FAIS Network > Payroll Services > PEAR Notes: Tips and Examples

PEAR Notes: Tips and Examples

Pear Comments:

In order to help meet audit requirement needs, the following should be included on your PEARS note:

  • Employee name and WSU I.D. number.
  • Budget and project.
  • Position number.
  • Type of appointment.
  • Rate of pay.
  • Number of hours or FTE.
  • Pay periods(s) affected.

Always include the below on your notes:

  • Reason why the employee was not paid correctly. Please be specific.
  • Steps that have been taken to ensure the problem won’t occur again.
  • How you would like Payroll to resolve the issue. Please be specific. For example: are you requesting a manual check? If so, when does the check need to be prepared? If a check does not need to be made and the employee can wait for the next pay period, please include this in your note. Please note in your comment whether or not you have contacted the employee and that they have requested the check.
  • Please include your contact information for Payroll use.

PEAR Note Examples

Example of incomplete PEAR comment: Sally Smith resigned on 8/15/2013. Please do not process this payment.

Example of proper PEAR comment: Sally Smith, WSU ID# XXXXXXXX, resigned position #XXXXX effective 8/15/13. Our department did not find out about the resignation until after payroll deadlines. The PERMS action has been submitted and approved. Please stop the current check, thank you, Kitty Kat, 335-XXXX.

Butch Cougar was to receive a retention increase 8/16. PETRS 1121. Thank you, Rex. 5-XXXX.
Butch Cougar, WSU ID XXXXXXXX, will have a pay increase on position #XXXXX, effective 8/16/13 that did not make payroll cutoffs. Please include the retroactive adjustment with the September 2013 first half pay cycle. Thank you, Rex Tiger, 335-XXXX.

Butch was supposed to receive compensation for 2 hours of overtime on 8/23/13. His leave report was sent into HRS.
Butch Cougar, WSU ID XXXXXXXX, position # XXXXX, earned 2 hours of overtime on 8/23/13. The time report was sent directly to Human Resource Services instead of Payroll Services, and did not make payroll cutoff times. The 2 hours of overtime can be paid on the first half of September payroll and we will make sure that the overtime time reports go directly to Payroll Services next time. Buck Beaver, 335-XXXX.

Butch Cougar should have been paid 40% and was not. Please correct for next pay cycle. Thanks, Duckie, 5-XXXX.
Butch Cougar, WSU ID# XXXXXXXX, position# XXXXX, had a FTE change from 30 to 40% effective 8/16/13. Please adjust his pay when the paperwork is updated in DEPPS. The employee stated per e-mail that he can wait until his paperwork is in the system before receiving the pay adjustment. Thank you, Duckie Duck, 335-XXXX.

I don’t know why but Butch Cougar was paid twice. He should only receive .112 or $525.00 total.
Butch Cougar, WSU ID# XXXXXXXX, position# XXXXX, was incorrectly paid twice for the 8/31/13 payroll for piece work completed. He worked .112 of a piece for $525.00 total. We have notified the employee and he has responded by e-mail that it will be all right to deduct the extra piece work on the 9/15/13 payroll. Kitty Kat, 335-XXXX.

A LWOP report was submitted for Butch Cougar. His time report states he was on LWOP for Aug 19 and 20. He had a total of 16 hours of LWOP. Butch was overpaid by 16 hours for this pay period. Thank you, Kitty.
Butch Cougar, WSU ID# XXXXXXXX, position# XXXXX, submitted a time report for the second half of August with 16 hours or LWOP, 8 hours each on Aug 19 and 20. The LWOP does not appear on PEARS for the second half of August and Butch is overpaid by 16 hours. We have e-mail confirmation from Butch that it will be all right to subtract the 16 hours of LWOP on the September first half pay cycle. Thank you, Bucky Beaver, 335-XXXX.
Incorrect hours were submitted for pay period. Butch Cougar worked a total of 10.5 hours at $10.00 an hour budget# XXXX-XXXX. Was underpaid for 3 hours, Thank you, Kitty.

Butch Cougar, WSU ID# XXXXXXXX, position #XXXXX, was paid 10.5 hours instead of 13.5 hours actually worked. Daily Activity Report was incorrectly added. We will pay the additional 3 hours on the September first half payroll as a prior period adjustment. The hours were incorrectly added. Will have a second person check all the adding of daily activity reports from now on. Thank you, Teddy Bear, 335-XXXX.
Butch was not paid for the period ending X/X/2013. Butch can wait until the next pay period to receive this pay. Thanks, Kitty 5-XXXXX.
Butch Cougar, WSU ID #XXXXXXXX, Position #XXXXX, was not paid for the first half of September because his appointment effective 9/1/13 had not been approved in PERMS by the payroll deadlines. Per written e-mail confirmation from the employee, please include the pay from the first half of September in the second half payroll. We have set up Outlook reminders of upcoming deadlines to make sure all pending employee actions have been taken care of by the payroll deadlines. Thank you,
Kitty Kat, 5-XXXX.

Overpaid. Please pull check. 0 hours
Butch Cougar, WSU ID #XXXXXXX, Position #XXXXX, was on family medical leave the first half of September and has no available leave balances to use. Please stop the current check. A leave report has been turned into HRS and all supervisors have been given a document schedule to remind them of when time reports need to be turned in. Thanks, Bobby Buffalo, 5-XXXX.

Please cut a check (late timecard). Pos# XXXXXX, rate $21.44/hr hours for pay cycle = 19.25
Butch Cougar, WSU ID #XXXXXXX, Position #XXXXX, missed turning in his time report because of illness. His check is the only support for his family and he can’t wait until next time period to be paid. Please pay 19.25 hours at $21.44/hour on budget XXXX-XXXX. Have developed a time report schedule for all new hires with dates that time reports need to be turned in by. Thanks, Teddy Bear, 5-XXXX

3.5 additional hours worked during previous pay period, ending X/XX/XX that were not recorded on previous daily activity report.
Butch Cougar, WSU ID #XXXXXXX, Position #XXXXX. Employee did not record an additional 3.5 hours worked on his daily activity report on the August second half payroll. Missing hours were discovered during an internal audit of daily activity reports. Will record the 3.5 hours as a prior period adjustment on the September second half payroll. No action required by Payroll. Thanks, Bobby Buffalo, 5-XXXX.

Please stop this payment per the request of the professor. PERMS will be done to stop this also. Thanks, Kitty 5-XXXX.
Butch Cougar, WSU ID #XXXXXXX, Position #XXXXX. Please stop payment for Sep RG2 per request of professor. The employee is no longer working. A separation PERMS has been done with a 9/15 separation date. A departmental meeting has been held to discuss the procedures for reviewing current appointments. Thanks, Kitty Kat, 5-XXXX.