What to check on your first pay stub, line by line: CampusWage

The first pay stub is easy to glance at and file away. It is worth five minutes. Mistakes are far easier to fix when you catch them on the first cheque than when they have repeated for months.

In Ontario, employers must give you a statement of your wages for each pay period, on or before pay day. It can be on paper or online. If you have never seen one, ask for it.

1. The pay period and the pay date

These are different things. The pay period is the stretch of work being paid, and the pay date is the day the money arrives. Many jobs pay a week or so after the period ends, so your first cheque may feel late when it is actually on schedule. Check that the period covers the shifts you worked.

2. Hours worked

Compare the hours on the stub with your own record. Check each shift, not just the total. Common slips are a shift missing entirely, a break docked that should not have been, and rounding that always goes in the employer's favour. Keep your own notes of start and end times; they are your best evidence.

3. Your rate

Confirm the hourly rate matches what you were told when you were hired. If you work in more than one role or at a different rate for training, each should appear as its own line.

4. Gross pay

Gross is hours times rate, before anything comes off. Do the multiplication yourself. If it does not match, the difference is usually hours or a second rate.

5. Deductions

Three lines are normal for most students: CPP, EI and income tax. Anything else needs an explanation, such as a uniform charge, a union due or a benefit plan. If you do not recognize a deduction, ask what it is and why it applies to you.

Your deductions depend on your TD1 forms, the ones you fill out when you start. A wrong claim amount or a missing form can make the income tax line larger than it should be. If it looks high, ask your employer or payroll contact to check it.

6. Vacation pay

Most workers in Ontario earn at least 4% vacation pay on their wages. Some employers add it to every cheque and show it as its own line. Others save it and pay it out when you take time off. Either is allowed, but you should be able to see which one applies to you.

7. Year-to-date totals

Most stubs show year-to-date amounts for gross pay and each deduction. Your first stub will match the current one, but later they let you check the running totals against your T4 at tax time. Hold on to your stubs.

8. Net pay

Net is gross minus deductions. It should match the deposit in your account. If it does not, ask whether something else, such as a payroll advance, was taken out.

If something is wrong: raise it politely and in writing first, with the stub and your shift notes. Most errors are honest and get fixed on the next cheque. If it is not sorted out, the Ontario Ministry of Labour has a process for wage complaints; start at ontario.ca.

A quick checklist

The pay period covers the shifts you worked.
The hours match your own notes.
The rate is the one you agreed to.
Gross equals hours times rate.
Every deduction is one you can name.
Vacation pay is shown or explained.
Net matches the deposit.

Where CampusWage fits

CampusWage keeps your shifts and classes in one weekly schedule and shows your pay per shift and per pay cheque, so you have an expected number to compare with the stub when it arrives.

This is general information, not tax or legal advice. Rules and amounts change; check the CRA and ontario.ca for the current ones.