{"id":10053,"date":"2023-10-17T12:00:00","date_gmt":"2023-10-17T10:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/beebole.com\/blog\/?p=10053"},"modified":"2026-07-22T16:22:15","modified_gmt":"2026-07-22T14:22:15","slug":"payroll-variance-guide-finance-hr-managers","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/beebole.com\/blog\/payroll-variance-guide-finance-hr-managers","title":{"rendered":"Payroll variance explained: A comprehensive guide for finance and HR managers"},"content":{"rendered":"<div  class=\"position-relative bbl-summarize-w-ai-block\">\n    <div class=\"bbl-swa-inner \">\n        <div class=\"bbl-swa-inner-top\">\n                            <div class=\"bbl-swa-title\">\n                    TL;DR: What you&#8217;ll learn                <\/div>\n            \n                            <div class=\"bbl-swa-quote montserrat-font\">\n                    <p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Payroll variance measures the gap between what you expected to pay employees and what you actually paid \u2014 left untracked, it quietly erodes project profitability and makes job costing unreliable.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Here&#8217;s what this article covers:<\/span><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><b>What payroll variance is<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">: The definition, and why hourly and salaried employees are affected differently<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><b>Why it matters<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">: The concrete business benefits of tracking it, from accurate job costing to compliance with government contract requirements<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><b>How to calculate it<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">: The formula (Actual \u2212 Expected Payroll Cost), walked through with three real-world examples: minimum wage increases, overtime after a departure, and benefit cost changes after marriage<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><b>How to report it<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">: What a payroll variance report should include, who uses it (finance, HR, business owners), and the most common questions managers ask<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><b>How Beebole fits in<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">: Using timesheet reports, billing and cost rates, and real-time budget tracking to catch cost variance without building a manual spreadsheet<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n                <\/div>\n                    <\/div>\n\n        <div class=\"bbl-swa-actions d-flex justify-content-between\">\n                                                <div\n                        class=\"bbl-swa-actions-label montserrat-font bbl-wider-label\"\n                    >Variance checklist:<\/div>\n                            \n            <div class=\"bbl-swa-logos-outer d-flex\">\n                                <div class=\"bbl-swa-logos\">\n                                            <a\n            class=\"bbl-summarize-w-chatgpt\"\n            href=\"https:\/\/chat.openai.com\/?q=Please%20read%20the%20article%20at%20https:\/\/beebole.com\/blog\/payroll-variance-guide-finance-hr-managers.%20Based%20on%20the%20information%20in%20this%20article,%20put%20together%20a%20short%20checklist%20I%20could%20use%20to%20set%20up%20payroll%20variance%20reporting%20for%20my%20team%20for%20the%20first%20time%20\u2014%20what%20to%20track,%20who%20should%20see%20the%20reports,%20and%20how%20often%20to%20review%20them.%20Stick%20to%20only%20what%20this%20article%20says%20\u2014%20no%20outside%20information%20or%20generic%20knowledge.%20Present%20the%20checklist%20clearly%20and%20concisely.\"\n            rel=\"nofollow noopener noreferrer\" target=\"_blank\"\n        >\n            <svg width=\"28\" height=\"26\" viewBox=\"0 0 28 26\" fill=\"none\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\">\n                <mask id=\"mask0_1578_5676\" style=\"mask-type:luminance\" maskUnits=\"userSpaceOnUse\" x=\"0\" y=\"0\" width=\"28\" height=\"26\">\n                    <path d=\"M27.1171 0H0.882935V26H27.1171V0Z\" fill=\"white\"\/>\n                <\/mask>\n                <g mask=\"url(#mask0_1578_5676)\">\n                    <path d=\"M10.9449 9.46396V6.99394C10.9449 6.78592 11.023 6.62986 11.2049 6.52598L16.171 3.66598C16.847 3.276 17.6531 3.09409 18.4849 3.09409C21.6049 3.09409 23.581 5.51214 23.581 8.08603C23.581 8.26799 23.581 8.47602 23.555 8.68404L18.4069 5.66798C18.095 5.48608 17.7828 5.48608 17.4709 5.66798L10.9449 9.46396ZM22.5409 19.084V13.1819C22.5409 12.8178 22.3848 12.5578 22.0729 12.3759L15.5469 8.57989L17.6789 7.35781C17.8609 7.25393 18.0169 7.25393 18.1989 7.35781L23.165 10.2178C24.5951 11.0499 25.557 12.8178 25.557 14.5337C25.557 16.5097 24.3871 18.3297 22.5409 19.0838V19.084ZM9.41092 13.8841L7.27892 12.6361C7.09702 12.5323 7.01893 12.3761 7.01893 12.1681V6.44817C7.01893 3.66625 9.15093 1.5601 12.037 1.5601C13.1291 1.5601 14.1429 1.92419 15.0011 2.57416L9.87915 5.53826C9.56725 5.72016 9.41119 5.98015 9.41119 6.34429V13.8843L9.41092 13.8841ZM14 16.536L10.9449 14.82V11.1802L14 9.46423L17.0548 11.1802V14.82L14 16.536ZM15.963 24.4401C14.8709 24.4401 13.8571 24.076 12.9989 23.4261L18.1208 20.462C18.4328 20.2801 18.5888 20.0201 18.5888 19.6559V12.1159L20.7469 13.3639C20.9288 13.4677 21.0069 13.6238 21.0069 13.8319V19.5518C21.0069 22.3337 18.8488 24.4399 15.963 24.4399V24.4401ZM9.8009 18.6421L4.83475 15.7822C3.40464 14.95 2.44277 13.1822 2.44277 11.4662C2.44277 9.46423 3.63879 7.67025 5.48467 6.91618V12.8442C5.48467 13.2082 5.64079 13.4682 5.95269 13.6502L12.4528 17.4201L10.3208 18.6421C10.1389 18.746 9.98281 18.746 9.8009 18.6421ZM9.51507 22.9061C6.57704 22.9061 4.41898 20.6961 4.41898 17.9661C4.41898 17.7581 4.44504 17.55 4.47089 17.342L9.59288 20.3061C9.90478 20.4881 10.217 20.4881 10.5289 20.3061L17.0548 16.5363V19.0063C17.0548 19.2143 16.9768 19.3704 16.7948 19.4742L11.8288 22.3342C11.1527 22.7242 10.3467 22.9061 9.51479 22.9061H9.51507ZM15.963 26C19.109 26 21.7349 23.7641 22.3331 20.8C25.2451 20.0459 27.1171 17.3159 27.1171 14.534C27.1171 12.7139 26.3372 10.946 24.9331 9.67198C25.0631 9.12594 25.1411 8.57989 25.1411 8.03412C25.1411 4.31617 22.1251 1.53399 18.641 1.53399C17.9392 1.53399 17.2631 1.63786 16.5871 1.87201C15.4169 0.727951 13.8049 0 12.037 0C8.89099 0 6.26513 2.23587 5.66691 5.19997C2.75494 5.95404 0.882935 8.68404 0.882935 11.466C0.882935 13.2861 1.66285 15.0539 3.0669 16.328C2.9369 16.874 2.85887 17.4201 2.85887 17.9659C2.85887 21.6838 5.87493 24.466 9.35895 24.466C10.0608 24.466 10.7369 24.3621 11.4129 24.1279C12.5828 25.272 14.1948 26 15.963 26Z\" fill=\"#313358\"\/>\n                <\/g>\n            <\/svg>\n        <\/a>\n                                                                    <a\n            class=\"bbl-summarize-w-perplexity\"\n            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href=\"https:\/\/www.google.com\/search?aep=11&#038;udm=50&#038;q=Please%20read%20the%20article%20at%20https:\/\/beebole.com\/blog\/payroll-variance-guide-finance-hr-managers.%20Based%20on%20the%20information%20in%20this%20article,%20put%20together%20a%20short%20checklist%20I%20could%20use%20to%20set%20up%20payroll%20variance%20reporting%20for%20my%20team%20for%20the%20first%20time%20\u2014%20what%20to%20track,%20who%20should%20see%20the%20reports,%20and%20how%20often%20to%20review%20them.%20Stick%20to%20only%20what%20this%20article%20says%20\u2014%20no%20outside%20information%20or%20generic%20knowledge.%20Present%20the%20checklist%20clearly%20and%20concisely.\"\n            rel=\"nofollow noopener noreferrer\" target=\"_blank\"\n        >\n            <svg width=\"29\" height=\"29\" viewBox=\"0 0 29 29\" fill=\"none\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\">\n                <path d=\"M28.8828 14.4703C21.1362 14.9372 14.9348 21.1362 14.4691 28.8828H14.4125C13.9456 21.1362 7.74541 14.9372 0 14.4703V14.4137C7.74661 13.9456 13.9456 7.74661 14.4125 0H14.4691C14.936 7.74661 21.1362 13.9456 28.8828 14.4137V14.4703Z\" fill=\"#262C54\"\/>\n            <\/svg>\n        <\/a>\n                                                                    <a\n            class=\"bbl-summarize-w-grok\"\n            href=\"https:\/\/x.com\/i\/grok?q=Please%20read%20the%20article%20at%20https:\/\/beebole.com\/blog\/payroll-variance-guide-finance-hr-managers.%20Based%20on%20the%20information%20in%20this%20article,%20put%20together%20a%20short%20checklist%20I%20could%20use%20to%20set%20up%20payroll%20variance%20reporting%20for%20my%20team%20for%20the%20first%20time%20\u2014%20what%20to%20track,%20who%20should%20see%20the%20reports,%20and%20how%20often%20to%20review%20them.%20Stick%20to%20only%20what%20this%20article%20says%20\u2014%20no%20outside%20information%20or%20generic%20knowledge.%20Present%20the%20checklist%20clearly%20and%20concisely.