The Challenge with Hourly Workers
By default, Warp's payday occurs at the end of the pay period. We default to this setting as this is the most common setup for most our companies.
However, payroll must be approved 1-3 business days before payday to ensure proper processing. This creates a timing issue for hourly employees and contractors who need to submit their hours by the payroll deadline - before the pay period has actually ended.
Example: If your pay period ends on Friday and payday is Friday, but payroll approval is needed by Wednesday, your hourly workers would need to submit hours for work they haven't completed yet.
Two Solutions for Hourly Workers
Option 1: Delay Company-Wide Payday (Recommended for Hourly Employees)
This is the best approach if you have many hourly workers on your team.
How it works:
Set your company-wide payday to be a few business days after the pay period ends
This gives hourly workers time to complete and submit their actual hours
Example: Pay period ends Friday → Payday is Wednesday of the following week
Benefits:
Employees submit accurate, completed hours
No guessing or estimating required
Works well for teams with primarily hourly workers
To set this up:
Go to Payroll Settings
Click into the specific payroll (for instance: 'Bi-weekly')
In 'Schedule Settings' click on Offset Payday and then choose 'Offset by 3 business days'
Communicate new pay schedule to your team members
Option 2: Use Invoice Submission (Better for Contractors)
This approach works well for contractors or when you have just a few hourly workers.
How it works:
Contractors submit invoices at the end of the pay period
You review and approve payments based on their submitted hours
Processing happens outside the regular payroll cycle
To set this up:
Disable time submission for the contractor from their Job and Pay Setings
Ensure "Allow Invoices" is enabled for them in their pay settings
Contractors will need to submit invoices with their hours at period end
You'll receive notifications to review and approve their payments
Which Option Should You Choose?
Choose Option 1 (Delayed Payday) if:
You have multiple hourly employees
Your team is primarily hourly workers
You want consistent pay schedules for everyone
Choose Option 2 (Invoice System) if:
You have mostly hourly contractors
Only a few team members are hourly
You prefer to handle contractor payments separately from regular payroll