WHEN TO USE THIS ARTICLE
Use this article when:
you are preparing your data before uploading your employee file
you want to ensure correct mapping of compensation data during import
you need to decide how pay components should be annualised or adjusted to FTE
you are setting up PayGap for the first time
OVERVIEW
Before you upload employee data, you need to configure your pay components in PayGap.
This step matters because every organisation uses a different compensation structure. Pay components may have different names, different pay periods, and different rules for whether they should be standardised to FTE.
In PayGap, you can:
create your own pay components,
organise them into groups,
assign a default pay period to each component,
decide whether a component should be adjusted to FTE.
This article explains how to configure pay components before upload and how these settings affect calculations and analysis in the platform.
Before you start
Before setting up pay components, keep the following in mind:
Each pay component must be configured individually.
This should be completed before uploading employee data.
If a pay component is not created in advance, the related field will not be visible during import and the data will not be imported.
Pay components can later be analysed individually or as part of a group.
STEP-BY-STEP GUIDE
Step 1: Go to Pay components
In PayGap, go to Organization Settings → Pay components. This is where custom fields are configured.
Step 2: Understand the default setup
By default, Base Pay is mandatory and already available in the system.
Base Pay is a standard system component, which means:
it cannot be created here,
it cannot be reordered here,
its pay period is not configured on this screen.
For Base Pay, the pay period is determined during file upload through the Pay Period field in your import file.
All other pay components can be created and grouped in this section.
To keep the setup clear, it is usually best to create your groups first and then add components. However, you can also create components first and assign them to groups later.
Step 3: Create pay component groups
Click Add group to create a group for related pay components.
Groups do not affect file upload directly, but they do affect how pay components are organised, aggregated, and displayed in the platform.
Complete the group fields
Label This is the group name shown in the system.
Use a clear category name that helps users understand which pay components belong together, for example:
STI
LTI
Allowances
Description (optional)
Add a short explanation of what belongs in the group.
This does not affect import logic, but it helps maintain a consistent structure.
Examples:
"Includes annual and short-term bonus components"
"Includes fixed monthly allowances paid outside base salary"
When finished, click Create group.
Step 4: Add a pay component
Click Add pay component to create a new custom pay component.
Each pay component must be configured separately.
Complete the pay component fields
Label
This is the name shown in PayGap.
It does not affect upload mapping, but it determines how the component is displayed in the platform.
Examples:
Annual Bonus
Overtime
Shift Allowance
Short-Term Incentive
Identifier
This is the value the system uses to recognise the corresponding column in your import file. This field is important because the import process uses it to map employee data to the correct pay component.
Group
You can either:
assign the component to an existing group immediately, or
leave it as Unassigned and move it later.
If the relevant group already exists, it is usually best to assign it during setup.
Default pay period
Choose the pay period that should apply to this component by default.
This setting affects how PayGap annualises values.
For example:
if the pay period is Per Year, no annualisation is needed,
if the pay period is Per Month, the value is multiplied by 12,
if the pay period is Per Quarter, the value is multiplied by 4.
Example:
If a pay component value is 1,000 and the default pay period is Per Month, PayGap will treat it as 12,000 annually.
Choosing the correct pay period is essential for accurate total pay calculations.
Description (optional)
You can add an internal description explaining when the component should be used.
This does not affect upload logic, but it can help your team keep the setup clear and consistent.
Needs FTE adjustment
Use this setting when the value in the import file is not already standardised to FTE and should be converted by the system.
When this option is enabled, PayGap uses the employee’s FTE Rate to standardise the value.
When this option is disabled, the system uses the exact value from the import file as provided, regardless of the employee’s FTE Rate.
How to decide whether FTE adjustment is needed?
Not all pay components should be treated the same way.
Some components should be adjusted to FTE, while others should remain exactly as provided in the import file.
Example: when FTE adjustment should be enabled
A part-time employee works at 0.5 FTE and has a monthly value of 2,000 in the import file.
If this amount reflects the employee’s actual part-time value and should be standardised to full-time equivalent, Needs FTE adjustment should be enabled.
If it is not enabled, the system will keep the value at 2,000 and will not account for the employee’s reduced working time. This can understate the employee’s standardised compensation and distort comparisons in the analysis.
Example: when FTE adjustment should stay disabled
Not every component depends on working time.
For example, an internet allowance may be paid as a flat amount to all employees, regardless of whether they work full-time or part-time.
If every employee receives 50 per month and that amount is intentionally the same for everyone, FTE adjustment should remain disabled. Otherwise, the system could incorrectly inflate the value for part-time employees.
Step 5: Move unassigned components into a group
If you created a pay component as Unassigned, you can move it later.
To do this, use the drag handle on the left side of the component row, then drag and drop the component into the correct group.
This allows you to create components first and organise them afterward.
What happens during import
Once your pay components are configured, they become available during employee data import. Your file columns can then be mapped to the relevant pay components in PayGap.
This is why configuration must happen before upload. If a pay component has not been created yet, the corresponding field will not be available and that column will not be imported correctly.
How pay components are used in analysis
After import, your configured pay components are available throughout the platform.
They appear in filters such as the Total Pay filter on the main dashboard, where users can:
analyse individual pay components,
analyse grouped components,
build a custom total pay view based on the structure created in Settings.
This makes it possible to analyse pay gaps not only in total compensation, but also across specific components or categories of pay.
FAQ
Do I need to configure pay components before uploading employee data?
Yes. Pay components should be configured before upload. Otherwise, the relevant fields will not be visible during import and those values will not be imported.
Can I change the pay period for Base Pay here?
No. Base Pay is a standard system component. Its pay period is determined during file upload through the Pay Period field in your import file.
Does the group name affect file import?
No. Group names do not affect upload mapping. They are used to organise, aggregate, and display pay components in the platform.
What does the Identifier do?
The Identifier is used by the system to recognise the corresponding column in your import file.
Should every pay component use FTE adjustment?
No. FTE adjustment should only be enabled when the imported value should be standardised to full-time equivalent. Some components, such as flat allowances, may need to remain unchanged.
Can I create a pay component without assigning it to a group?
Yes. You can leave it as Unassigned and move it to a group later by dragging and dropping it.