\"\n            rel=\"nofollow noopener noreferrer\" target=\"_blank\"\n        >\n            <svg width=\"32\" height=\"32\" viewBox=\"0 0 32 32\" fill=\"none\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\">\n                <path d=\"M12.3998 19.784L21.6343 12.9589C22.0871 12.6243 22.7342 12.7548 22.9499 13.2745C24.0853 16.0155 23.578 19.3094 21.3191 21.571C19.0603 23.8325 15.9173 24.3285 13.0445 23.1989L9.90625 24.6536C14.4074 27.7339 19.8733 26.9721 23.2888 23.5501C25.9981 20.8376 26.8372 17.1403 26.0526 13.8061L26.0597 13.8132C24.9219 8.91511 26.3394 6.9573 29.243 2.95385C29.3117 2.85892 29.3804 2.764 29.4492 2.6667L25.6283 6.49216V6.4803L12.3974 19.7864\" fill=\"#262C54\"\/>\n                <path d=\"M10.4902 21.4428C7.25946 18.3529 7.81648 13.5711 10.5731 10.8136C12.6115 8.77269 15.9513 7.93973 18.8667 9.16426L21.9979 7.71666C21.4338 7.30848 20.7108 6.86946 19.8812 6.56095C16.1314 5.01605 11.6421 5.78494 8.59393 8.83439C5.6619 11.7699 4.73985 16.2836 6.3232 20.1352C7.50597 23.0138 5.56708 25.0498 3.61397 27.105C2.92184 27.8335 2.22735 28.5621 1.66797 29.3333L10.4878 21.4451\" fill=\"#262C54\"\/>\n            <\/svg>\n        <\/a>\n                                                                    <a\n            class=\"bbl-summarize-w-claude\"\n            href=\"https:\/\/claude.ai\/new?q=Please%20read%20the%20article%20at%20https:\/\/beebole.com\/blog\/payroll-variance-guide-finance-hr-managers.%20Based%20on%20the%20information%20in%20this%20article,%20put%20together%20a%20short%20checklist%20I%20could%20use%20to%20set%20up%20payroll%20variance%20reporting%20for%20my%20team%20for%20the%20first%20time%20\u2014%20what%20to%20track,%20who%20should%20see%20the%20reports,%20and%20how%20often%20to%20review%20them.%20Stick%20to%20only%20what%20this%20article%20says%20\u2014%20no%20outside%20information%20or%20generic%20knowledge.%20Present%20the%20checklist%20clearly%20and%20concisely.\"\n            rel=\"nofollow noopener noreferrer\" target=\"_blank\"\n        >\n            <svg width=\"32\" height=\"32\" viewBox=\"0 0 32 32\" fill=\"none\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\">\n                <path d=\"M7.66688 21.2213L13.3509 18.0321L13.4465 17.7551L13.3509 17.601H13.074L12.124 17.5425L8.87626 17.4547L6.05958 17.3376L3.33068 17.1913L2.64407 17.045L2.00037 16.1965L2.06669 15.7733L2.64407 15.3851L3.47112 15.4573L5.29884 15.5821L8.0414 15.7713L10.031 15.8883L12.9784 16.1946H13.4465L13.5128 16.0054L13.3529 15.8883L13.2281 15.7713L10.3899 13.848L7.31772 11.8155L5.70847 10.6451L4.8385 10.0521L4.39961 9.4962L4.2104 8.28292L5.0004 7.41295L6.06153 7.48512L6.33266 7.5573L7.40745 8.38435L9.70331 10.1614L12.7014 12.3694L13.1403 12.7342L13.3158 12.6094L13.3373 12.5216L13.1403 12.1919L11.5096 9.24457L9.76963 6.24649L8.99524 5.00395L8.79043 4.25882C8.71826 3.95257 8.66559 3.69509 8.66559 3.38105L9.56482 2.15997L10.0622 2.00002L11.2618 2.15997L11.7671 2.59885L12.5122 4.30368L13.7196 6.98772L15.5922 10.6373L16.1403 11.7199L16.4329 12.7225L16.5421 13.0287H16.7313V12.8532L16.8854 10.7973L17.1702 8.27317L17.4472 5.02541L17.5428 4.11057L17.9953 3.01433L18.8946 2.42135L19.5968 2.75685L20.1742 3.58391L20.0942 4.11837L19.7509 6.34987L19.0779 9.84536L18.639 12.1861H18.8946L19.1872 11.8935L20.3712 10.3213L22.3608 7.83428L23.2386 6.84728L24.2626 5.75688L24.92 5.23802H26.1625L27.0774 6.5976L26.6677 8.00203L25.3881 9.62494L24.327 11.0001L22.8055 13.0483L21.8556 14.6868L21.9434 14.8175L22.1696 14.796L25.6066 14.0645L27.4636 13.729L29.6795 13.3486L30.6821 13.8168L30.7913 14.2927L30.3973 15.2661L28.0273 15.8513L25.2477 16.4072L21.1085 17.3864L21.0578 17.4235L21.1163 17.4956L22.9811 17.6712L23.7789 17.7141H25.7315L29.3674 17.9852L30.3173 18.6133L30.8869 19.3819L30.7913 19.9671L29.3284 20.7122L27.3544 20.244L22.747 19.1478L21.167 18.7538H20.9486V18.8845L22.2652 20.1719L24.6781 22.3507L27.6996 25.1596L27.8537 25.854L27.4655 26.4021L27.0559 26.3436L24.4011 24.3462L23.3771 23.4469L21.0578 21.4944H20.9037V21.6992L21.4382 22.4814L24.2607 26.724L24.407 28.025L24.2022 28.4483L23.4707 28.7038L22.667 28.5575L21.0149 26.2383L19.3101 23.6264L17.9349 21.2857L17.7671 21.3813L16.9557 30.1219L16.5753 30.5686L15.6975 30.9041L14.9661 30.3482L14.5779 29.449L14.9661 27.672L15.4342 25.3527L15.8146 23.5094L16.1579 21.2193L16.3627 20.4586L16.349 20.4079L16.1813 20.4294L14.455 22.7993L11.8295 26.3475L9.75208 28.5712L9.25467 28.7682L8.39251 28.3215L8.47248 27.5237L8.95428 26.8137L11.8295 23.1563L13.5636 20.8897L14.6832 19.5808L14.6754 19.3916H14.6091L6.97246 24.3501L5.61289 24.5256L5.02771 23.9775L5.09988 23.0783L5.37687 22.7857L7.67273 21.2057L7.66493 21.2135L7.66688 21.2213Z\" fill=\"#262C54\"\/>\n            <\/svg>\n        <\/a>\n                                                            <\/div>\n            <\/div>\n        <\/div>\n    <\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n<h2 id=\"what-is-payroll-variance\" class=\"wp-block-heading\">What is a payroll variance?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>Payroll variance is a running total of how much money your company has paid out to employees for things like overtime, vacation, sick days, and pay raises.<\/strong> It helps finance and HR managers figure out if budgets are being met and if everyone is getting paid the right amount. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Payroll variance reports can be a way to keep track of all the money distributed to employees to ensure they are being treated fairly. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">It can also be used on project reports. For salaried employees, you can use a standard cost rate; for actual costs, you can use payroll variance calculations or effective cost rates to report to your general ledger. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Salaried workers are impacted by payroll variance because hourly workers are compensated according to the number of hours they put in. No matter how many hours they work, salaried employees always get paid the same amount, whether paid internally or via <a href=\"https:\/\/stratus.hr\/resources\/payroll-outsourcing-services-guide\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">outsourced payroll<\/a>. However, rounding problems can cause hourly workers to have payroll variances. Typically, this kind of variance costs less than $1.00.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 id=\"why-payroll-variance-is-important\" class=\"wp-block-heading\">Why is payroll variance important to make smarter business decisions?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">You must manage payroll variance if you want <strong>accurate cost information for jobs.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>Payroll variance is crucial to comprehend and control business data because it offers the following benefits:<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<ol class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Access to current job cost information<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Fair and consistent job pricing <\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Job costs that are simple to reconcile to direct costs in the general ledger <\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>The ability to best evaluate how to use salaried employees most effectively <\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>For businesses using monthly or semimonthly payroll cycles, a variable number of hours across pay periods without much additional work <\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Compliance with requirements for government contracts.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n\n\n\n<h2 id=\"how-to-calculate-payroll-variance\" class=\"wp-block-heading\">How do you calculate payroll variance?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Calculating payroll variance involves<strong> comparing the effective payroll costs to their standard costs.<\/strong> To be more specific, you can figure out a payroll variance by taking the difference between the expected and actual payroll expenses.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<div  class=\"montserrat-font my-5 mx-auto bbl_definition_snippet\">\n  <div class=\"mb-4\">\n    <div class=\"bbl-ds-item question mb-3\">\n      <h2 class=\"h4 mb-0 mt-0\">What is the formula for payroll variance?<\/h2>\n    <\/div>\n    <div class=\"bbl-ds-item answer\">\n      <p>Actual Payroll Cost &#8211; Expected Payroll Cost = Payroll Variance<\/p>\n    <\/div>\n  <\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">For instance, an employee may work more <strong>overtime<\/strong> than anticipated. The expected (standard) payroll cost for this employee was $10,000, but the actual (effective) payroll cost ended up being $11,000. <strong>You would calculate their payroll variance as follows:<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><em>11, 000 &#8211; 10, 000 = 1, 000<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 id=\"examples-payroll-variance\" class=\"wp-block-heading\">Examples of payroll variance<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Example #1:<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Many states have gone above and beyond the federal minimum wage to raise wages for their workers in response to the growing disparity between high- and low-wage earners. This has led to a wave of minimum wage increases across the country, giving millions of workers a much-needed income boost and making it easier for them to get by. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The new higher minimum wages are a big step forward in the fight against poverty and inequality. <strong>Still, they also bring some problems as businesses adjust to paying their staff more. <\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">For this example, let&#8217;s say your business has employees who work at a $13.00\/hour rate. Labor laws in your state have made the minimum wage now $15.00\/hour. Those changes go into effect this week, so their expected pay will be affected. