Your first Swiss payroll: prepare before payday

A practical onboarding checklist for a new employer.

StartKonto · 13.10.2026

Agree the inputs before calculating

A salary amount alone is not enough to prepare a reliable payslip. Our recommended starting point is a completed employee information sheet and a clear written record of the agreed employment terms.

Collect the employment details

Prepare the start date, working percentage, gross salary, pay frequency and any agreed additional salary payments. Identify allowances, expenses and benefits separately. For a part-month start, agree how the first period will be calculated.

Prepare employee information securely

Collect identity, address, social insurance number and payment details through an agreed secure process. Where relevant, clarify residence and permit information for the withholding-tax review. Avoid placing employee documents in a general email enquiry.

Confirm the relevant registrations and cover

Clarify the compensation office, accident insurance and pension arrangements applicable to the employment. Check the employer’s obligations and the actual insurance documents before setting deductions. A single percentage copied from another company may not fit.

Review the first payslip

Check gross pay, employee deductions, any applicable withholding tax and net payment. Employer costs also belong in the budget. Keep the calculation and payment record together and identify who will approve payroll each month.

Create a monthly change routine

Ask for absences, variable pay and other changes before the agreed cut-off date. Maintain a log of corrections. StartKonto can help organise payroll inputs and salary administration so that responsibilities are clear from the first month.