Answer
Lightning Payroll shows a protected earnings warning when child support deductions would push the employee's pay below the protected earnings limit.
How protected earnings work in the app
For child support, Lightning Payroll applies the protected earnings rule and limits the total child support deduction that can be taken from the pay. The app calculates the allowed deduction amount and warns you if the pay would go below the protected threshold.
What the warning offers
When this happens, Lightning Payroll can prompt you to automatically adjust the deductions so they fall back within protected earnings.
What to do next
- Review the child support amount on the pay.
- If appropriate, let Lightning Payroll auto-adjust the deduction.
- If the deduction is reduced or nil, record the correct Child Support Code on the pay.
This helps keep the pay within the protected earnings rules while still preserving the correct reason for any reduced deduction.
