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Compare the payslip with the written terms and records used to calculate your bonus, commission or incentive, then ask your employer or payroll team in writing to explain the figure. Keep the payslip and supporting records. Whether an amount is owed—and what you can do if it is not paid—depends on your location and the terms of your pay arrangement.
What counts as variable pay, and why can it differ from your expectation?
Variable pay is compensation that can change according to performance, sales, targets or other conditions. It may include a bonus, commission, incentive payment or a similar amount. A payslip showing less than you expected does not by itself establish that the employer calculated it incorrectly: the payment may depend on plan terms, the period in which it is earned, or performance records that are not printed on the payslip.
Start with the agreement that governs the payment. That might be your employment contract, a written bonus or commission plan, or another applicable employment arrangement. Look for how the amount is calculated, which targets apply, when the payment is earned, when it is paid, and whether conditions affect eligibility. In the UK, GOV.UK says: “Your employer should base your performance-related pay on clear, measurable targets – they should tell you about these.” A target or formula that was not communicated clearly is worth raising, but the effect on your entitlement depends on the facts and applicable terms.
Use the records behind the calculation as well as the payslip. Depending on the plan, these might include sales credited to you, completed targets, eligible hours, rosters, or other performance inputs. The payslip is an important record of what was paid, but it may not show every step of the calculation.
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Identify what kind of discrepancy you have
Before contacting payroll, classify the problem. These categories help you ask a focused question; they do not establish which explanation applies in your case.
- Calculation or entry error: The payment may have been calculated from incorrect sales, hours, target results, rates, or other data, or entered incorrectly into payroll.
- Timing under the plan: The amount may be earned in one period but paid in another, if that is what the written terms provide. Check the plan rather than assuming the pay date.
- Disagreement about an earning condition: You and the employer may differ over whether a target was met, which transactions count, or whether another condition applies. Ask for the specific rule and records behind the decision.
- Possible deduction or inaccurate payslip record: The gross variable-pay amount may be correct while deductions or other payslip details appear wrong. In the UK, suspected false payroll records or deductions shown as paid to HMRC but not actually remitted are a distinct concern from an ordinary bonus-calculation dispute.
How to check the amount before raising it
- Find the governing terms. Collect your contract and the relevant version of the bonus, commission or incentive plan. Note the pay period and any provisions about targets, calculation, eligibility and payment timing.
- Gather the inputs. Compare the plan’s requirements with the records used to assess them: for example, sales or target reports, hours, rosters, or other relevant performance records. In Australia, Fair Work Ombudsman recommends checking payslips, rosters, bank statements and employment records, and identifying the applicable award or agreement where relevant.
- Write down the discrepancy. Record the period, the amount shown, the amount you expected, and how you reached that expectation. If you cannot calculate the precise amount because the employer controls an input or formula, identify the missing information and ask for it instead of guessing.
- Check the payment trail. Compare the payslip with the payment received and any available payroll or tax records. This can help distinguish a missing payment from a payment that was made but recorded differently, or a concern about deductions.
- Keep copies together. Save the payslip, plan or contract, relevant performance records, rosters or hours where applicable, bank statement and related messages. Keep the original documents and make notes of conversations, dates and any agreed next steps.
Ask payroll or your employer for a written explanation
Raise the issue with your manager, payroll contact or employer using the normal workplace channel. Be factual and specific: identify the pay period and payslip line, state the amount shown and the amount or calculation you expected, and explain which records you used. Ask them to provide the calculation and explain whether the payment was omitted, deferred, adjusted or assessed as not earned. If a particular plan term or performance record appears relevant, name it.
A written request gives both sides a clear record of the question. GOV.UK advises workers in the UK who think owed bonus or commission has been missed to speak to the employer, request a written calculation, and keep letters and notes of meetings. Fair Work Ombudsman in Australia advises raising the issue with supporting information, making notes of discussions and following up in writing after a conversation.
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You can adapt this message without assuming the employer has made an error:
“I’m checking my variable pay for [pay period]. My payslip shows [amount or no payment], while my records show [brief basis for expected amount]. Please send me the calculation used, including the relevant plan terms and performance inputs, and explain whether the amount was omitted, deferred, adjusted or considered not payable. I’ve attached [relevant records].”
