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People & Payroll Management

Complete guide to managing your farm workforce - from worker registration to attendance tracking, cash advances, and payroll processing

Quick Start Checklist

Navigate to People tab from the sidebar to access workforce management
Add your first worker with their details and pay rate
Record daily attendance using the digital Muster Roll
Track cash advances issued to workers
Generate payroll to calculate pay and recover advances automatically

In This Guide

1. Overview

The People module in FarmSentry helps you digitize your workforce management - from maintaining a single source of truth for your workers to automating complex payroll calculations. Say goodbye to paper muster rolls and manual pay calculations.

What People Management Does

  • Worker Directory: Maintain a complete roster of all farm workers with contact and payment details
  • Digital Muster Roll: Record daily attendance with status tracking (present, absent, sick, leave)
  • Advance Tracking: Issue and track cash advances with automatic recovery during payroll
  • Payroll Engine: Calculate pay based on attendance and payment basis (daily or monthly rates)

People Module Tabs

Workers

View and manage all workers - add new workers, edit details, set pay rates

Attendance

Digital muster roll - record daily attendance for your entire crew

Advances

Track cash advances issued to workers - outstanding and recovered

Payroll

Calculate and finalize payroll - auto-deduct advances, generate pay summaries

Key Benefit: The People module eliminates "ghost workers" by maintaining a verified worker directory, prevents payment errors with automated calculations, and creates an audit trail for all workforce transactions.

2. Worker Management

The Workers tab is your central directory for all farm personnel. Each worker profile contains essential information for identification, communication, and payment processing.

How to Add a Worker

  1. Navigate to People from the sidebar
  2. Ensure you're on the Workers tab
  3. Click the "Add Worker" button
  4. Fill in the worker details in the dialog
  5. Click "Save" to add the worker

Worker Information Fields

Required Fields

  • Full Name: Worker's complete name (minimum 2 characters)

Identification & Contact

  • National ID: Government-issued ID number (must be unique per farm - prevents duplicate registrations)
  • Phone Number: Contact number for the worker
  • Mobile Money Number: Number for digital payments (M-Pesa, etc.)

Role & Status

  • Role: Worker classification
    • Casual: Day laborers, seasonal workers
    • Permanent: Full-time employees
    • Manager: Supervisory staff, foremen
  • Status: Active (currently employed) or Inactive (not currently working)

Payment Configuration

  • Payment Basis: How the worker is compensated
    • Daily: Paid per day worked (casual laborers)
    • Monthly: Fixed monthly salary (permanent staff)
  • Pay Rate: The amount per day (daily basis) or per month (monthly basis) in your farm's currency

Editing Worker Details

To update a worker's information:

  1. Find the worker in the Workers table
  2. Click the Edit button in their row
  3. Update the fields in the dialog
  4. Click "Save" to apply changes

Tip: When onboarding new workers, capture their Mobile Money number for seamless digital payouts. This enables direct-to-phone payments and eliminates the need for cash handling.

Duplicate Prevention: Each National ID can only be registered once per farm. If you try to add a worker with an existing National ID, the system will show an error. This prevents "ghost worker" fraud.

3. Attendance Tracking (Muster Roll)

The digital Muster Roll replaces paper attendance logs. Record daily attendance for your entire workforce with just a few clicks - no more damaged, lost, or manipulated paper records.

How to Record Attendance

  1. Navigate to People → Attendance tab
  2. Select the date using the date picker (defaults to today)
  3. The system displays all active workers in a table
  4. For each worker, select their attendance status from the dropdown
  5. Click "Save Attendance" to record all entries

Attendance Statuses

Present

Worker attended and worked this day. Counts toward payroll calculation.

Absent

Worker did not attend without prior arrangement. Does not count toward pay.

Sick

Worker is ill and unable to work. Track for health patterns and sick leave policies.

Leave

Worker is on approved leave. Does not count toward daily pay calculation.

Bulk Actions

For efficiency when most workers are present:

Mark All Present

Click the "Mark All Present" button to set all workers to "Present" in one click. Then simply update the few workers who were absent, sick, or on leave.

Viewing Past Attendance

To view or edit attendance for a previous date:

  1. Use the date picker to select the desired date
  2. The system loads any existing attendance records for that date
  3. Make changes as needed and click "Save Attendance"

Payroll Integration: Attendance records directly feed into payroll calculations. For daily-paid workers, only days marked as "Present" count toward their gross pay. Make sure attendance is accurate before running payroll.

4. Cash Advances

Track cash advances given to workers mid-pay cycle. The system automatically deducts outstanding advances during payroll finalization, eliminating manual tracking and calculation errors.

