New in altomateHR: separate payroll runs, overtime types and HRDF levy control
Recent altomateHR releases give Malaysian payroll teams more control over how a month is paid — and fewer spreadsheets on the side.
Most Malaysian companies don't pay everyone the same way. Office staff are monthly-rated, site workers are paid by the day or hour, overtime rules differ by shift, and some months need corrections after the fact. October and November's altomateHR releases are aimed squarely at those realities.
Pay a month in several runs
A month can now be paid in several payroll runs — for example one for office staff and one for workers. Each person can be in only one run that month (anyone already in another run is greyed out in the picker), so no one is paid twice.
- The month gets an "all runs" row with combined totals and a combined Summary (PDF or Excel), marked draft until every run is approved.
- Rename any run — the new name carries into its payroll files and the Xero journal narration.
- A run can't be sent for approval while an earlier month's run for any of its people is still unapproved, which keeps year-to-date PCB in sequence.
Who benefits
Groups with both office and operations staff, companies that pay contract workers on a different cycle, and payroll teams who want one approver for HQ and another for sites.
Overtime types that match your shifts
Under System Settings → Work Schedule, a new Overtime types card lets admins rename or re-rate the three built-in types and add their own, such as Night shift.
- Employees pick the type when they request overtime ("Automatic" still lets the calendar decide), and approvers see which type each request is for.
- Each run's adjustments have a box per overtime type, and payslips now include an Overtime table with the hours and pay for each rate.
- Changing a rate flags draft runs to re-run; approved months keep what was filed.
New to the rules behind these rates? Read how to calculate overtime in Malaysia.
HRDF levy you can override
The HRD Corp levy is calculated automatically, but real life has exceptions. Each person's adjustments now include an Employer HRDF levy box: leave it blank to keep the computed levy (shown greyed), or type any amount — including 0 — to replace it. It's an employer cost only, so the employee's pay never changes, and the run's adjustments list shows it as "HRDF levy RM x".
Statutory files in one click
Payroll → Run downloads now has Download EPF, SOCSO & PCB (zip) for the four statutory files. If one isn't ready, it's left out and its row says why. The Allowance and Deduction reports also come together as one Excel zip.
Unpaid leave, handled properly
- An Unpaid leave box on each run handles monthly staff whose unpaid leave isn't in the Leave module yet. Typed days are docked as their own payslip line and come off the EPF, SOCSO, EIS and PCB wage.
- Unpaid leave approved after its month is deducted on the person's next run that year, once — and refunded as arrears of wages if the leave is later cancelled.
- Daily deduction for unpaid leave is now monthly salary ÷ the month's calendar days (RM 3,000 in October is RM 96.77 a day).
More payroll banks
OCBC (including OCBC Al-Amin) joins the supported payroll banks, with an OCBC Velocity GIRO file and an optional ID check. The CIMB file is now CIMB's own BizChannel Excel template, for IC and passport holders alike.
FAQ
Can altomateHR pay office staff and workers separately in the same month?+
Yes. A month can have several payroll runs, each person can be in only one of them, and the month shows combined totals and a combined summary.
Can I add my own overtime type, such as night shift?+
Yes. Admins can rename or re-rate the built-in overtime types and add their own under System Settings, Work Schedule, Overtime types.
Does overriding the HRDF levy change the employee's pay?+
No. The HRDF levy is an employer cost only. The override changes the levy amount, not the employee's gross or net pay.
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