How to check your paycheck against your hours in 5 minutes

Payroll mistakes are usually small and easy to miss: a shift that crossed midnight split in two, overtime paid at the regular rate, or a premium that didn't apply. Here's a quick way to check:

1. Keep your own record of every shift as it ends: start, end, unpaid breaks. Your memory two weeks later won't match the schedule exactly.

2. When the pay stub arrives, compare total hours first. If those match, most problems are ruled out.

3. Check overtime next. Find your area's threshold (daily, weekly, or both) and see whether the hours above it were paid at the overtime rate.

4. Check premiums: nights, weekends, holidays or shift differentials, if your workplace pays them.

5. Write down any gap with the date and the shift, and ask payroll about that line only. A specific question gets a faster answer than "my pay looks wrong".

EarnCheck does steps 1 to 4 for you: confirm a finished shift in one tap (overnight shifts stay one shift), watch your estimated gross build through the period, and on payday mark each line Match, Difference to Review or Incomplete Information. No bank or employer login. It isn't legal advice.

What's the most common pay mistake you've caught?