{"id":14734,"date":"2026-08-21T12:14:01","date_gmt":"2026-08-21T06:44:01","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.tankhapay.com\/blog\/?p=14734"},"modified":"2026-08-21T12:14:01","modified_gmt":"2026-08-21T06:44:01","slug":"payroll-outsourcing-sla","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.tankhapay.com\/blog\/payroll-outsourcing-sla\/","title":{"rendered":"What to Put in a Payroll Outsourcing SLA?"},"content":{"rendered":"<div id=\"ez-toc-container\" class=\"ez-toc-v2_0_78 counter-hierarchy ez-toc-counter ez-toc-grey ez-toc-container-direction\">\n<div class=\"ez-toc-title-container\">\n<p class=\"ez-toc-title\" style=\"cursor:inherit\">Table of Contents<\/p>\n<span class=\"ez-toc-title-toggle\"><a href=\"#\" class=\"ez-toc-pull-right ez-toc-btn ez-toc-btn-xs ez-toc-btn-default ez-toc-toggle\" aria-label=\"Toggle Table of Content\"><span class=\"ez-toc-js-icon-con\"><span class=\"\"><span class=\"eztoc-hide\" style=\"display:none;\">Toggle<\/span><span class=\"ez-toc-icon-toggle-span\"><svg style=\"fill: #999;color:#999\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" class=\"list-377408\" width=\"20px\" height=\"20px\" viewBox=\"0 0 24 24\" fill=\"none\"><path d=\"M6 6H4v2h2V6zm14 0H8v2h12V6zM4 11h2v2H4v-2zm16 0H8v2h12v-2zM4 16h2v2H4v-2zm16 0H8v2h12v-2z\" fill=\"currentColor\"><\/path><\/svg><svg style=\"fill: #999;color:#999\" class=\"arrow-unsorted-368013\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" width=\"10px\" height=\"10px\" viewBox=\"0 0 24 24\" version=\"1.2\" baseProfile=\"tiny\"><path d=\"M18.2 9.3l-6.2-6.3-6.2 6.3c-.2.2-.3.4-.3.7s.1.5.3.7c.2.2.4.3.7.3h11c.3 0 .5-.1.7-.3.2-.2.3-.5.3-.7s-.1-.5-.3-.7zM5.8 14.7l6.2 6.3 6.2-6.3c.2-.2.3-.5.3-.7s-.1-.5-.3-.7c-.2-.2-.4-.3-.7-.3h-11c-.3 0-.5.1-.7.3-.2.2-.3.5-.3.7s.1.5.3.7z\"\/><\/svg><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/a><\/span><\/div>\n<nav><ul class='ez-toc-list ez-toc-list-level-1 eztoc-toggle-hide-by-default' ><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-1\" href=\"https:\/\/www.tankhapay.com\/blog\/payroll-outsourcing-sla\/#What_is_a_payroll_outsourcing_SLA\" >What is a payroll outsourcing SLA?<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-2\" href=\"https:\/\/www.tankhapay.com\/blog\/payroll-outsourcing-sla\/#What_clauses_must_a_payroll_outsourcing_SLA_contain\" >What clauses must a payroll outsourcing SLA contain?<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-3\" href=\"https:\/\/www.tankhapay.com\/blog\/payroll-outsourcing-sla\/#What_accuracy_threshold_should_a_payroll_outsourcing_SLA_specify\" >What accuracy threshold should a payroll outsourcing SLA specify?<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-4\" href=\"https:\/\/www.tankhapay.com\/blog\/payroll-outsourcing-sla\/#How_should_query_resolution_be_written_into_a_payroll_outsourcing_SLA\" >How should query resolution be written into a payroll outsourcing SLA?<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-5\" href=\"https:\/\/www.tankhapay.com\/blog\/payroll-outsourcing-sla\/#What_can_a_payroll_outsourcing_SLA_not_do\" >What can a payroll outsourcing SLA not do?<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-6\" href=\"https:\/\/www.tankhapay.com\/blog\/payroll-outsourcing-sla\/#What_service_credits_are_realistic_in_a_payroll_outsourcing_SLA\" >What service credits are realistic in a payroll outsourcing SLA?<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-7\" href=\"https:\/\/www.tankhapay.com\/blog\/payroll-outsourcing-sla\/#What_should_a_payroll_outsourcing_SLA_say_about_data_security\" >What should a payroll outsourcing SLA say about data security?<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-8\" href=\"https:\/\/www.tankhapay.com\/blog\/payroll-outsourcing-sla\/#What_should_a_payroll_outsourcing_SLA_say_about_business_continuity\" >What should a payroll outsourcing SLA say about business continuity?<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-9\" href=\"https:\/\/www.tankhapay.com\/blog\/payroll-outsourcing-sla\/#What_exit_terms_belong_in_a_payroll_outsourcing_SLA\" >What exit terms belong in a payroll outsourcing SLA?<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-10\" href=\"https:\/\/www.tankhapay.com\/blog\/payroll-outsourcing-sla\/#How_should_a_payroll_outsourcing_SLA_be_governed_after_signing\" >How should a payroll outsourcing SLA be governed after signing?<\/a><ul class='ez-toc-list-level-3' ><li class='ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-11\" href=\"https:\/\/www.tankhapay.com\/blog\/payroll-outsourcing-sla\/#Payroll_outsourcing_SLA_checklist\" >Payroll outsourcing SLA checklist<\/a><\/li><\/ul><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-12\" href=\"https:\/\/www.tankhapay.com\/blog\/payroll-outsourcing-sla\/#Payroll_outsourcing_SLA_is_a_control_not_paperwork\" >Payroll outsourcing SLA is a control, not paperwork<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-13\" href=\"https:\/\/www.tankhapay.com\/blog\/payroll-outsourcing-sla\/#Common_questions_about_payroll_outsourcing_SLAs\" >Common questions about payroll outsourcing SLAs<\/a><ul class='ez-toc-list-level-3' ><li class='ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-14\" href=\"https:\/\/www.tankhapay.com\/blog\/payroll-outsourcing-sla\/#Who_is_legally_liable_if_an_outsourced_payroll_filing_is_late_in_India\" >Who is legally liable if an outsourced payroll filing is late in India?<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-15\" href=\"https:\/\/www.tankhapay.com\/blog\/payroll-outsourcing-sla\/#What_accuracy_percentage_should_I_ask_for_in_a_payroll_outsourcing_SLA\" >What accuracy percentage should I ask for in a payroll outsourcing SLA?<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-16\" href=\"https:\/\/www.tankhapay.com\/blog\/payroll-outsourcing-sla\/#Should_the_SLA_cover_employee_queries_or_only_employer_queries\" >Should the SLA cover employee queries or only employer queries?