Cut-off date

A cut-off date is the deadline by which all work hours, time-off requests, or changes need to be submitted to be processed for the upcoming payroll period.

Homebase Team

Min Read

What is a cut-off date?

A cut-off date is the deadline by which all work hours, time-off requests, or changes need to be submitted to be processed for the upcoming payroll period. It marks the point at which your payroll system “locks in” employee hours so you can accurately calculate wages, taxes, and deductions.

For small business owners, understanding and communicating your cut-off date is necessary for avoiding late payments, payroll errors, and confusion among your team.

Why the cut-off date matters for payroll

The cut-off date helps you create structure around payroll. It guarantees:

Accurate and on-time paychecks for your employees
Timely processing of tax withholdings and benefit deductions
Less last-minute scrambling to collect time cards or fix time tracking mistakes
Clear expectations for employees about when to submit time-off requests or report missed punches

Small businesses run the risk of underpaying, overpaying, or delaying payroll without a clear cut-off date.

When does the cut-off date typically fall?

The cut-off date is usually a few days before payday. For example:

If you run payroll weekly and payday is Friday, your cut-off date might be Tuesday at noon
If you run payroll biweekly and pay on Fridays, the cut-off might be the Monday or Tuesday before
For semi-monthly payroll, the cut-off could be the 13th and 28th of the month

The exact timeline depends on your payroll provider’s processing window, but it’s always best to give yourself a little buffer to fix last-minute errors.

What happens after the cut-off date?

Once the cut-off date passes:

All worked hours are reviewed and finalized
Time-off and sick leave are accounted for
Any adjustments (like bonuses or reimbursements) are locked in
Payroll is processed based on this data

If an employee forgets to clock in or misses a punch before the cut-off, their pay may need to be corrected on the next paycheck, so having a clear policy is important.

Best practices for managing cut-off dates

Communicate deadlines clearly – Post cut-off dates where your team can see them, or include reminders in your scheduling system
Use automated time tracking – Minimize manual entry and reduce errors
Have a review process – Give managers time to approve timesheets before the deadline
Create a backup plan – Decide how you’ll handle late submissions or corrections

Consistency builds trust and makes payday smoother for everyone.

How Homebase helps with payroll and cut-off dates

Homebase makes it easy to manage payroll deadlines without stress. Our platform lets you:

Automatically track and total employee hours
Approve timesheets with a few clicks
Set cut-off dates and send reminders to your team
Run payroll with confidence, knowing hours and wages are up to date
Sync time tracking and payroll data to eliminate double entry

Explore Homebase payroll to simplify everything from clock-ins to paychecks, and make cut-off dates one less thing to worry about.

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