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UK law requires you to automatically enrol eligible workers into a workplace pension. Flow Payroll handles the assessment, enrolment, and contribution calculation automatically as part of every pay run, and produces the export files your pension provider needs.
This page covers how auto-enrolment works during a pay run. To configure your pension scheme, contribution rates, postponement defaults, and auto-enrolment mode, see Pension defaults.

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How assessment works

Every time you run a pay run, Flow Payroll assesses each worker in the pay period. The assessment categorises each worker as one of: Assessment is based on age and earnings. Flow Payroll calculates this automatically from each worker’s pay data for that period — you do not need to run a separate assessment step.

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Enrolment modes

You control how Flow Payroll acts on the assessment result. The mode is set in Pension defaults.

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Postponement

You can delay enrolment from a worker’s start date or from their eligibility date. Postponement is configured in days, weeks, or months. Two independent postponement windows are available:
  • Postpone from worker start date — delays enrolment for new starters.
  • Postpone from eligibility date — delays enrolment from the point a worker first qualifies.
You can enable either or both. Per-employee postponement is also configurable during onboarding, which overrides the organisation default for that person.
Postponement gives you time to issue the required statutory notices before enrolment begins. Make sure you send the appropriate letters to workers during the postponement window.

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Contributions

Contribution rates are set on the pension group the employee belongs to. The Pension defaults settings define the default pension group for new employees. Contributions are calculated from qualifying earnings and included in the pay run automatically once an employee is enrolled.

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Pension export files

After a pay run is completed, the Reporting documents step produces pension export files grouped by provider. Each file can be previewed and downloaded directly from that step. These files are formatted for submission to your pension provider (for example, NEST contribution schedules).

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Opting out

An employee can opt out of the pension scheme after being enrolled. You can record an opt-out from the employee’s record. You will need to supply the opt-out date. A worker who opts out within one month of enrolment is entitled to a refund of any contributions deducted.
You must re-enrol eligible workers approximately every three years, even if they have previously opted out. Flow Payroll will flag this as part of the pay run assessment.

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Pay run flow

1

Pay run runs the assessment

Every worker in the pay period is assessed. The result (eligible jobholder, non-eligible, entitled, not eligible) is recorded against that pay run.
2

Enrolment happens (automatic mode)

Eligible workers who are not already enrolled — and not in a postponement window — are enrolled into the default pension group.
3

Contributions are calculated

Employee and employer contributions are calculated from qualifying earnings and included in each enrolled worker’s payslip.
4

Export files are produced

After the pay run is approved, pension export files are available in the Reporting documents step for you to download and submit to your provider.

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Where to go next

Pension defaults

Configure contribution rates, postponement, and auto-enrolment mode.

Running a pay run

See how pension assessment fits into the pay run steps.

Reports

Reporting and insights — coming soon.

Key concepts

Understand how pensions fit into the broader pay cycle.