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<div  class=\"montserrat-font my-5 mx-auto bbl_definition_snippet\">\n  <div class=\"mb-4\">\n    <div class=\"bbl-ds-item question mb-3\">\n      <h2 class=\"h4 mb-0 mt-0\">How to use the payroll variance formula to determine how their pay has been affected:<\/h2>\n    <\/div>\n    <div class=\"bbl-ds-item answer\">\n      <p>$15.00\/hour &#8211; $13.00\/hour = $2.00\/hour payroll variance<\/p>\n    <\/div>\n  <\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Because of the change in labor laws, these employees have experienced a $2.00\/hour payroll variance. Their salary has permanently increased, and their expected payroll can be increased in the future to accommodate this.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Example #2:<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>An employee&#8217;s unexpected departure can significantly impact how much overtime their coworkers are expected to work.<\/strong> With one fewer person on the team, more tasks may be left undone, increasing the workload and making it more stressful. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">This may put <strong>additional strain on those who remain in the workforce<\/strong>, requiring them to work longer hours to complete all tasks. Also, it can be hard to find a good replacement as quickly as is needed, so other employees may have to fill the role until a good one is found temporarily. This could result in them having to work overtime. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">In this example, a team in your company has suddenly experienced a critical coworker quitting. As your management team scrambles to find a suitable replacement, each team member works about 5 hours of overtime per week. Each team member gets paid $25.00\/hour, and your company offers double-time pay for overtime hours. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Before their coworker quit, each team member made $1000.00\/week, but now they are making $1250.00\/week. Their pay has been affected unpredictably. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<div  class=\"montserrat-font my-5 mx-auto bbl_definition_snippet\">\n  <div class=\"mb-4\">\n    <div class=\"bbl-ds-item question mb-3\">\n      <h2 class=\"h4 mb-0 mt-0\">We can use the payroll variance formula to determine how their pay has been affected:<\/h2>\n    <\/div>\n    <div class=\"bbl-ds-item answer\">\n      <p>$1250.00\/week &#8211; $1000.00\/week = $250.00\/week payroll variance<\/p>\n    <\/div>\n  <\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">As a result of their coworker leaving the company, each of these team members&#8217; salaries has undergone a payroll variance of $250.00\/week. Since this is only a short-term change, the expected pay for these workers shouldn&#8217;t be adjusted permanently.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Example #3:<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Because of the different eligibility criteria for different types of benefit packages, when an employee marries, their associated benefits at a company may begin to cost more. Most employee benefits, like health insurance, contributions to retirement savings plans, and other options, are tied to the household income level rather than the individual income level.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">When two incomes are combined after marriage, the combined wages may move the employee&#8217;s total household income into a different, possibly higher, bracket, leading to higher employee benefit costs.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">For this example, one of your employees has gotten married and now has a higher income bracket. Per company policy, this employee will now have to pay a higher premium for their benefits. This premium is automatically deducted from their paycheck. Before their marriage, this employee took home $3,800.00 biweekly, but now they will be making $3,650.00.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The payroll variance formula can be used to determine how their pay has been affected.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><em>$3,650.00 biweekly &#8211; $3,800.00 biweekly = -$150.00 biweekly payroll variance<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n<div  class=\"montserrat-font my-5 mx-auto bbl_definition_snippet\">\n  <div class=\"mb-4\">\n    <div class=\"bbl-ds-item question mb-3\">\n      <h2 class=\"h4 mb-0 mt-0\">Let&#8217;s use the payroll variance formula to determine how their pay has been affected:<\/h2>\n    <\/div>\n    <div class=\"bbl-ds-item answer\">\n      <p>$3,650.00 biweekly &#8211; $3,800.00 biweekly = -$150.00 biweekly payroll variance<\/p>\n    <\/div>\n  <\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Because this employee is in a higher income bracket, their biweekly pay has experienced a -$150.00 biweekly payroll variance. This change will most likely be in place for the long term, so their expected payroll should be updated accordingly.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 id=\"how-to-report-payroll-variance\" class=\"wp-block-heading\">How do you report payroll variance?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">You can report payroll variance in a variety of ways. <strong>The most common method is to create a spreadsheet that includes employee wages and total hours worked.<\/strong> Once this information has been compiled, you can easily identify discrepancies between expected and actual wages. Additionally, the variance report can <strong>audit payroll data for accuracy and calculate penalties or other charges when necessary<\/strong>. Management teams can use the data from these reports to take further action.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Rather than rebuilding this spreadsheet every period, a tool like <a class=\"highlighted-link bbl-link-hs bbl-link-hs-v-1\" href=\"https:\/\/beebole.com\"><span>Beebole<svg width=\"17\" height=\"18\" viewBox=\"0 0 17 18\" fill=\"none\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\"><path fill-rule=\"evenodd\" clip-rule=\"evenodd\" d=\"M11.25 0.875H15.625C15.7908 0.875 15.9497 0.940848 16.0669 1.05806C16.1842 1.17527 16.25 1.33424 16.25 1.5V5.875C16.25 6.04076 16.1842 6.19973 16.0669 6.31694C15.9497 6.43415 15.7908 6.5 15.625 6.5C15.4592 6.5 15.3003 6.43415 15.1831 6.31694C15.0658 6.19973 15 6.04076 15 5.875V3.00833L4.81667 13.1917C4.69819 13.3021 4.54148 13.3622 4.37956 13.3593C4.21765 13.3565 4.06316 13.2909 3.94865 13.1764C3.83414 13.0618 3.76854 12.9074 3.76569 12.7454C3.76283 12.5835 3.82293 12.4268 3.93333 12.3083L14.1167 2.125H11.25C11.0842 2.125 10.9253 2.05915 10.8081 1.94194C10.6908 1.82473 10.625 1.66576 10.625 1.5C10.625 1.33424 10.6908 1.17527 10.8081 1.05806C10.9253 0.940848 11.0842 0.875 11.25 0.875ZM2.5 4.625C2.16848 4.625 1.85054 4.7567 1.61612 4.99112C1.3817 5.22554 1.25 5.54348 1.25 5.875V14.625C1.25 14.9565 1.3817 15.2745 1.61612 15.5089C1.85054 15.7433 2.16848 15.875 2.5 15.875H11.25C11.5815 15.875 11.8995 15.7433 12.1339 15.5089C12.3683 15.2745 12.5 14.9565 12.5 14.625V7.75C12.5 7.58424 12.5658 7.42527 12.6831 7.30806C12.8003 7.19085 12.9592 7.125 13.125 7.125C13.2908 7.125 13.4497 7.19085 13.5669 7.30806C13.6842 7.42527 13.75 7.58424 13.75 7.75V14.625C13.75 15.288 13.4866 15.9239 13.0178 16.3928C12.5489 16.8616 11.913 17.125 11.25 17.125H2.5C1.83696 17.125 1.20107 16.8616 0.732233 16.3928C0.263392 15.9239 0 15.288 0 14.625V5.875C0 5.21196 0.263392 4.57607 0.732233 4.10723C1.20107 3.63839 1.83696 3.375 2.5 3.375H9.375C9.54076 3.375 9.69973 3.44085 9.81694 3.55806C9.93415 3.67527 10 3.83424 10 4C10 4.16576 9.93415 4.32473 9.81694 4.44194C9.69973 4.55915 9.54076 4.625 9.375 4.625H2.5Z\"\/><\/svg><\/span><\/a> can generate the comparison directly from tracked time. <a href=\"https:\/\/beebole.com\/employee-timesheet-reports\">Custom reports<\/a> can be grouped by person, project, or period and include <strong>Billing<\/strong>, <strong>Cost<\/strong>, and <strong>Margin<\/strong> columns, so the gap between expected and actual cost is visible without manual reconciliation. The <a href=\"https:\/\/beebole.com\/help\/documentation\/reports#budget-status\"><strong>Budget Status<\/strong> report<\/a> goes further \u2014 it tracks actual cost and billing against each project&#8217;s target in real time and flags projects automatically once consumption passes 80%, then again when a project goes over budget, so variances surface before someone has to go looking for them.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure data-wp-context=\"{&quot;imageId&quot;:&quot;6a663ec3f2d31&quot;}\" data-wp-interactive=\"core\/image\" data-wp-key=\"6a663ec3f2d31\" class=\"wp-block-image aligncenter size-large wp-lightbox-container\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"700\" height=\"438\" data-wp-class--hide=\"state.isContentHidden\" data-wp-class--show=\"state.isContentVisible\" data-wp-init=\"callbacks.setButtonStyles\" data-wp-on--click=\"actions.showLightbox\" data-wp-on--load=\"callbacks.setButtonStyles\" data-wp-on--pointerdown=\"actions.preloadImage\" data-wp-on--pointerenter=\"actions.preloadImageWithDelay\" data-wp-on--pointerleave=\"actions.cancelPreload\" data-wp-on-window--resize=\"callbacks.setButtonStyles\" src=\"https:\/\/beebole.