Who employs and pays the workers?
The client employs its own staff or workers and funds their pay. VARIENTNOTE LIMITED administers the payroll tasks in the written agreement.
Payroll administration with a clear division of responsibilities
VARIENTNOTE LIMITED provides payroll administration for UK employers and recruitment agencies that pay workers through their own PAYE arrangements. We process agreed pay information, prepare payroll outputs and handle the reporting tasks included in each client agreement. The client remains responsible for employing workers, approving pay and funding wages and statutory payments.
UKPayroll administration for UK employers and recruitment agencies.
What we handle
Our work is built around each pay run. The agreed service can cover gross-to-net calculations, payslips, payroll summaries, starter and leaver updates, PAYE reporting and workplace pension payroll data. We define the included tasks, input deadlines and approval process in writing before the service begins.
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Payroll processing
We calculate pay from the rates, hours, salaries and changes approved by the client.
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Reporting
Where authorised, we submit the relevant payroll reports through the client's employer PAYE scheme.
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Employee records
We process agreed starter, leaver and payroll changes from the client's instructions.
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Pension data
Where included, we prepare payroll deduction and contribution information for the client's chosen pension provider.
Payroll support for recruitment agencies
Recruitment agencies that employ temporary workers may have frequent starters, variable hours and approved timesheets arriving for each pay period. We can administer those pay runs under the agency's own employer arrangements. The agency places and employs its workers; we process the payroll data and provide the agreed reports for review.
We charge the agency for the administration work under a written agreement. We do not take a margin from assignment income or deduct our service fee from workers' wages.
From approved information to a completed pay run
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Agree the scope.
We document the pay frequency, included tasks, fees, cut-off times and authorised contacts.
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Receive the inputs.
The client supplies approved employee details, rates, hours and changes through the agreed channel.
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Check and approve.
We prepare a payroll summary and raise questions. The client's authorised contact approves the figures.
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Finalise and report.
We produce the agreed payslips and reports and make authorised submissions.
The client funds and arranges employee payments, HMRC liabilities and pension contributions under the payment process agreed for the service.
Read the full processWhat your team receives
The outputs for each pay run are agreed at the start of the service. They can include a payroll summary for sign-off, individual payslips, a breakdown of deductions and employer costs, and figures for payments due to workers, HMRC and the pension provider. Your authorised contact can compare those figures with approved timesheets and pay changes before the run is finalised.
We also identify items that need a client decision, such as an unapproved rate change or missing hours. The client resolves those items and confirms the final instruction; we do not decide a worker's contractual pay.
When pay details change
Payroll changes are recorded against the pay period they affect. The client's contact tells us about starters, leavers, revised rates, absence and one-off payments by the agreed cut-off. We use the approved information for that run and raise unclear or incomplete instructions before finalisation where possible.
If a change arrives after approval, we discuss whether it can be included in the current run or needs a correction or additional run. The written agreement explains how additional work is charged.
Moving payroll to us
An orderly handover starts with the existing pay schedule, employee records, year-to-date payroll figures and details of any pension arrangements included in the service. We agree which records the client will provide, who will check opening balances and when the first pay run will take place. If earlier payroll records need repair, we scope that work separately from the ongoing service.
How the business is paid
Our income is the payroll administration fee paid by the employer or agency that contracts with us. We provide a written quote stating the recurring fee basis, what is included and when additional work may be charged. Payroll taxes, pension contributions and employee wages are separate from our fee.
Clear scope for each client
We work from the client's approved records and instructions. Employment decisions, worker status, contractual pay, pension scheme decisions and payment funding remain with the client. We do not recruit or supply workers, act as an umbrella employer, or offer tax or legal advice through this service.
Common questions
ContactDo you submit payroll information to HMRC?
We can include PAYE reporting where the agreement covers it and the required authorisation is in place. The client's PAYE scheme remains the basis for those submissions.
Can we use our current payroll system?
Tell us which system you use. We will confirm the workable process and any access requirements before quoting.
Tell us about your payroll
Email us with your business name, approximate worker or employee count, pay frequency and the tasks you would like us to handle. We will discuss the scope and provide a written quote before work begins.