the employee's deduction settings:
From your Admin Dashboard, navigate to Payroll → Employees.
Click the staff member's name.
Click the Deductions tab to see all active deductions and when they were set up.
If you need to remove or adjust a deduction, you can do it here before the next payroll runs.
If the deduction looks incorrect, reach out to [email protected] for help.
Can staff members view their own paychecks in Playground?
Can staff members view their own paychecks in Playground?
Yes. Staff can log in to their own Playground account and navigate to the Payroll tab to view their pay history, individual pay stubs, and tax documents. They do not need to contact you for this information. If a staff member is having trouble accessing their pay stubs, make sure their Playground account is active and that they have been enrolled in payroll.
Next Steps
Need to make a correction after payroll has already run? See After Running Your First Payroll for guidance on reopening payroll, handling failed payments, and running off-cycle corrections.