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/project-financials-tracking-project-variance-in-real-time-700x438.png\" alt=\"Budget status reports in Beebole help overruns before they happen\" class=\"wp-image-14881\" title=\"\" srcset=\"https:\/\/beebole.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/project-financials-tracking-project-variance-in-real-time-700x438.png 700w, https:\/\/beebole.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/project-financials-tracking-project-variance-in-real-time-768x480.png 768w, https:\/\/beebole.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/project-financials-tracking-project-variance-in-real-time-1536x960.png 1536w, https:\/\/beebole.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/project-financials-tracking-project-variance-in-real-time-2048x1280.png 2048w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 700px) 100vw, 700px\" \/><button\n\t\t\tclass=\"lightbox-trigger\"\n\t\t\ttype=\"button\"\n\t\t\taria-haspopup=\"dialog\"\n\t\t\tdata-wp-bind--aria-label=\"state.thisImage.triggerButtonAriaLabel\"\n\t\t\tdata-wp-init=\"callbacks.initTriggerButton\"\n\t\t\tdata-wp-on--click=\"actions.showLightbox\"\n\t\t\tdata-wp-style--right=\"state.thisImage.buttonRight\"\n\t\t\tdata-wp-style--top=\"state.thisImage.buttonTop\"\n\t\t>\n\t\t\t<svg xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" width=\"12\" height=\"12\" fill=\"none\" viewBox=\"0 0 12 12\">\n\t\t\t\t<path fill=\"#fff\" d=\"M2 0a2 2 0 0 0-2 2v2h1.5V2a.5.5 0 0 1 .5-.5h2V0H2Zm2 10.5H2a.5.5 0 0 1-.5-.5V8H0v2a2 2 0 0 0 2 2h2v-1.5ZM8 12v-1.5h2a.5.5 0 0 0 .5-.5V8H12v2a2 2 0 0 1-2 2H8Zm2-12a2 2 0 0 1 2 2v2h-1.5V2a.5.5 0 0 0-.5-.5H8V0h2Z\" \/>\n\t\t\t<\/svg>\n\t\t<\/button><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">The <a href=\"https:\/\/beebole.com\/help\/documentation\/reports#budget-status\">Budget Status report in Beebole<\/a> tracks cost and billing against each project&#8217;s target in real time.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>Payroll differences should be reported regularly<\/strong> to ensure that the effective costs of payroll are the same as what is standard. To report a payroll variance, you need to include the difference between actual and expected costs.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Payroll variances are reported to various individuals, including <strong>financial managers, business owners, and human resources departments<\/strong>. Tracking payroll variances over time is essential to find problems before they get too expensive.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<div\n    class=\"montserrat-font my-5 mx-auto p-4 p-lg-5 bbl_customer_story_blurb\"\n  style=\"background-image:url('https:\/\/beebole.com\/blog\/wp-content\/themes\/sage\/public\/images\/block-csb-bk.18ecf3.png')\"\n>\n  <div class=\"position-relative\">\n    \n    <div class=\"bbl-csb-text\">\n      <p data-start=\"67\" data-end=\"311\">For organizations managing complex projects, payroll variance isn\u2019t just an HR metric\u2014it\u2019s a deciding factor in project profitability. <strong>Rancho BioSciences<\/strong>, with 130+ employees and hundreds of simultaneous projects, knows this better than most.<\/p>\n<p data-start=\"313\" data-end=\"600\">With Beebole, they:<br data-start=\"336\" data-end=\"339\" \/>\ud83d\ude80 Track budget variance in real time at the project level<br data-start=\"398\" data-end=\"401\" \/>\ud83d\ude80 Spot overtime and rate drift before it undermines profitability<br data-start=\"467\" data-end=\"470\" \/>\ud83d\ude80 Reconcile payroll and invoicing seamlessly with API rollups<br data-start=\"532\" data-end=\"535\" \/>\ud83d\ude80 Align labor costs with overall project and business strategy<\/p>\n    <\/div>\n\n          <a class=\"d-inline-block bbl-csb-link mt-2\" href=\"https:\/\/beebole.com\/blog\/how-to-avoid-project-cost-overruns\/\">\n        Read the case study\n        <svg width=\"14\" height=\"14\" viewBox=\"0 0 14 14\" fill=\"none\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\">\n          <path d=\"M5.25 10.5L8.75 7L5.25 3.5\" stroke=\"#424240\" stroke-width=\"1.16667\" stroke-linecap=\"round\" stroke-linejoin=\"round\"\/>\n        <\/svg>\n      <\/a>\n      <\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n<h2 id=\"how-to-use-payroll-variance-reports-to-improve-bottom-line\" class=\"wp-block-heading\">The logistics of payroll variance: How to use payroll variance reports to improve your bottom line<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">What does variance mean on a timesheet?<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>When an <a class=\"highlighted-link bbl-link-hs bbl-link-hs-v-1\" href=\"https:\/\/beebole.com\" data-type=\"link\" data-id=\"https:\/\/beebole.com\"><span>employee&#8217;s timesheet<svg width=\"17\" height=\"18\" viewBox=\"0 0 17 18\" fill=\"none\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\"><path fill-rule=\"evenodd\" clip-rule=\"evenodd\" d=\"M11.25 0.875H15.625C15.7908 0.875 15.9497 0.940848 16.0669 1.05806C16.1842 1.17527 16.25 1.33424 16.25 1.5V5.875C16.25 6.04076 16.1842 6.19973 16.0669 6.31694C15.9497 6.43415 15.7908 6.5 15.625 6.5C15.4592 6.5 15.3003 6.43415 15.1831 6.31694C15.0658 6.19973 15 6.04076 15 5.875V3.00833L4.81667 13.1917C4.69819 13.3021 4.54148 13.3622 4.37956 13.3593C4.21765 13.3565 4.06316 13.2909 3.94865 13.1764C3.83414 13.0618 3.76854 12.9074 3.76569 12.7454C3.76283 12.5835 3.82293 12.4268 3.93333 12.3083L14.1167 2.125H11.25C11.0842 2.125 10.9253 2.05915 10.8081 1.94194C10.6908 1.82473 10.625 1.66576 10.625 1.5C10.625 1.33424 10.6908 1.17527 10.8081 1.05806C10.9253 0.940848 11.0842 0.875 11.25 0.875ZM2.5 4.625C2.16848 4.625 1.85054 4.7567 1.61612 4.99112C1.3817 5.22554 1.25 5.54348 1.25 5.875V14.625C1.25 14.9565 1.3817 15.2745 1.61612 15.5089C1.85054 15.7433 2.16848 15.875 2.5 15.875H11.25C11.5815 15.875 11.8995 15.7433 12.1339 15.5089C12.3683 15.2745 12.5 14.9565 12.5 14.625V7.75C12.5 7.58424 12.5658 7.42527 12.6831 7.30806C12.8003 7.19085 12.9592 7.125 13.125 7.125C13.2908 7.125 13.4497 7.19085 13.5669 7.30806C13.6842 7.42527 13.75 7.58424 13.75 7.75V14.625C13.75 15.288 13.4866 15.9239 13.0178 16.3928C12.5489 16.8616 11.913 17.125 11.25 17.125H2.5C1.83696 17.125 1.20107 16.8616 0.732233 16.3928C0.263392 15.9239 0 15.288 0 14.625V5.875C0 5.21196 0.263392 4.57607 0.732233 4.10723C1.20107 3.63839 1.83696 3.375 2.5 3.375H9.375C9.54076 3.375 9.69973 3.44085 9.81694 3.55806C9.93415 3.67527 10 3.83424 10 4C10 4.16576 9.93415 4.32473 9.81694 4.44194C9.69973 4.55915 9.54076 4.625 9.375 4.625H2.5Z\"\/><\/svg><\/span><\/a> shows a different amount of time worked than expected<\/strong>, this is a form of payroll variance. This can be due to employees forgetting to clock in or out, taking longer breaks than allowed, or working overtime without recording it on their timesheets. Employee hours can also be affected by things outside the company, such as economic conditions or changes in labor laws or rules.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">How can I get a variance report from payroll?<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">You can get a variance report from payroll by creating a spreadsheet with all employee earnings and total hours worked. If you are using an automated payroll system, <strong>the system should have a built-in report feature that allows you to generate the report.<\/strong> You can also figure out the difference for each employee by hand by subtracting their actual earnings from what they were expected to make. This method is often used to make sure payroll calculations are correct when doing an audit.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">On the time-and-cost side, this built-in report feature is exactly what Beebole provides: set an expected cost rate per person, project, or tag, track actual cost against a project budget in real time, and let Budget Status flag the variance automatically rather than pulling the comparison together by hand.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure data-wp-context=\"{&quot;imageId&quot;:&quot;6a663ec3f3643&quot;}\" data-wp-interactive=\"core\/image\" data-wp-key=\"6a663ec3f3643\" class=\"wp-block-image aligncenter size-large wp-lightbox-container\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"700\" height=\"410\" data-wp-class--hide=\"state.isContentHidden\" data-wp-class--show=\"state.isContentVisible\" data-wp-init=\"callbacks.setButtonStyles\" data-wp-on--click=\"actions.showLightbox\" data-wp-on--load=\"callbacks.setButtonStyles\" data-wp-on--pointerdown=\"actions.preloadImage\" data-wp-on--pointerenter=\"actions.preloadImageWithDelay\" data-wp-on--pointerleave=\"actions.cancelPreload\" data-wp-on-window--resize=\"callbacks.setButtonStyles\" src=\"https:\/\/beebole.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/how-to-set-costs-in-Beebole-700x410.png\" alt=\"Setting up costs in Beebole is simple and customizable\" class=\"wp-image-14879\" title=\"\" srcset=\"https:\/\/beebole.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/how-to-set-costs-in-Beebole-700x410.png 700w, https:\/\/beebole.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/how-to-set-costs-in-Beebole-768x450.png 768w, https:\/\/beebole.