Replace the bracketed text with your details. If payroll identifies a data problem, ask what correction will be made and when you should expect an updated payslip or payment. If the explanation relies on information you cannot see, ask how to obtain or verify that information.
Allow time for a response and keep a clear record
Save your written request and any reply with the documents for that pay period. If you speak by phone or in person, note when the conversation happened, who took part, what was said and what the next step is; then send a brief written summary if needed to confirm your understanding.
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Repair common Windows errors and clear accumulated junk for a smoother, more stable PC - no reinstall needed.Free scan · no reinstallThere is no universal response period established for every country or pay plan. Fair Work Ombudsman gives one week as an example of time to allow an Australian employer to respond. Treat that as practical guidance, not a legal deadline that applies everywhere. If the employer gives a response date, record it and follow up if it passes without an answer.
What to do if the explanation does not resolve it
If the amount remains disputed or you receive no useful explanation, use the employer’s formal grievance or complaint procedure where available. Provide the original question, the plan terms, your calculation or the missing inputs, the employer’s explanation and the supporting records. State what information or correction you are seeking. Keep communication professional and retain copies.
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You can also seek guidance from the employment authority for your location, a union, Citizens Advice in the UK, Acas in the UK, or a qualified adviser. The appropriate route depends on the country, the kind of claim and the terms that apply; do not assume a process or time limit from another jurisdiction applies to you.
United Kingdom
GOV.UK says that non-payment of commission or bonus included in a contract may be a breach of contract and may also raise unlawful-deduction or discrimination issues. It points workers to Acas, Citizens Advice or a trade union for help. Which issue applies depends on the circumstances; a payment being described as a bonus does not, on its own, settle whether it is owed.
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Acas recommends raising unpaid commission informally first and confirming discussions in writing; if the matter remains unresolved, a formal grievance may follow. Depending on the facts, possible legal routes can include an employment tribunal claim for unlawful deduction from wages or a contract claim in court. Acas states a six-year period for breach-of-contract claims in England and Wales, and five years from knowledge of loss for sheriff-court breach-of-contract claims in Scotland. Those periods relate to the specific contract-claim contexts Acas describes; they are not a universal deadline for every pay dispute or claim. Get advice promptly rather than relying on those periods to calculate a deadline for your situation.
Australia
Fair Work Ombudsman advises workers who think their pay is wrong to check relevant records, identify the applicable award or agreement where relevant, raise the discrepancy with the employer using supporting information, and keep notes and a written follow-up. If you remain uncertain about the applicable employment instrument or next step, consult the Ombudsman’s guidance or another appropriate local adviser.
Australian payslip and record-keeping rules also matter when checking what is documented. The Fair Work Ombudsman’s fact sheet says payslips must identify bonuses, incentive-based payments and other separately identifiable entitlements paid. It says pay records must include details of incentive-based payments, bonuses, loadings, penalty rates and allowances. It also says employers must retain employee records for seven years and make them available to current or former employees on request. These are Australian requirements, not global standards.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.When the concern is deductions or suspected payslip fraud
A disagreement about whether a bonus was calculated correctly is not the same as a suspicion that a payslip misstates tax or other deductions. If you work in the UK and your concern is that deductions shown on your payslip were not properly paid to HMRC, HMRC’s guidance published on 25 August 2026 advises checking deductions against HMRC records, including a Personal Tax Account, the HMRC app or your National Insurance record. Its guidance also describes how to report suspected payslip fraud. Use that route when the issue is suspected false or inconsistent payroll records, rather than treating it as an ordinary query about a variable-pay formula.
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What to have ready before asking for help
A concise, organized record makes it easier for an employer or adviser to understand the issue without requiring you to reconstruct it later. Prepare:
- The payslip and the pay period in question.
- The relevant contract, commission or bonus plan, and any written changes to it.
- Your calculation, or a short explanation of which inputs or formula you cannot verify.
- Relevant sales, targets, hours, rosters, bank or employment records.
- Your written request, the employer’s response, and notes of discussions or agreed follow-up dates.
- Your country and, where relevant, the state or territory, because the available rules and routes vary.
Ask for advice promptly if the matter is still unresolved, especially before a possible claim deadline. The precise entitlement and remedy cannot be determined from a payslip alone; they depend on the governing terms, the records and the law that applies where you work.
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