In this article, we will guide you through the various configurations required for importing time into Folks Payroll.
- Creating Payroll Items
- Configuring Payroll Codes
- Time Import File Format
- Frequently Asked Question: Who Calculates What?
Enabling the feature
Time import is not available by default. Contact us to enable it.
Creating Payroll Items
If you have not already done so, go to the business settings to create your payroll items.
Payroll items are the building blocks of payroll: every earning paid to an employee goes through a payroll item that determines how it is processed, accounted for, and reported to tax authorities.
- In Folks, go to Payroll > Dashboard > ☰ > Business Settings > Payroll Items.
- Click on Create Preset.
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In the window that opens, give the preset a name and select the type Earning and the sub-type. The type/sub-type pair determines how the earning is processed in payroll.
For example, the calculation of overtime with its multiplier, or the specific tax treatment of a payment to a self-employed worker (box 48 on the T4A). A misclassified item will produce a valid payroll but one that is fiscally incorrect. For self-employed workers, only the type Earning with the subtype Invoice Payment is accepted. - If a value is set for a field on this preset, it will be synced from the preset to line items created from the preset, and that field will not be editable on those line items.
- Click Create.
You can modify your payroll items as needed.
If you have multiple registration numbers, be sure to create your payroll items for each company. A dropdown menu allows you to select the desired company. Simply go to the payroll items for each company.
Configuring Pay Codes
When you use an external time system, that system identifies each type of earning by its own code (example: “REG” for regular hours). Folks needs to learn what each one means. Configuring pay codes creates the link between the codes in your import file and the presets that determine how each earning will be processed.
This configuration is done once and reused for every import. If you change your time system or add new earning types, simply update the mapping.
Go to Dashboard > gear icon (Configuration) > Presets tab. There you will find the list of your available presets. For each preset of type Earning, a field allows you to enter the pay code dedicated to import: this is the code expected in column E of the CSV file.
Time Import File Format
This section describes the expected CSV file format at step 1 of time import (File import). The file is based on a universal format, allowing most external time systems to generate it without special development.
An explanatory template of the file is available. Only 6 columns are read by the system. All others must be present but empty. Any value entered in an unsupported column will be ignored.
The file must be separated by semicolons. A comma-separated file is not rejected at step 1, but all its lines will return errors at step 2 (Data validation).
| Column | Field | Required | Description |
|---|---|---|---|
| B | Employee Number | Yes | Unique Folks employee identifier (max 20 characters) |
| D | Type | Yes | Only accepted value: G (earning) |
| E | Code | Yes | Earning code, associated with a preset (max 100 characters) |
| F | Quantity | Conditional | Read for codes associated with presets corresponding to amounts; format 5.2 (max #####.##) |
| H | Amount | Conditional | Read for codes associated with presets corresponding to hours; format 7.2 (max #######.##) |
| N | Date | Yes | Transaction date, format YYYY-MM-DD, within the current pay period |
The column read depends on the payroll code:
|
Amount column for:
|
Quantity column for:
|
If both columns are filled on the same line, only the column corresponding to the code is read — the other is ignored without generating an error. This allows importing both hours and amounts (e.g., expense reimbursements).
Here is an example of a valid line:
;21;;G;1;35.00;;;;;;;;2009-01-10;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;Employee 21, earning code 1, quantity 35.00 hours, date 2009-01-10.
Frequently Asked Question: Who Calculates What?
The answer has two parts. Folks calculates time: hours imported on overtime codes are paid according to their multiplier (x1.0, x1.5, x2.0). Regarding dollar amounts, any earning expressed in dollars must already be calculated in the file.
Overtime: the source system knows which hours are at straight time, time and a half, or double time. Folks then applies the code multiplier: 4 hours imported on OT 1.5 are paid at 1.5 times the rate.
Holidays: the number of holiday hours is determined on your side and imported as quantity on the code associated with the Holiday preset.