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/how-to-set-costs-in-Beebole.png 1429w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 700px) 100vw, 700px\" \/><button\n\t\t\tclass=\"lightbox-trigger\"\n\t\t\ttype=\"button\"\n\t\t\taria-haspopup=\"dialog\"\n\t\t\tdata-wp-bind--aria-label=\"state.thisImage.triggerButtonAriaLabel\"\n\t\t\tdata-wp-init=\"callbacks.initTriggerButton\"\n\t\t\tdata-wp-on--click=\"actions.showLightbox\"\n\t\t\tdata-wp-style--right=\"state.thisImage.buttonRight\"\n\t\t\tdata-wp-style--top=\"state.thisImage.buttonTop\"\n\t\t>\n\t\t\t<svg xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" width=\"12\" height=\"12\" fill=\"none\" viewBox=\"0 0 12 12\">\n\t\t\t\t<path fill=\"#fff\" d=\"M2 0a2 2 0 0 0-2 2v2h1.5V2a.5.5 0 0 1 .5-.5h2V0H2Zm2 10.5H2a.5.5 0 0 1-.5-.5V8H0v2a2 2 0 0 0 2 2h2v-1.5ZM8 12v-1.5h2a.5.5 0 0 0 .5-.5V8H12v2a2 2 0 0 1-2 2H8Zm2-12a2 2 0 0 1 2 2v2h-1.5V2a.5.5 0 0 0-.5-.5H8V0h2Z\" \/>\n\t\t\t<\/svg>\n\t\t<\/button><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Set up costs in Beebole to help accurately track project variance in real time.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">What should be included in a payroll variance report?<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>The difference between the expected and actual costs should be listed in the payroll variance report, along with an explanation of why there is a difference. <\/strong>The report should also list any changes that have happened over time so that problems can be found before they get too expensive to fix. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Also, it helps to give any information about relevant trends and activities that could help explain the difference. For example, if a company has had more employees than usual, there may be more payroll costs associated with their employment, which could help explain a higher variance amount.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">What does payroll variance reporting mean?<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Payroll variance reporting is <strong>the process of keeping track of and writing down the differences between what was expected and what was actually spent on payroll.<\/strong> This helps find potential problems. This process is critical because it lets management know about possible problems before they become too expensive.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Who exactly uses payroll variance reports?<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Payroll variance reports are used by a wide range of people, including financial managers, business owners, and human resource departments.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h4 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Financial managers:<\/h4>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Financial managers use the data found on payroll variance reports to monitor how well a company&#8217;s payroll system works and find any problems that need to be fixed.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h4 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Business owners:<\/h4>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Business owners use this information from payroll variance reports to judge how well a company plans its budget and utilizes its resources.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h4 class=\"wp-block-heading\">HR departments:<\/h4>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The human resources department uses payroll variance reports to ensure that employees are paid fairly for their work.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">By keeping track of how payroll costs change over time, <strong>companies can figure out what might need to be changed or improved to ensure their payroll costs are correct<\/strong>. Management teams can then use the analyzed data from payroll variance reports to make well-informed changes or adjustments. Changes such as increasing staff, offering salaries to hourly employees, or changing employee benefits can help management run the business more cost-effectively.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">How do you factor in a payroll variance?<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Before you can figure out a payroll difference, you must first figure out <strong>why the difference happened.<\/strong> It could be because of wrong employee pay rates, mistakes in keeping track of time, overtime pay, or other things. Once you know what happened, you can look at the payroll data to determine how much of the difference can be attributed to each factor.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>Payroll variance reports help employers understand labor costs and plan for future expenses. <\/strong>Furthermore, these reports can highlight areas where the company may need to take action to address any discrepancies or inefficiencies in its payroll systems.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 id=\"payroll-variance-FAQ\" class=\"wp-block-heading\">Payroll variance: Frequently asked questions<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">1. Is payroll variance reported as a number or a percentage?<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Payroll variance is reported as the difference between expected and actual wages.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong><em>The variance can be depicted as a number:<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">For example, an employee is expected to earn $15\/hour, but their actual wages come out to be $14.50\/hour. This is how it would be depicted in the payroll variance equation.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><em>$14.50\/hour &#8211; $15.00\/hour = -$0.50\/hour (The payroll variance would be reported as -$0.50\/hour.)<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Actual Payroll Cost &#8211; Expected Payroll Cost = Payroll Variance<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong><em>The variance can also be depicted as a percentage:<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Use the variance from the last example to find the payroll variance as a percentage.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><em>-$0.50\/hour \u00f7 $15.00\/hour = 100(0.0333) = -3.33% (It would be reported as -3.33%)<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Payroll Variance \u00f7 Expected Payroll Cost = 100(Payroll Variance in %)<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">2. Why is indirect labor reduced for payroll variance?<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">For payroll variance, indirect labor is less important because it doesn&#8217;t involve things like making or selling. Indirect labor, on the other hand, is done by people who take care of the building, help with office work, and do other tasks that don&#8217;t directly help make goods or services. <strong>Reducing indirect labor helps companies control costs and only pay employees for revenue-related activities.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">3. What causes payroll variance?<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Several internal and external factors can affect the difference in payroll at a company. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>On the employee level, things like changes in wage rates, unplanned absences, overtime pay, using paid vacation or sick time, and hazard or incentive pay can all cause payroll variances. <\/strong>Additionally, management can impact payroll variance through miscalculations, employee turnover, giving out bonuses, and changing expenses for employee benefits. Lastly, payroll variance can be caused by things outside of the company, such as inflation or changes in labor laws.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">4. How is a salary variance report different from a payroll variance report?<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">A salary variance report and a payroll variance report are different in the following ways:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Salary variance report:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Shows the difference between employee salaries paid out to them in various months.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Used to identify mistakes in salary calculations.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Contains details of all deduction and earning components for every employee for a given month.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Highlights the difference between amounts in each component.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Payroll variance report:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>A monthly analysis tool used by finance and HR managers to review potential significant variances in actual employee compensation compared to the budget.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Groups employees into two main categories and presents the actual salaries with a comparison to the budget and displays the difference.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>The two employee categories are classified salaries with subsections for permanent and temporary positions, and unclassified salaries with subsections for permanent and temporary positions.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>The purpose of an actual to budget payroll variance report is to easily detect major differences between budgeted and actual compensation.