Understanding Your Payslip and Deductions

A payslip is your proof of what you earned and what was taken. In some countries you receive one on paper, in others through an app or a message. Learn to read it in your first month. It is much easier to fix a mistake early than months later.

What a payslip usually shows

• Your name and the employer's name.
• The pay period, such as a month or a week.
• Basic pay.
• Allowances, such as housing, food or transport, if they are paid as money.
• Overtime, with the hours and rate.
• Deductions, which are amounts taken from your pay.
• The net amount, which is what you actually receive.

Basic checks every month

• Is the basic pay what your contract says?
• Are the hours correct? Compare them with your own record of hours.
• Is overtime counted and paid at the agreed rate?
• Are the allowances in your contract included?
• Does the net amount match what arrived in your account or what you were handed?

Deductions

Ask about each deduction that you do not understand. Common reasons include: - Housing or food costs, if your contract says they are deducted. - Insurance or medical contributions. - Repayment of an advance. - Taxes or social contributions, where the country applies them. Each deduction should be in your contract or required by law. A deduction that is not in your contract should be explained in writing. Be careful about deductions for "fees", "fines" or repaying recruitment costs, and ask what they are for.

Pay into your own account

Where possible, be paid into a bank account in your own name, so you have a record. Be cautious about any arrangement where someone else receives your wages.

Keep your payslips

Photograph each one and keep the photos backed up. They help with disputes, with visa renewals and with proving your income later.

If something is wrong

• Write down the difference.
• Ask payroll or your supervisor in writing, calmly, with the period and amounts.
• If it is not fixed, follow the steps in our guide on late or wrong pay.

If you do not get a payslip

Ask for one in writing. A regular record is a basic part of being paid properly, and it protects both sides.

This guide gives general information, not financial or legal advice.