<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-17\" href=\"https:\/\/www.tankhapay.com\/blog\/payroll-outsourcing-sla\/#Can_I_ask_for_a_parallel_run_in_the_SLA\" >Can I ask for a parallel run in the SLA?<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-18\" href=\"https:\/\/www.tankhapay.com\/blog\/payroll-outsourcing-sla\/#What_if_the_provider_refuses_to_sign_a_termination_right_for_statutory_breaches\" >What if the provider refuses to sign a termination right for statutory breaches?<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-19\" href=\"https:\/\/www.tankhapay.com\/blog\/payroll-outsourcing-sla\/#What_happens_if_the_provider_has_a_system_outage_or_security_incident\" >What happens if the provider has a system outage or security incident?<\/a><\/li><\/ul><\/li><\/ul><\/nav><\/div>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Most payroll outsourcing contracts are written by the provider. Most are signed with the accuracy clause negotiated and the query resolution clause left blank.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">That is backwards. Accuracy problems surface in a reconciliation. Query problems surface in front of your workforce.<\/span><\/p>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"What_is_a_payroll_outsourcing_SLA\"><\/span>What is a payroll outsourcing SLA?<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">A <em>payroll outsourcing Service Level Agreement<\/em> (SLA) is the schedule inside your service contract that sets measurable standards for accuracy, timeliness, statutory filing and query resolution, along with the remedy when the provider misses them. It converts assurances made in a sales meeting into obligations with numbers attached.<\/span><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">It provides a processing schedule and not simply &#8220;on time.&#8221;<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">It provides an accuracy requirement and measurement standard and is not simply &#8220;accurate.&#8221;<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">It distinguishes between a response and a solution to each query within working hours.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">It identifies who is responsible for fulfilling the statutory obligation in advance in writing.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">It provides for the terms of termination at signature rather than at the point that they become relevant.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">If it were missing, you would have a services agreement for the processing of payrolls. If you have it, then you have an agreement for when, to what accuracy, within how many working hours, and what happens when there is failure.<\/span><\/p>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"What_clauses_must_a_payroll_outsourcing_SLA_contain\"><\/span>What clauses must a payroll outsourcing SLA contain?<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Nine clauses carry the weight. Each needs a number rather than an adjective, because &#8220;timely&#8221; and &#8220;accurate&#8221; are unenforceable.<\/span><\/p>\n<div class=\"table-responsive\">\n<table class=\"table-class\">\n<tbody>\n<tr>\n<th><b>Clause<\/b><\/th>\n<th><b>What to specify<\/b><\/th>\n<th><b>A workable standard<\/b><\/th>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Processing timeline<\/span><\/td>\n<td><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Input cut-off date, processing window, output delivery date<\/span><\/td>\n<td><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Inputs by a fixed date, payroll register delivered a set number of working days before salary date<\/span><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Accuracy<\/span><\/td>\n<td><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Error definition and threshold, measured how<\/span><\/td>\n<td><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">99.5% or higher of payslips with no correction, measured monthly, defined as any change to net pay<\/span><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Statutory deposit<\/span><\/td>\n<td><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Named deadline per obligation<\/span><\/td>\n<td><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Provident Fund (PF) and Employees&#8217; State Insurance (ESI) by the 15th, tax deducted at source (TDS) by the 7th, Professional Tax per state calendar<\/span><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Statutory filing<\/span><\/td>\n<td><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Which returns, filed by when, who signs<\/span><\/td>\n<td><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Quarterly TDS return (Form 138), monthly Electronic Challan-cum-Return (ECR), annual certificates (Form 130), each with a named owner<\/span><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Query resolution<\/span><\/td>\n<td><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Response time and resolution time, separately<\/span><\/td>\n<td><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Acknowledgement within 4 working hours, resolution within 24<\/span><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Employee query routing<\/span><\/td>\n<td><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Who answers employees directly<\/span><\/td>\n<td><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Named, because this is where outsourcing most often makes the experience worse<\/span><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Data security<\/span><\/td>\n<td><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Standard, residency, breach