If all of your employees are paid at the same time, then you need to set up only one payroll group.

However, the system accommodates up to 255 different groups, and you may need to use several. Setting up different groups enables you to process each at the same time, yet keep their information separate.

Each group is processed as a separate payroll, is on a separate payroll register, and requires a separate check run, although they may be run simultaneously.

An employee is typically associated with only one group at a time, since it requires changing the group number in PR Employees for the system to allow posting. It is therefore recommended that you keep the number of groups to a minimum and use them only where required or more efficient.

Separate groups must be used if they have different pay periods or are paid out of different bank accounts. Here are some additional scenarios where you might want or need different payroll groups:

• Your office staff is paid semi-monthly and their payroll expenses come out of a special payroll fund, whereas your field personnel are paid weekly with their payroll expenses coming out of a general payroll fund. In this case, you would set up two payroll groups.

• Your field employees are paid every Friday, office employees are paid semi-monthly, and the company officers are paid monthly. In this case, you would set up three payroll groups.