Mechanic payroll and timesheets for your car service

Replace spreadsheet calculations with a clear pay scheme

A clear pay scheme makes mechanic payroll easier to explain and check without rebuilding the calculation in a spreadsheet each month. Pay schemes: a share of labour, a fixed monthly salary, fixed plus share, or hourly from the job timer. Your first decision is which basis reflects the agreement with each mechanic. Explain that basis before reviewing a pay period, so neither you nor the mechanic has to guess whether a figure represents salary, recorded time or a share of completed labour.

The practical problem is not simply adding up money. It is keeping the calculation connected to the work that earned it, while accounting for discounts, unfinished orders and money already advanced. A spreadsheet can separate these details from the workshop records you need to check. Use the agreed scheme as your starting point, then review the underlying orders or hours before paying. If you use fixed plus share, explain both components separately rather than presenting a single total without context.

• Confirm the agreed pay scheme with each mechanic.
• Explain which work or hours form the calculation base.
• Review advances before treating the period total as payable.
• Keep questions about individual jobs tied to their work orders.

Define the labour share before checking the total

The labour share is based on eligible labour, not the full value of a customer's invoice. The share can be taken before or after discounts; it counts only finished, delivered orders and never parts. This distinction matters when an order contains both labour and replacement parts, or when you have reduced the customer's bill. Agree whether discounts affect the share base before reviewing the period, and explain that an order must be finished and delivered to count.

Work through the calculation from the work order rather than starting with the final payment. Check its labour and part lines, confirm that the order is finished and delivered, and apply the agreed treatment of discounts to the labour share. In Junto, work orders contain labour and part lines, giving you the records to discuss when a mechanic questions a result. A busy day or a large invoice alone does not establish the eligible share; the order's contents and completion state matter.

Check job timers and weekly timesheets before hourly pay

Weekly timesheet checks help you separate recorded working time from entries that need an explanation. Timesheets show each mechanic's hours by day per week, flag jobs far over plan and timers left running overnight, and mark entries added by hand. Treat those signals as prompts to investigate, not automatic proof of a mistake. An unusually long job may need context, while an overnight timer may not reflect the time actually spent working on the vehicle.

For hourly pay, begin with the job timer records and review the weekly view before closing the pay period. Ask the mechanic about flagged jobs while the work is still easy to remember, and compare the explanation with the relevant work order. The mechanic's view works on a phone, which keeps workshop work accessible without requiring a desk. Do not assume that a hand-added entry is wrong; establish what happened and resolve uncertainty before using the recorded hours for pay.

• Review each mechanic's daily hours in the weekly timesheet.
• Investigate jobs flagged as far over plan.
• Check whether an overnight timer reflects actual work.
• Ask for context on entries added by hand.
• Resolve uncertain records before calculating hourly pay.

Account for advances and close the month carefully

Advances reduce the amount still due, and marking the month paid also creates an expense record. Advances are recorded and subtracted from the period's pay; marking a month paid adds a "Salaries" expense automatically. Keep the distinction between earned pay and the remaining amount to pay clear when speaking with a mechanic. Otherwise, a lower final payment can look like an unexplained deduction when it actually reflects money already received earlier in the period.

Use a consistent closing sequence: review the pay basis, check eligible orders or hours, confirm recorded advances, and then mark the month paid when appropriate. Because that action adds a Salaries expense, treat it as a meaningful closing step rather than a way to preview the result. Explain the final amount using the same components you checked. This gives you a practical conversation about the underlying records instead of a dispute over a total copied from a separate spreadsheet.

Keep payroll with the owner and workshop work connected

The owner manages payroll, while mechanics and other staff contribute through their workshop responsibilities. Only the owner manages payroll; payroll can be exported. A manager can help gather explanations about an order or a timer, but should not assume that a staff role grants payroll management. Junto also has staff roles and a mechanic's view on a phone. Keep your internal responsibilities clear: who explains a job, who checks the supporting records, and who makes the payroll decision.

For the customer, the connected workflow concerns the repair rather than the mechanic's pay. Junto supports bookings, check-in with photos and a signature, work orders, and customer approval of extra work by SMS link. The customer can see each suggested line with its price before work starts and follow repair status on the phone. Your payroll check then looks at the relevant labour and order status. Customer approval is useful context for the work, but it does not replace the finished-and-delivered requirement for a labour share.

Check module availability before setting up payroll

Check the pricing page for module availability rather than assuming payroll is included in a particular plan. Some features are modules; the pricing page shows which plan includes them, and an owner can request a module that is not in the plan from inside the app. Use that information to establish the setup your shop needs before changing its pay process. The payroll destination is app.junto.ge/payroll; check the available setup as the owner rather than promising access to every staff member.

Prepare your existing pay agreements, the treatment of labour discounts and any outstanding advances before moving your review into Junto. If you manage several branches, agree a consistent checking routine while keeping each mechanic's pay agreement clear. Junto works in Georgian and English, on a computer and on a phone, so you can discuss records in the language that suits your team. Keep the first review focused on understandable inputs rather than assuming software can settle an unclear agreement.

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