Cycle Statuses introduce a clear and structured way to manage your payroll run from start to finish. Each payroll cycle now moves through a set of defined statuses that reflect the real HR payroll process — giving you better visibility, control, and confidence at every step.

What are cycle statuses?

Cycle statuses show the lifecycle of a payroll run in Compensation: where your payroll stands, what you can do now, and what comes next.

Each status matches a real payroll stage, from collecting data to final validation:

Open → In Preparation → Calculation → In Review → Completed

A timeline at the top of each payroll cycle shows these statuses. It highlights the current stage and the next action to take. Other actions are in the additional actions menu.

Why are cycle statuses important?

• See progress at a glance: the timeline shows where the cycle is and what comes next.
• Know what to do next: the main action changes with each stage, so you don't have to hunt through every button.
• Control when data can be edited: the cut-off date sets when managers can still make changes and when data is locked.
• Reduce payroll uncertainty: no more guessing whether payroll has been sent, calculated or finalised.

Payroll cycle statuses explained

Open

The payroll cycle is open and editable.

• Default status when a cycle is created
• Managers can update compensation data and enter variables
• Syncing with other modules is allowed (e.g. time tracking, expenses)
• Runs until the cut-off date

In preparation

The payroll cycle is locked for managers and other modules, and is ready to be sent for calculation.

• Triggered automatically at midnight after the cut-off date (in the payroll cycle's country time zone)
• Manager edits and syncs from other modules are blocked
• HR admins can still adjust the cycle's variables
• If a Per Worked Day variable is approved late, the person running payroll decides whether to pay it this cycle or the next
• The cycle is ready to be exported, synced or sent to your bookkeeper, depending on your setup

Calculation

Payroll data has been sent for calculation. Depending on your setup, this means:

• Exporting a payroll file
• Syncing data with your payroll software
• Sending payroll information to your bookkeeper or payroll professional

At this stage, you're waiting for payroll results.

In review

Payroll results have been received and are ready to check.

• Payroll results are imported into Factorial
• HR can review amounts, validations and outcomes
• SEPA payment files can be generated to prepare salary payments (Net salary amounts are used to generate the SEPA)
• This is the last check before completing the cycle
• Triggered via Import results

Completed

The payroll cycle is finalised, this is a manual step that needs to be triggered by the HR admin.

• Results are confirmed and the cycle is closed
• Payroll data is sent to the Financial Workspace to unlock analytics
• Payroll results can still be imported
• Triggered via Mark as completed. You can complete a cycle on a specific date, not only on the last day of the month.
• If you completed a cycle by mistake, you can reopen it.

How the cut-off date works with cycle statuses

The cut-off date is the last day included in the payroll cycle. It replaces the manual Lock button: when the cut-off date ends, the cycle moves from Open to In Preparation on its own.

Good to know:

• Every payroll cycle has a cut-off date. By default it's the last day of the month.
• You set the default once in Settings → Compensation. You can override it for a single payroll run.
• You can change the cut-off date only for current and future runs, and only to a later date.
• Changing the cut-off date never moves a cycle in In Preparation back to Open.

How to use

1. Go to Compensation
2. Open the relevant payroll cycle
3. Check the timeline to see the current status
4. Follow the highlighted next action to move the cycle forward:
   • Open → In Preparation: happens automatically after the cut-off date
   • In Preparation → Calculation: export, sync or send to your bookkeeper (the action shown depends on your setup)
   • Calculation → In Review: click Import results
   • In Review → Completed: click Mark as completed
   • Completed → back to a previous status: click Reopen cycle
5. Other options are in the additional actions menu

Can I complete a cycle on a custom date?

Yes. You can complete a payroll cycle on a custom date. This is useful when payroll is confirmed earlier or later than expected, or to match your internal or external payroll process.

Once the cycle is completed:

• Payroll data is sent to the Financial Workspace to unlock analytics
• No further edits can be made unless you reopen the cycle
• Payroll results can still be imported

Can I reopen a completed cycle?

Yes. If a cycle was completed by mistake, or you need to import new payroll results, you can reopen it yourself.

Which cycles can be reopened

• Completed cycles for the current period, the previous period and future periods
• For older periods, the Reopen cycle button is shown but disabled

Which status the cycle goes back to

Factorial picks the status for you, and the confirmation window shows it before you confirm:

What is kept

• Imported payroll results are kept
• No compensation lines, additional compensation or observation notes are deleted
• Financial planning keeps the latest imported results

Payments after reopening

If you import new payroll results after reopening:

• Same net pay: nothing new to send, so Send for payment is disabled
• Higher net pay: only the difference is sent as a new payment request
• Lower net pay: nothing is sent. Handle the difference outside Factorial.

How to reopen a cycle

1. Go to Compensation and open the completed cycle
2. Click Reopen cycle in the toolbar
3. Check the status the cycle will go back to, then click Confirm
4. The timeline updates to the new status. When you're done, click Mark as completed to close the cycle again.

To reopen cycles, you need the Reopen Completed Cycle permission.

FAQ

1. Can I move a cycle back to a previous status? 
   Only from Completed. You can reopen a completed cycle for the current, previous or a future period, and it goes back to In Review, In Preparation or Open depending on its data. Otherwise, cycles only move forward: once the cut-off date has passed, a cycle can't be put back to Open by hand.
    
2. Why can't I reopen an older cycle?
   Only completed cycles from the current, previous and future periods can be reopened. This protects payroll that has already been paid and reported.
    
3. Is the cut-off day itself included in the cycle?
   Yes. The cycle moves to In Preparation at midnight after the cut-off date, so anything approved on the cut-off day is included.
    
4. What happens to hours approved after the cut-off?
   They aren't lost. For Per Worked Day variables, you choose whether to pay them in the current cycle or the next one. The extra and special hours can be sent to the following cycle.
    
5. Does reopening a cycle delete my payroll results?
   No. Imported results, compensation lines, supplements and observation notes are all kept.
    
6. Can I complete payroll before the last day of the month?
   Yes. You can complete a cycle on a date that matches your company's payroll schedule.