OT Review Guide
OT review checklist before payroll for Thai companies
Short answer
A reliable OT review starts from source time, requests, approvers and the rule that applies to each employee group—not only the final total sent to payroll.
1. Set the data cut-off and accountable owners
Define the last day for employee requests, manager review and HR exception closure. Assign an owner to every pending-item category before payroll work begins.
2. Close source time before reviewing OT
Review clock records, shifts, holidays, cross-branch work and open time corrections. A source change after OT is summarized can change both hours and pay.
3. Separate requests by status and never estimate pending work
Keep approved, returned, pending and cancelled items distinct. Send only records that passed the company's review points to payroll, and give every pending item an owner and deadline.
4. Review day type and employee conditions
Before applying a rate or rule, check working day, holiday, pay pattern, job conditions and the employee's applicable terms against current company policy and the latest official requirements.
5. Compare hours, amounts and period-over-period differences
Review hours by employee and team, unusual highs or lows and changes from the previous period. Every material difference should have a reason, data owner and traceable record.
6. Correct the source and retain change history
Fix the source time, request, shift or rule, then review and regenerate the result instead of directly editing the final amount. After sign-off, lock the record and retain editor, time and reason.
Implementation checklist
- Set the OT cut-off for each pay period
- Separate normal time, holiday work and overtime
- Close related time-correction requests first
- Confirm request status and approver for every item
- Review employee, pay group and applicable rule
- Separate exceptions from payroll-ready records
- Compare hours and amounts before and after corrections
- Lock reviewed records and retain change history
Common mistakes to avoid
Sending unapproved requests into payroll
Changing summary hours without correcting the source record
Applying one rule to every day and employee without checking the conditions
Who should own each part
Employees
Submit OT and time-correction requests with a reason before the data cut-off.
Managers
Review time, reason, schedule and team status before approving or returning an item.
HR / Time owners
Close exceptions, review day type and applicable rules, and separate items that are not ready.
Payroll
Receives reviewed items only and checks totals against change history before payment.
A practical starting plan
01
Before cut-off
Notify employees and managers so pending requests and source-time corrections can be closed.
02
After cut-off
Separate payroll-ready records, exceptions and items awaiting an accountable owner.
03
Before payroll close
Compare hours, amounts and period-over-period differences, then confirm reviewer and evidence for material items.
How to measure whether it works
Measure from the data cut-off to payroll handoff, separating request, time, rule and approval causes so the team fixes the source instead of editing the final amount.
Pending OT after cut-off
Requests without a decision when payroll review begins.
Source-record corrections
Times the team must repair time, shift or day type before regenerating OT.
Unexplained differences
Changed hours or amounts without a reason, owner or supporting record.
Post-close corrections
OT items changed after payroll sign-off, which should fall as review points improve.
Sources and review note
BaanHR's content and product teams reviewed this operational guide. Legal, tax, payroll and security requirements can change, so check the latest official source or a qualified adviser before making a high-impact decision.
See how BaanHR prepares and reviews its guides- Employer and employee rights and duties under Thai labour law
Thailand Ministry of Labour
- Ministerial Regulation No. 3 on overtime and holiday work
Thailand Ministry of Labour
Related HR questions
When should OT be reviewed before payroll?
Set a cut-off that gives managers and HR time to close requests, time corrections and exceptions before payroll review begins.
What should happen to pending OT?
Keep it outside payroll-ready records and return it to the accountable owner instead of estimating or paying an unconfirmed item.
How should OT rates be reviewed?
Check day type, pay pattern, job conditions and employee eligibility against company policy and the latest official requirements because cases can differ.
Should payroll edit OT totals directly?
Correct the source time or request, review it again and regenerate the result so the amount keeps a clear origin and history.
Related BaanHR pages
Next step
BaanHR
See how this process works inside BaanHR with mobile, LINE and manager approval screens.
View BaanHR OT Management