Pay is the most common reason care workers leave, and payroll errors damage trust fast. In home care, payroll is harder than in most sectors because pay depends on many short visits, travel between them and mileage.
Pay for the time actually worked
Use check-in and check-out times as the basis for pay rather than the planned rota. If a visit ran over because someone needed extra help, the care worker should be paid for that time.
Account for travel time
Time spent travelling between visits during a working day is working time. When travel time is unpaid, average hourly pay can fall below the legal minimum even when the visit rate looks generous. Check your pay model against the current National Minimum Wage and National Living Wage rates published on GOV.UK.
Record mileage from real journeys
Mileage claims based on guesswork cause arguments and overpayments. Record the journeys between visits and pay mileage at your agreed rate. Explain clearly how it is calculated.
Separate the different rates
- Weekday and weekend hours
- Bank holidays
- Sleep-ins and waking nights
- Training and supervision time
Send clear payslips
A payslip that shows hours by type, mileage and deductions answers most questions before they are asked.
Build payroll from the same records as invoicing
When pay and invoices come from the same visit records, they agree with each other. If they come from different spreadsheets, differences appear, and each one takes time to investigate. One source of truth for delivered visits saves hours every pay period.
Close the pay period properly
Before running payroll, check for visits still waiting for a check-out, visits changed after they happened and any disputed mileage. Resolve them first, then lock the period so figures do not change after payslips go out.
Explain how pay works at induction
New starters should understand how visits, travel, mileage and enhancements are paid from their first week. A one-page explanation in the staff handbook prevents most payroll queries and helps people trust that they are paid fairly.
Frequently asked questions
Do we have to pay for time between visits?
Travel between visits within a working day counts as working time for minimum wage purposes. Take advice on your own contracts and pay structure.
How often should payroll run?
Weekly or fortnightly pay is popular with care workers and can help recruitment, but it needs reliable records to work.
CEVERO Care produces a payroll report with weekday, weekend, bank holiday, sleep-in and mileage totals for every care worker. See the features.