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">In summary, the key difference lies in the scope and level of detail. A salary variance report concentrates on individual salary discrepancies, while a payroll variance report provides a more comprehensive view of all payroll-related expenses.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 id=\"how-beebole-can-improve-payroll-variance-analysis\" class=\"wp-block-heading\">How to use Beebole to improve payroll variance analysis<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">One location for all the reports you need<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>With a tool like <a class=\"highlighted-link bbl-link-hs bbl-link-hs-v-1\" href=\"https:\/\/beebole.com\"><span>Beebole<svg width=\"17\" height=\"18\" viewBox=\"0 0 17 18\" fill=\"none\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\"><path fill-rule=\"evenodd\" clip-rule=\"evenodd\" d=\"M11.25 0.875H15.625C15.7908 0.875 15.9497 0.940848 16.0669 1.05806C16.1842 1.17527 16.25 1.33424 16.25 1.5V5.875C16.25 6.04076 16.1842 6.19973 16.0669 6.31694C15.9497 6.43415 15.7908 6.5 15.625 6.5C15.4592 6.5 15.3003 6.43415 15.1831 6.31694C15.0658 6.19973 15 6.04076 15 5.875V3.00833L4.81667 13.1917C4.69819 13.3021 4.54148 13.3622 4.37956 13.3593C4.21765 13.3565 4.06316 13.2909 3.94865 13.1764C3.83414 13.0618 3.76854 12.9074 3.76569 12.7454C3.76283 12.5835 3.82293 12.4268 3.93333 12.3083L14.1167 2.125H11.25C11.0842 2.125 10.9253 2.05915 10.8081 1.94194C10.6908 1.82473 10.625 1.66576 10.625 1.5C10.625 1.33424 10.6908 1.17527 10.8081 1.05806C10.9253 0.940848 11.0842 0.875 11.25 0.875ZM2.5 4.625C2.16848 4.625 1.85054 4.7567 1.61612 4.99112C1.3817 5.22554 1.25 5.54348 1.25 5.875V14.625C1.25 14.9565 1.3817 15.2745 1.61612 15.5089C1.85054 15.7433 2.16848 15.875 2.5 15.875H11.25C11.5815 15.875 11.8995 15.7433 12.1339 15.5089C12.3683 15.2745 12.5 14.9565 12.5 14.625V7.75C12.5 7.58424 12.5658 7.42527 12.6831 7.30806C12.8003 7.19085 12.9592 7.125 13.125 7.125C13.2908 7.125 13.4497 7.19085 13.5669 7.30806C13.6842 7.42527 13.75 7.58424 13.75 7.75V14.625C13.75 15.288 13.4866 15.9239 13.0178 16.3928C12.5489 16.8616 11.913 17.125 11.25 17.125H2.5C1.83696 17.125 1.20107 16.8616 0.732233 16.3928C0.263392 15.9239 0 15.288 0 14.625V5.875C0 5.21196 0.263392 4.57607 0.732233 4.10723C1.20107 3.63839 1.83696 3.375 2.5 3.375H9.375C9.54076 3.375 9.69973 3.44085 9.81694 3.55806C9.93415 3.67527 10 3.83424 10 4C10 4.16576 9.93415 4.32473 9.81694 4.44194C9.69973 4.55915 9.54076 4.625 9.375 4.625H2.5Z\"\/><\/svg><\/span><\/a>, you can create any report you need<\/strong> across time, expense, and task records, and filter by person, project, task, tag, date, and more. Each report you make can be saved as a template and organized into folders to stay as organized as possible. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure data-wp-context=\"{&quot;imageId&quot;:&quot;6a663ec3f3dc8&quot;}\" data-wp-interactive=\"core\/image\" data-wp-key=\"6a663ec3f3dc8\" class=\"wp-block-image aligncenter size-large is-resized wp-lightbox-container\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"700\" height=\"396\" data-wp-class--hide=\"state.isContentHidden\" data-wp-class--show=\"state.isContentVisible\" data-wp-init=\"callbacks.setButtonStyles\" data-wp-on--click=\"actions.showLightbox\" data-wp-on--load=\"callbacks.setButtonStyles\" data-wp-on--pointerdown=\"actions.preloadImage\" data-wp-on--pointerenter=\"actions.preloadImageWithDelay\" data-wp-on--pointerleave=\"actions.cancelPreload\" data-wp-on-window--resize=\"callbacks.setButtonStyles\" src=\"https:\/\/beebole.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/Beebole-report-builder-700x396.png\" alt=\"Build any sort of report you need in Beebole with their customizable report builder\" class=\"wp-image-14875\" style=\"aspect-ratio:1.7677768131954859;width:700px;height:auto\" title=\"\" srcset=\"https:\/\/beebole.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/Beebole-report-builder-700x396.png 700w, https:\/\/beebole.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/Beebole-report-builder-768x434.png 768w, https:\/\/beebole.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/Beebole-report-builder.png 1030w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 700px) 100vw, 700px\" \/><button\n\t\t\tclass=\"lightbox-trigger\"\n\t\t\ttype=\"button\"\n\t\t\taria-haspopup=\"dialog\"\n\t\t\tdata-wp-bind--aria-label=\"state.thisImage.triggerButtonAriaLabel\"\n\t\t\tdata-wp-init=\"callbacks.initTriggerButton\"\n\t\t\tdata-wp-on--click=\"actions.showLightbox\"\n\t\t\tdata-wp-style--right=\"state.thisImage.buttonRight\"\n\t\t\tdata-wp-style--top=\"state.thisImage.buttonTop\"\n\t\t>\n\t\t\t<svg xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" width=\"12\" height=\"12\" fill=\"none\" viewBox=\"0 0 12 12\">\n\t\t\t\t<path fill=\"#fff\" d=\"M2 0a2 2 0 0 0-2 2v2h1.5V2a.5.5 0 0 1 .5-.5h2V0H2Zm2 10.5H2a.5.5 0 0 1-.5-.5V8H0v2a2 2 0 0 0 2 2h2v-1.5ZM8 12v-1.5h2a.5.5 0 0 0 .5-.5V8H12v2a2 2 0 0 1-2 2H8Zm2-12a2 2 0 0 1 2 2v2h-1.5V2a.5.5 0 0 0-.5-.5H8V0h2Z\" \/>\n\t\t\t<\/svg>\n\t\t<\/button><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\"><a href=\"https:\/\/beebole.com\/employee-timesheet-reports\">Beebole&#8217;s report builder<\/a> lets you build the exact report your team needs, helping you better manage both your projects and teams.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>Centralizing information<\/strong> allows you to easily access the information you require without searching multiple systems. This saves you time and money by allowing you to manage your projects and the team better while spending less time on administration and payroll. It lets you focus on other essential tasks while streamlining your company&#8217;s operations. Furthermore, because Beebole provides a single secure platform for your business, <strong>having all your information in one place reduces the risk of data loss or theft.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">You control your time tracking data<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">You can <strong>easily share branded timesheet reports with clients and coworkers by exporting them to a CSV file, a PDF file, or Google Drive with Beebole<\/strong>. Your company can create automated, easily digestible summaries of team performance, logged hours, and any other data it keeps track of using the <a href=\"https:\/\/beebole.com\/integrations\/excel\">Microsoft Excel add-in<\/a> or the <a href=\"https:\/\/beebole.com\/integrations\/google-sheets\">Google Sheets add-on<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Your company can keep its old software, making it easier for you and your team to switch. Thanks to its API, almost any ERP or payroll tool can be integrated with Beebole.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Ease of access<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">In Beebole, reports live in the <strong>Reports<\/strong> section of the sidebar, organized into folders, and each one can be viewed as a <strong>table, chart, or matrix<\/strong>. Reports can be run from any folder, filtered and grouped on the fly, and scheduled to email themselves to specific people or groups on a recurring basis. Beebole is available on desktop and through its mobile app, so reporting isn&#8217;t tied to one device.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure data-wp-context=\"{&quot;imageId&quot;:&quot;6a663ec3f40e5&quot;}\" data-wp-interactive=\"core\/image\" data-wp-key=\"6a663ec3f40e5\" class=\"wp-block-image aligncenter size-large wp-lightbox-container\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"700\" height=\"490\" data-wp-class--hide=\"state.isContentHidden\" data-wp-class--show=\"state.isContentVisible\" data-wp-init=\"callbacks.setButtonStyles\" data-wp-on--click=\"actions.showLightbox\" data-wp-on--load=\"callbacks.setButtonStyles\" data-wp-on--pointerdown=\"actions.preloadImage\" data-wp-on--pointerenter=\"actions.preloadImageWithDelay\" data-wp-on--pointerleave=\"actions.cancelPreload\" data-wp-on-window--resize=\"callbacks.setButtonStyles\" src=\"https:\/\/beebole.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/project-financial-report-in-beebole-700x490.png\" alt=\"An example report of margin per month per client in Beebole\" class=\"wp-image-14880\" title=\"\" srcset=\"https:\/\/beebole.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/project-financial-report-in-beebole-700x490.png 700w, https:\/\/beebole.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/project-financial-report-in-beebole-768x538.png 768w, https:\/\/beebole.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/project-financial-report-in-beebole-1536x1076.png 1536w, https:\/\/beebole.