A difference between your personal record and a payslip is a starting point for checking the inputs. Before comparing totals, make sure the two sides cover the same period, use the same basis and contain the work you think they contain.

You can do these checks on paper or in a spreadsheet before opening any app.

Check four things first

1. The period. Write down the start and end of the payslip's work period. Its payment date may be a different date. A payment can also include an adjustment for earlier work; note that separately so you do not compare it with only this period's shifts.

2. The source. Label your own total as planned hours or recorded actual hours. A schedule is useful for planning, but it does not confirm that every scheduled shift was worked exactly as planned. Do not silently fill missing actual entries with planned hours.

3. The coverage. Check each relevant shift. Are start and finish times complete? Are unpaid breaks entered? Are any records still open or missing? Correct the entries you can verify. Do not mark unworked or uncertain time as completed just to produce a total.

4. The amount. Compare like with like: currency, gross amounts and included categories. A gross estimate should not be compared directly with the net amount deposited into your bank account. Check whether premiums, bonuses or earlier adjustments appear on one side but not the other.

Why one complete shift is not a complete pay period

Suppose one fictional shift ran from 07:00 to 16:00 with a 30-minute unpaid break. That record contains 8.5 hours. At an illustrative basic rate of USD20 per hour, with no other adjustments, the gross estimate is USD170.

If seven other shifts in the period are missing, USD170 is a partial estimate. It is not the amount to compare with the entire payslip. The example also does not decide whether additional time qualifies for an overtime premium.

Check your own entries in Rostivio

First use requires the welcome flow, work profile, shift templates and rotation setup. Set the profile's currency, time zone and pay-period details before relying on an estimate.

  1. Open Earnings and check whether the selected source is Planned shift or Actual record. Read any missing-record or partial-period notice.
  2. Open Payslip check and check its source selector too. Choose Actual record for a check based on actual work, then choose Add payslip total.
  3. Enter the payslip's period and gross total manually. Add optional category amounts only when you know what they represent, then choose Save payslip record.
  4. Choose Check payslip. If a calculation is offered for confirmation, review its source and amount for this payslip before confirming the saved comparison.

The period must have ended before a calculation can be saved for the check. A comparison using actual records also requires complete coverage for that period. If the app reports missing or open records, resolve them accurately before treating the result as a full-period comparison.

Manual payslip entry and comparison are free. This workflow does not read a payslip photograph or PDF, connect to an employer's payroll system or calculate take-home pay. An unexplained difference is a reason to review the dates, entries and settings and prepare a specific question, not proof that a payment is wrong.

Keep the underlying shift record

Download the free blank CSV worksheet or see the fictional examples. It helps keep individual shifts separate; it has no formulas and is not a payroll calculator or an app-import template. Keep completed files on your own device; no email or upload is needed.

To keep planned and actual records alongside basic gross estimates, download Rostivio on the App Store. Pro is optional for advanced pay rules, CSV/PDF/ICS exports and Home Screen widgets. The website worksheet remains a separate free download.