Alberta payroll software: overtime and payday setup

Understand the Alberta overtime check

Under Alberta’s basic rule, compare overtime hours above eight in a day with overtime hours above 44 in a week and use the greater total. Do not add the two totals together. Industry exceptions, exemptions and qualifying agreements can change the treatment; Alberta’s overtime guidance explains them.

For a simple illustration, an eligible employee working five nine-hour days has five daily overtime hours and one weekly overtime hour. The basic comparison produces five overtime hours, not six. This example assumes no exception, averaging arrangement or overtime agreement. Establish the applicable rules before using it for a real employee.

Keep daily detail when the pay period crosses a work week

A Calgary service business might receive timesheets for a two-week pay period. The reviewer still needs the daily entries and the defined work week. A single total for the pay period is not a substitute for those records. Alberta’s guidance also notes that overtime follows the work week when a pay period ends partway through it.

Choose a timesheet cutoff that leaves room to correct missing entries. Where the period boundary splits a week, preserve enough information for the next reviewer to follow the allocation. Do not quietly reset a weekly calculation at the payroll cutoff.

Example: a manager approves hours while the owner reviews pay

Consider an Edmonton repair shop. The manager knows which shifts were worked; the owner approves the payment totals. The manager’s handoff should identify changed shifts and the source of each correction. The owner should see which earnings relate to ordinary hours and which relate to overtime.

If a worker’s role or an agreement makes the treatment uncertain, resolve that question before approving. A payroll system can process entered information, but an unverified classification remains a business decision. This fictional example demonstrates the review process rather than an industry-specific entitlement.

Price the actual number of runs

Weekly and twice-monthly schedules produce different usage costs. Count the pay dates on your actual calendar and include likely bonus or correction runs when comparing providers. Keep the same headcount and schedule in each quote.

For instance, six people on one PayHr automated run generate $36 in service fees; four such runs generate $144. That excludes setup, optional filings, taxes and the wages themselves. PayHr Manual remains free if your business completes the payment tasks. See our per-run versus monthly pricing guide before comparing a usage fee with a subscription.

What PayHr costs in Alberta

PayHr Manual has a $0 service fee and includes unlimited employees, contractors and manual payroll runs. Your business arranges and verifies manual payments and remittances. Approving a run records payroll; approval alone does not move money.

Optional automated employee, contractor and tax payments cost $6 per person per automated run, with a $25 one-time automated-payment setup fee. Optional automatic ROE filing is $5 per document, and T4 or T4A filing is $15 per document. Prices are in CAD; applicable taxes, wages and remittances are separate. Use the PayHr pricing calculator to budget your actual schedule.

PayHr supports payroll in every Canadian province except Quebec. Province coverage does not establish suitability for every industry, exemption or employment arrangement. Review your specific workflow before approving the first run.

Before your first run

1. Confirm employee information, applicable payroll treatment and supporting employment records.
2. Reconcile opening earnings, deductions and vacation balances with their source reports.
3. Review hours, changed rates and provincial exceptions before approval.
4. Assign separate owners for employee payments, remittances and confirmation checks.

Consult the CRA payroll guidance alongside the provincial sources linked above. Source review: October 1, 2026. These guides address ordinary provincial payroll preparation; federally regulated employment and specialised arrangements need their own review.

Frequently asked questions

Is a weekly hours total enough for Alberta payroll?

For employees under the basic 8/44 overtime rule, retain daily hours as well as the work-week total. Confirm exceptions and agreements before deciding how overtime applies.

Is PayHr Manual free in Alberta?

Yes. Manual payroll has no PayHr service fee. Optional automation and document filing have the charges described above; your business remains responsible for completing and checking its chosen workflow.

Put your next payday in order

Explore PayHr’s payroll software and free manual payroll plan, or follow the workspace setup guide.

Payroll guides for other provinces