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/project-financial-report-in-beebole.png 1600w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 700px) 100vw, 700px\" \/><button\n\t\t\tclass=\"lightbox-trigger\"\n\t\t\ttype=\"button\"\n\t\t\taria-haspopup=\"dialog\"\n\t\t\tdata-wp-bind--aria-label=\"state.thisImage.triggerButtonAriaLabel\"\n\t\t\tdata-wp-init=\"callbacks.initTriggerButton\"\n\t\t\tdata-wp-on--click=\"actions.showLightbox\"\n\t\t\tdata-wp-style--right=\"state.thisImage.buttonRight\"\n\t\t\tdata-wp-style--top=\"state.thisImage.buttonTop\"\n\t\t>\n\t\t\t<svg xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" width=\"12\" height=\"12\" fill=\"none\" viewBox=\"0 0 12 12\">\n\t\t\t\t<path fill=\"#fff\" d=\"M2 0a2 2 0 0 0-2 2v2h1.5V2a.5.5 0 0 1 .5-.5h2V0H2Zm2 10.5H2a.5.5 0 0 1-.5-.5V8H0v2a2 2 0 0 0 2 2h2v-1.5ZM8 12v-1.5h2a.5.5 0 0 0 .5-.5V8H12v2a2 2 0 0 1-2 2H8Zm2-12a2 2 0 0 1 2 2v2h-1.5V2a.5.5 0 0 0-.5-.5H8V0h2Z\" \/>\n\t\t\t<\/svg>\n\t\t<\/button><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">A look at Beebole&#8217;s dynamic reporting features<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n    <div class=\"bbl-testimonials set_testimonials-block\">\n                    <div class=\"item\">\n                <div class=\"item-text\">I can&#8217;t say enough about how easy and effective Beebole is for tracking time on projects. It is incredibly powerful yet simple to use. No one wants a &#8220;solution&#8221; that takes more time than the time-saving it is supposed to provide. For tracking projects and different scopes within a project, this is the easiest and most efficient use of my time. It gives us accurate and detailed information to include with client billing.<\/div>\n                <div class=\"item-author\">\n                    Philip N.                                            ,                         <span class=\"position-company\">\n                            Owner                                                             at                                                         Philip Neumann Energy Design                        <\/span>\n                                    <\/div>\n            <\/div>\n            <\/div>\n\n\n\n<h2 id=\"beebole-features-explained\" class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Beebole features<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Employee time reports<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Beebole will completely <strong>transform the way you examine your <a class=\"highlighted-link bbl-link-hs bbl-link-hs-v-1\" href=\"https:\/\/beebole.com\/employee-timesheet-reports\/\"><span>timesheet reports<svg width=\"17\" height=\"18\" viewBox=\"0 0 17 18\" fill=\"none\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\"><path fill-rule=\"evenodd\" clip-rule=\"evenodd\" d=\"M11.25 0.875H15.625C15.7908 0.875 15.9497 0.940848 16.0669 1.05806C16.1842 1.17527 16.25 1.33424 16.25 1.5V5.875C16.25 6.04076 16.1842 6.19973 16.0669 6.31694C15.9497 6.43415 15.7908 6.5 15.625 6.5C15.4592 6.5 15.3003 6.43415 15.1831 6.31694C15.0658 6.19973 15 6.04076 15 5.875V3.00833L4.81667 13.1917C4.69819 13.3021 4.54148 13.3622 4.37956 13.3593C4.21765 13.3565 4.06316 13.2909 3.94865 13.1764C3.83414 13.0618 3.76854 12.9074 3.76569 12.7454C3.76283 12.5835 3.82293 12.4268 3.93333 12.3083L14.1167 2.125H11.25C11.0842 2.125 10.9253 2.05915 10.8081 1.94194C10.6908 1.82473 10.625 1.66576 10.625 1.5C10.625 1.33424 10.6908 1.17527 10.8081 1.05806C10.9253 0.940848 11.0842 0.875 11.25 0.875ZM2.5 4.625C2.16848 4.625 1.85054 4.7567 1.61612 4.99112C1.3817 5.22554 1.25 5.54348 1.25 5.875V14.625C1.25 14.9565 1.3817 15.2745 1.61612 15.5089C1.85054 15.7433 2.16848 15.875 2.5 15.875H11.25C11.5815 15.875 11.8995 15.7433 12.1339 15.5089C12.3683 15.2745 12.5 14.9565 12.5 14.625V7.75C12.5 7.58424 12.5658 7.42527 12.6831 7.30806C12.8003 7.19085 12.9592 7.125 13.125 7.125C13.2908 7.125 13.4497 7.19085 13.5669 7.30806C13.6842 7.42527 13.75 7.58424 13.75 7.75V14.625C13.75 15.288 13.4866 15.9239 13.0178 16.3928C12.5489 16.8616 11.913 17.125 11.25 17.125H2.5C1.83696 17.125 1.20107 16.8616 0.732233 16.3928C0.263392 15.9239 0 15.288 0 14.625V5.875C0 5.21196 0.263392 4.57607 0.732233 4.10723C1.20107 3.63839 1.83696 3.375 2.5 3.375H9.375C9.54076 3.375 9.69973 3.44085 9.81694 3.55806C9.93415 3.67527 10 3.83424 10 4C10 4.16576 9.93415 4.32473 9.81694 4.44194C9.69973 4.55915 9.54076 4.625 9.375 4.625H2.5Z\"\/><\/svg><\/span><\/a><\/strong>. Beebole keeps track of how much time your employees spend working and makes detailed and dynamic timesheet reports. Not only can you configure multidimensional reports (toggle between charts and graphs), but there are also 11 chart types to choose from. These reports can be easily exported and sent to any team member, and Beebole&#8217;s <a href=\"https:\/\/beebole.com\/integrations\/excel\">Excel add-in<\/a> and <a href=\"https:\/\/beebole.com\/integrations\/google-sheets\">Google Sheets add-on<\/a> make it easy to refresh your timesheet data and keep it up to date in your favorite spreadsheet tool.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure data-wp-context=\"{&quot;imageId&quot;:&quot;6a663ec400441&quot;}\" data-wp-interactive=\"core\/image\" data-wp-key=\"6a663ec400441\" class=\"wp-block-image aligncenter size-large wp-lightbox-container\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"700\" height=\"394\" data-wp-class--hide=\"state.isContentHidden\" data-wp-class--show=\"state.isContentVisible\" data-wp-init=\"callbacks.setButtonStyles\" data-wp-on--click=\"actions.showLightbox\" data-wp-on--load=\"callbacks.setButtonStyles\" data-wp-on--pointerdown=\"actions.preloadImage\" data-wp-on--pointerenter=\"actions.preloadImageWithDelay\" data-wp-on--pointerleave=\"actions.cancelPreload\" data-wp-on-window--resize=\"callbacks.setButtonStyles\" src=\"https:\/\/beebole.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/Excel-addin-for-Beebole-700x394.png\" alt=\"The Excel add-in for Beebole makes it easy to keep your Beebole data up to date in Excel\" class=\"wp-image-14878\" title=\"\" srcset=\"https:\/\/beebole.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/Excel-addin-for-Beebole-700x394.png 700w, https:\/\/beebole.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/Excel-addin-for-Beebole-768x432.png 768w, https:\/\/beebole.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/Excel-addin-for-Beebole.png 1366w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 700px) 100vw, 700px\" \/><button\n\t\t\tclass=\"lightbox-trigger\"\n\t\t\ttype=\"button\"\n\t\t\taria-haspopup=\"dialog\"\n\t\t\tdata-wp-bind--aria-label=\"state.thisImage.triggerButtonAriaLabel\"\n\t\t\tdata-wp-init=\"callbacks.initTriggerButton\"\n\t\t\tdata-wp-on--click=\"actions.showLightbox\"\n\t\t\tdata-wp-style--right=\"state.thisImage.buttonRight\"\n\t\t\tdata-wp-style--top=\"state.thisImage.buttonTop\"\n\t\t>\n\t\t\t<svg xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" width=\"12\" height=\"12\" fill=\"none\" viewBox=\"0 0 12 12\">\n\t\t\t\t<path fill=\"#fff\" d=\"M2 0a2 2 0 0 0-2 2v2h1.5V2a.5.5 0 0 1 .5-.5h2V0H2Zm2 10.5H2a.5.5 0 0 1-.5-.5V8H0v2a2 2 0 0 0 2 2h2v-1.5ZM8 12v-1.5h2a.5.5 0 0 0 .5-.5V8H12v2a2 2 0 0 1-2 2H8Zm2-12a2 2 0 0 1 2 2v2h-1.5V2a.5.5 0 0 0-.5-.5H8V0h2Z\" \/>\n\t\t\t<\/svg>\n\t\t<\/button><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">The <a href=\"https:\/\/beebole.com\/integrations\/excel\">Excel add-in for Beebole<\/a> in action<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Billable hours<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Billing options In Beebole are created to accommodate any situation your company may face, so you can <strong>set billing rates by organization, tag, project, or person, and choose how each one is charged.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n    <div class=\"bbl-testimonials set_testimonials-block\">\n                    <div class=\"item\">\n                <div class=\"item-text\"><span data-sheets-value=\"{&quot;1&quot;:2,&quot;2&quot;:&quot;\\&quot;As a manager, we use Beebole to capture and report time for over 150 projects. We monitor billable and non-billable project time logged by a team member. We use reports to evaluate how to increase our billable project time. We also use Beebole to view who is under- and over- utilized throughout the year. Beebole reporting has become an integral part of resource discussions with upper management. Overall, Beebole is easy to use by both an individual team member and those needing to extract data for management reports.\\&quot;&quot;}\" data-sheets-userformat=\"{&quot;2&quot;:4545,&quot;3&quot;:{&quot;1&quot;:5,&quot;2&quot;:&quot;m\/d&quot;,&quot;3&quot;:1},&quot;9&quot;:0,&quot;10&quot;:0,&quot;11&quot;:4,&quot;15&quot;:&quot;arial,sans,sans-serif&quot;}\">As a manager, we use Beebole to capture and report time for over 150 projects. We monitor billable and non-billable project time logged by a team member. We use reports to evaluate how to increase our billable project time. We also use Beebole to view who is under- and over- utilized throughout the year. Beebole reporting has become an integral part of resource discussions with upper management. Overall, Beebole is easy to use by both an individual team member and those needing to extract data for management reports.<\/span><\/div>\n                <div class=\"item-author\">\n                    Edward M.                                            ,                         <span class=\"position-company\">\n                            Manager                                                             at                                                         RR Donnelley                        <\/span>\n                                    <\/div>\n            <\/div>\n            <\/div>\n\n\n\n<h4 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Billing methods offered:<\/h4>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Every billing rate uses one of four methods:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>Hourly rate:<\/strong> A fixed amount per hour worked<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Daily rate:<\/strong> A fixed amount per day worked<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Fixed fee:<\/strong> A flat amount regardless of time spent \u2014 and it can now <strong>repeat automatically<\/strong> (weekly, monthly, or yearly), which makes it a good fit for a recurring retainer<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Non-billable:<\/strong> No billing amount is calculated for the covered time. Leaving billing blank isn&#8217;t the same as marking something non-billable \u2014 a blank setting can still inherit a rate from elsewhere (like a company-wide default), while &#8220;Non-billable&#8221; always results in $0 regardless of setup<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Each rate can be set at four levels \u2014 <strong>organization<\/strong> (a company-wide default), <strong>tag<\/strong> (a default for a department or client group), <strong>project<\/strong> (including its subprojects), or <strong>person<\/strong> (e.g., a contractor&#8217;s specific rate) \u2014 and rates cascade down from broader levels unless overridden more specifically.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure data-wp-context=\"{&quot;imageId&quot;:&quot;6a663ec400a04&quot;}\" data-wp-interactive=\"core\/image\" data-wp-key=\"6a663ec400a04\" class=\"wp-block-image aligncenter size-full wp-lightbox-container\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"502\" height=\"300\" data-wp-class--hide=\"state.isContentHidden\" data-wp-class--show=\"state.isContentVisible\" data-wp-init=\"callbacks.setButtonStyles\" data-wp-on--click=\"actions.showLightbox\" data-wp-on--load=\"callbacks.setButtonStyles\" data-wp-on--pointerdown=\"actions.preloadImage\" data-wp-on--pointerenter=\"actions.preloadImageWithDelay\" data-wp-on--pointerleave=\"actions.cancelPreload\" data-wp-on-window--resize=\"callbacks.setButtonStyles\" src=\"https:\/\/beebole.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/Billing-rate-options-in-Beebole.png\" alt=\"Beebole offers various billing rate options with daily rate, fixed fee, hourly rate, and non-billable\" class=\"wp-image-14876\" title=\"\"><button\n\t\t\tclass=\"lightbox-trigger\"\n\t\t\ttype=\"button\"\n\t\t\taria-haspopup=\"dialog\"\n\t\t\tdata-wp-bind--aria-label=\"state.thisImage.triggerButtonAriaLabel\"\n\t\t\tdata-wp-init=\"callbacks.initTriggerButton\"\n\t\t\tdata-wp-on--click=\"actions.showLightbox\"\n\t\t\tdata-wp-style--right=\"state.thisImage.buttonRight\"\n\t\t\tdata-wp-style--top=\"state.thisImage.buttonTop\"\n\t\t>\n\t\t\t<svg xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" width=\"12\" height=\"12\" fill=\"none\" viewBox=\"0 0 12 12\">\n\t\t\t\t<path fill=\"#fff\" d=\"M2 0a2 2 0 0 0-2 2v2h1.5V2a.5.5 0 0 1 .5-.5h2V0H2Zm2 10.5H2a.5.5 0 0 1-.5-.5V8H0v2a2 2 0 0 0 2 2h2v-1.5ZM8 12v-1.5h2a.5.5 0 0 0 .5-.5V8H12v2a2 2 0 0 1-2 2H8Zm2-12a2 2 0 0 1 2 2v2h-1.5V2a.5.5 0 0 0-.5-.5H8V0h2Z\" \/>\n\t\t\t<\/svg>\n\t\t<\/button><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\"><a href=\"https:\/\/beebole.com\/help\/documentation\/billing#billing-methods\">Setting up billing methods<\/a> in Beebole couldn&#8217;t be simpler<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">A flexible time tracking solution: What users say about Beebole<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Beebole&#8217;s all-in-one project time tracking software can track your team&#8217;s time, breaks, billable hours, as well as time spent on clients, projects, and tasks. Apart from the fact that it can be completely molded to your team and its needs, you can also count on live support in English, French, and Spanish during both North American and European business hours. If you&#8217;re looking for a tool that&#8217;s easy to use, flexible, and customizable, look no further.<\/p>\n\n\n\n    <div class=\"bbl-testimonials set_testimonials-block\">\n                    <div class=\"item\">\n                <div class=\"item-text\">Beebole&#8217;s Google Sheets integration is the winner for us. I love that you can easily integrate with Sheets; it makes my reporting an absolute breeze. Two clicks and the latest data is imported and ready for interrogation; it makes Beebole a really powerful tool.<\/div>\n                <div class=\"item-author\">\n                    Sarah G.                                            ,                         <span class=\"position-company\">\n                            Operations director                                                             at                                                         Ostmodern                        <\/span>\n                                    <\/div>\n            <\/div>\n                    <div class=\"item\">\n                <div class=\"item-text\">I generate several reports to look at timesheet data and easily export them to Excel.<\/div>\n                <div class=\"item-author\">\n                    Robert P.                                            ,                         <span class=\"position-company\">\n                            Bookkeeper                                                             at                                                         Apex Analytics                        <\/span>\n                                    <\/div>\n            <\/div>\n            <\/div>\n\n\n\n<h2 id=\"conclusion\" class=\"wp-block-heading\">Closing thoughts on payroll variance and its importance<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The importance of knowing whether budgets are being met and if everyone is being paid the right amount is irrefutable. <strong>A well-done payroll variance report provides key insight into current job cost conformation, and allows leaders to make informed, smart decisions.<\/strong> That\u2019s exactly why payroll variance reporting simply can\u2019t be skipped or done poorly. Whether you\u2019re looking to improve your project reporting or simply your general payroll process and reporting, we hope this article has pointed you in the right direction.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>Let us know what your biggest struggle is when it comes to payroll variance reporting in the comments below. We\u2019d love to hear from you.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u2014<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Photo by StellrWeb on Unsplash<\/p>\n\n\n<div  class=\"mb-4 call_to_action-block\">\n    <div class=\"call_to_action-blockcontent py-5 px-4 text-center border-top border-bottom\">\n                    <h4 class=\"call_to_action-header h2 mt-0\">Streamline Your Payroll Variance Reports<\/h4>\n                        <div class=\"call_to_action-btns btns-wrap d-block d-lg-flex justify-content-center mx-auto\">\n                            <a class=\"w-100 w-lg-auto btn btn-outline-primary text-primary link-light me-lg-4 mb-3 mb-lg-0 bbl_cta_block_demo_btn \" href=\"https:\/\/beebole.com\/sales-call\" id=\"cta_post_10053_article_demo_1\">Book a Call<\/a>\n                                        <a class=\"w-100 w-lg-auto btn btn-primary text-light bbl_cta_block_signup_btn \" href=\"https:\/\/app.beebole.com\/signup\" id=\"cta_post_10053_article_sign_up_1\"><span>Sign Up<\/span><\/a>\n                    <\/div>\n    <\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><\/p>\n<div class=\"bbl-post-disclaimer\">The experts who have written or contributed to this article are independent from Beebole, and their contribution doesn't serve as endorsement for our company\/tool or their past\/present organizations, employers, or associates.<\/div>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>What is a payroll variance? Payroll variance is a running total of how much money your company has paid out to employees for things like overtime, vacation, sick days, and pay raises. It helps finance and HR managers figure out if budgets are being met and if everyone is getting paid the right amount. Payroll [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":44,"featured_media":10859,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":true,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[4011],"tags":[1468],"class_list":["post-10053","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-project-management","tag-finance"],"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/beebole.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/10053","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/beebole.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/beebole.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/beebole.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/44"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/beebole.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=10053"}],"version-history":[{"count":58,"href":"https:\/\/beebole.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/10053\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":14888,"href":"https:\/\/beebole.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/10053\/revisions\/14888"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/beebole.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/10859"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/beebole.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=10053"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/beebole.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=10053"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/beebole.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=10053"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}