Answer benefits and payroll questions
Explain payslips, deductions and benefits in plain language.
People and HR · When you ask · Updated
Works with
- Slack
SlackHow do you explain a payslip?
To explain a payslip, an employee asks Maito in Slack or by email what a line means. Maito reads your pay and benefits policies, explains what the line is, whether money is taken from pay, and why it appears, in plain words, and sends the person to payroll when the answer needs their real figures.
How it's done today
People are confused by their payslip and email HR.
What Maito does
- Read the question
- Explain using the policy and provider guides
Example
@Maito What is this "benefit in kind" line on my payslip? Is something being taken out?
No, nothing is taken from your pay for it. It's the taxable value of a benefit you receive. At Northstar that is the company health insurance. Because insurance is a benefit, tax authorities count part of its value as income. The line makes sure tax is calculated on it, so your tax can be a little higher even though your pay is the same. Catch: if you added a family member to the plan this year, the value goes up, and so does the line. That usually happens in the first payslip after the change. From the benefits guide and the insurance provider's summary. I can't see your payslip numbers, so I've asked payroll to confirm the exact amount for you.
@Maito I did add my partner in September.
That fits. Payroll will reply here with your exact figure. Ask them for the September change date.
Sam (9:15 AM):
What is this "benefit in kind" line on my payslip? Is something being taken out?
Maito (9:16 AM):
No, nothing is taken from your pay for it. It's the taxable value of a benefit you receive. At Northstar that is the company health insurance.
Because insurance is a benefit, tax authorities count part of its value as income. The line makes sure tax is calculated on it, so your tax can be a little higher even though your pay is the same.
Catch: if you added a family member to the plan this year, the value goes up, and so does the line. That usually happens in the first payslip after the change.
From the benefits guide and the insurance provider's summary. I can't see your payslip numbers, so I've asked payroll to confirm the exact amount for you.
Sam (9:21 AM):
I did add my partner in September.
Maito (9:22 AM):
That fits. Payroll will reply here with your exact figure. Ask them for the September change date.
How to set it up
- Set up
Nothing to set up. Ask in Slack or by email whenever you need it.
What it won't do
Maito explains terms and policies. It is not tax or legal advice, and it cannot check whether a payslip is correct.
Questions
Only what you share with it. Employees can attach their own payslip, and Maito explains the lines on it.
From your benefits and payroll policies. Maito also explains general terms in plain language.
No. It can say a line looks unexpected and suggest asking payroll.
