error: one or more payroll categories cannot be deselected as they have been used on recorded timesheets

Hi vidario1 

I take it you don't use timesheets - this is what causes the issue for FarmNess  - who does use timesheets.

Hi FarmNess 

Don't expect a solution from MYOB any time soon. This is just one of a number of 'annoyances' that MYOB have been aware of for a very long time.

There is a MYOB specialist who can remove payroll categories in bulk, even if they have been used in timesheets. While I understand this is not what you need (the payroll categories are still in use), they might know a way to get around your issue for a specific employee for specific payroll categories. Email me if you want contact details.

Regards

Gavin

If I understand your question correctly, you'll have to go into the Payroll Category, choose Employee, and untick any employees linked to the unused Payroll Category. 

Hi FarmNess 

Thank you for your post. I'd like to extend you a warm welcome to the Community Forum. I hope you find it a valuable resource.

If you'll be unlinking a payroll categories in the Employee's card, this can be done by going to Card File >> card list >> select employee >> select payroll details >> untick the selected payroll categories >> select OK to save changes. Or go to Payroll >>Payroll categories >> select category >> select employee to open the list of employees and untick >> select okay to save changes.

However, it is not possible to unlink a payroll categories once it has been used in a timesheet. This is the reason why you are receiving the error message. If this is unused payroll categories, could you remove it in the timesheet. Once this is not included in the timesheet you can always go back to the employee's payroll details to unlink it.

Please feel free to post again I'm happy to assist.

If my response has answered your enquiry please click "Accept as Solution" to assist other users find this information.

Cheers,

Princess

Hi Princess_R 

thanks for your reply.

However, I am looking for a workaround to this issue - these are payroll categories that have been used on a timesheet and payrun previously. 

The issue is, I have a number of employees whos payroll categories have changed over the years. For example, they were on junior pay rates, and now they are adults on a different pay rate. Or they have been promoted to higher levels etc.

This is a nightmare every pay fortnight, as the list of payroll categories for some employees is very long, even though most of them are legacy categories. They still appear as options, and it results in errors at pay time when the wrong category is accidently chosen. Even categories that havent been used for that employee for many years!

So, is there a workaround that means legacy payroll categories for employees will not appear as an option? 

Cheers

Hi

You can go to the employee card, Payroll Details -> Wages and untick the irrelevant payroll categories from there.

What I like to do with obsolete payroll categories is rename them as such: e.g.  "zDNUBase hourly 1st year Junior". The z will make sure it's listed last alphabetically and the DNU (Do Not Use) in capitals will make sure this category isn't mistakenly chosen. 

Hope that helps

vidario

Hi vidario1 

the trouble is, it won't let me untick them, as they have been used on a payrun for that employee in the past.

Also, changing the name of the category to an archive name wont work, as the category is still used by other employees. It's not obsolete......

Seems like something MYOB should be able to easily fix???

That's strange and I can see how that would be extremely annoying! I'm able to untick payroll categories that have been used before, and I'm pretty sure you should be able to as well. MYOB may have to have a closer look to see if there's something specific to your setup that can be fixed.

Good luck and fingers crossed they can sort you out!

gavin12345 thanks. Email on its way.....

Hi FarmNess 

Thanks for the update. It's great to have you here in the Community forum.

A payroll category cannot actually be removed from an employee’s card if it had ever been recorded on a timesheet for that employee. In the case it has been used previously, you could rename it and add zzz to the front of the wage category name (if no longer in use). This would put it at the bottom of the similar typed wage categories, which would help make it more obvious that the wage category wasn’t being used.

But, if it has never been recorded in a timesheet before, I would make sure there are no unprocessed Timesheets in your system that could be causing this error, even if they are blank without hours in them - you will need to delete these - to avoid the error. You can find these under Reports > Payroll > Unprocessed timesheets > Right-click on the timesheet and delete.

Once you have checked/deleted these, make sure your setup no longer has the timesheet preference ticked. You can check this by going to the Setup dropdown > Preferences > System > then make sure this is unticked next to "I use timesheets for...". You can now go back and try to deselect these categories.

Please let me know if you need further help.

If my response has answered your enquiry please click "Accept as Solution" to assist other users find this information.

Cheers,
Leneth

Hi Leneth_A 

thanks for your reply. Unfortunately, changing the name payroll categories to zzzzsomething isnt an option, as they are used across different employees, and so are categories that I still use. So I really need to be able to unlink them from specific employees who no longer use the category. They have been used on past timesheets, but for may employees, this was years ago.

I have  some employees who have a big long list of up to 15 payroll categoreis that are no longer used by that employee. It is really annoying that MYOB wont let me unlink these categories, as it causes errors at pay day time.

Is there some workaround? You'd think it should be a pretty easy thing for MYOB to rectify, if they cared about ease of use.......