How to Issue an Advance

  1. Navigate to People → Advances tab
  2. Click "Issue Advance" button
  3. Select the worker from the dropdown (only active workers shown)
  4. Enter the amount being advanced
  5. Confirm the date issued (defaults to today)
  6. Click "Issue" to record the advance

Understanding Advance Status

Outstanding

The advance has not yet been recovered. It will appear in the worker's payroll deductions when you next run payroll.

Recovered

The advance has been deducted from a payroll run. The system tracks which payroll period recovered the advance.

Viewing Outstanding Advances

The Advances tab shows a table of all outstanding advances with:

  • Worker Name: Who received the advance
  • Amount: How much was advanced (in your farm's currency)
  • Date Issued: When the advance was given
  • Status: Outstanding or Recovered

Automatic Recovery: When you finalize a payroll run, all outstanding advances for each worker are automatically deducted from their gross pay. The advances are then marked as "Recovered" and linked to that payroll period.

Important: If a worker's outstanding advances exceed their gross pay, the system will cap deductions at the gross pay amount (net pay cannot go negative). The remaining advance balance carries forward.

5. Payroll Processing

The Payroll Engine automates pay calculations based on attendance records and worker pay rates. It handles both daily and monthly payment bases and automatically deducts outstanding advances.

Two-Step Payroll Workflow

Step 1: Calculate (Preview)

Generate a preview of payroll calculations to review before finalizing:

  1. 1. Select the Start Date of the pay period
  2. 2. Select the End Date of the pay period
  3. 3. Click "Calculate Payroll"
  4. 4. Review the generated preview table

Step 2: Finalize (Approve)

Once you've reviewed and are satisfied with the calculations:

  1. 1. Click "Finalize Payroll"
  2. 2. The system creates a payroll period record
  3. 3. Individual payroll entries are saved for each worker
  4. 4. Outstanding advances are marked as recovered

Payroll Calculations

Daily-Paid Workers

For workers with Payment Basis = Daily:

Gross Pay = Days Present × Daily Rate

Only attendance records with status "Present" count toward days worked.

Monthly-Paid Workers

For workers with Payment Basis = Monthly:

Gross Pay = Monthly Rate (fixed)

Monthly workers receive their full rate regardless of individual attendance days.

Net Pay Calculation

Net Pay = Gross Pay - Outstanding Advances

Net pay is capped at zero minimum (cannot be negative).

Payroll Preview Table

The payroll preview shows the following for each worker:

  • Worker Name: Full name from worker profile
  • Days Worked: Count of "Present" attendance records in the period
  • Gross Pay: Calculated based on payment basis and rate
  • Advances: Total outstanding advances to be deducted
  • Net Pay: Final amount payable to the worker

The table also shows totals at the bottom for gross pay, advances, and net pay across all workers.

Tip: Always review the payroll preview carefully before finalizing. Check that days worked match your attendance records and that advance deductions are correct. Once finalized, a payroll period cannot be easily undone.

6. Best Practices & Tips

Daily Habits

  • Record attendance daily: Don't let attendance pile up - record it each morning or at day's end while it's fresh
  • Use "Mark All Present": Start with bulk action, then adjust the exceptions - much faster than individual entries
  • Log advances immediately: Record advances the moment they're given to prevent forgetting

Worker Onboarding

  • Collect National ID: This prevents duplicate registrations and "ghost worker" fraud
  • Get Mobile Money number: Enables digital payments and creates a clear payment trail
  • Set correct payment basis: Ensure you configure daily vs monthly correctly at the start
  • Verify pay rates: Double-check rates match agreed terms to avoid disputes

Payroll Tips

  • Verify attendance first: Before running payroll, review attendance records for the period
  • Check advances: Review outstanding advances before finalizing to avoid surprises
  • Consistent pay periods: Use consistent date ranges (weekly, bi-weekly, monthly) for easier tracking
  • Preview before finalizing: Always review the calculation preview thoroughly

Common Scenarios

New Worker Mid-Pay Period

Add the worker immediately. They'll only have attendance records from their start date, so payroll will automatically calculate only for the days they worked.

Worker Leaving Mid-Period

Set their status to "Inactive." Run payroll for the period - they'll receive pay for days worked. Outstanding advances will still be deducted.

Correcting Attendance

Use the date picker to go back to the date that needs correction. Update the status and save. Make sure to do this before finalizing payroll for that period.

Large Advance Balance

If a worker's advances exceed their pay, the system deducts only up to their gross pay (net cannot be negative). The remaining advance carries forward to the next pay period.

Remember: Consistent, accurate record-keeping is the foundation of effective workforce management. The People module creates an audit trail that protects both you and your workers - accurate records mean fewer disputes and clearer accountability.

Questions? Visit our Help Center for more guides and resources, or check out the Getting Started Guide for a complete overview of FarmSentry.