notification window<\/span><\/td>\n<td><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">ISO 27001 or equivalent, data residency stated, breach notified within a fixed period<\/span><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Business continuity<\/span><\/td>\n<td><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Recovery time objective, backup processing arrangement, incident notification<\/span><\/td>\n<td><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Payroll processed within a named number of hours of a primary-system failure, via backup site or documented manual fallback, incident notified within a fixed window<\/span><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Exit and data return<\/span><\/td>\n<td><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Format, completeness, timeline, cost<\/span><\/td>\n<td><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Full data in a named machine-readable format within a set period, at no additional charge<\/span><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n<\/div>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The two most negotiable in practice are query resolution and exit terms. The two most often left vague are the same two.<\/span><\/p>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"What_accuracy_threshold_should_a_payroll_outsourcing_SLA_specify\"><\/span>What accuracy threshold should a payroll outsourcing SLA specify?<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Specify how accuracy will be determined before any debate regarding percentage can begin. A commitment of 99.9% on the basis of payslip is different from a commitment of 99.9% on data fields; suppliers quote the latter, and buyers expect the former.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Three things to fix in the clause:<\/span><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><b>The unit.<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> Per payslip, not per field or per transaction. One thousand employees at 99.9% per payslip means one wrong payslip a month, which is manageable. Per field, it means considerably more.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><b>The definition of an error.<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> Any change to net pay is a clean definition. A change caused by client data is usually excluded, and that exclusion is fair, but it needs to be written down rather than argued about later.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><b>Who measures it. <\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The provider&#8217;s self-reporting accuracy makes the number non-control. It is acceptable to agree that the reconciliation is your measure.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"How_should_query_resolution_be_written_into_a_payroll_outsourcing_SLA\"><\/span>How should query resolution be written into a payroll outsourcing SLA?<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Specify response time and resolution time separately, in working hours, and state who answers employees directly. This is the clause that determines whether outsourcing improves or worsens the employee experience.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The employee who previously visited the colleague&#8217;s desk in person to make an inquiry now makes a ticket request. If the SLA is not clear and short, the actual experience becomes poorer with increased accuracy, and nothing goes wrong until it is evident in the exit interview.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">What to write in:<\/span><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Acknowledgement within four working hours, solution within twenty-four for standard inquiries<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Another clock for failed payments. Late payment of one&#8217;s salary is not a standard inquiry<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Routing by name. Is the contact made directly by the employee or through your HR department? The relaying process takes twice as long and puts your group back into a loop that was outsourced to avoid.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">A monthly report on volume and median time to resolution, not just breaches. Volume increase is the sign that something further up the line has gone wrong<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"What_can_a_payroll_outsourcing_SLA_not_do\"><\/span>What can a payroll outsourcing SLA not do?<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">It cannot transfer your statutory liability. Under Indian law the employer remains the principal for PF, ESI, TDS and Professional Tax obligations, whatever the contract says.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">This is the most commonly misunderstood point in payroll outsourcing, and it is worth stating plainly because most SLA guidance implies the opposite.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">An indemnity clause is a recovery mechanism. If the provider causes a penalty and the clause is enforceable, you recover the money. What you do not do is avoid the notice, the interest, the assessment or the time your finance team spends on it. The authority&#8217;s correspondence arrives addressed to your establishment because the registration is in your name.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Four practical consequences:<\/span><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><b>Indemnity is worth having, and it is not protection<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">. Negotiate it, but do not let its existence become an excuse for not confirming that the filings are being made.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><b>Check the liability cap in the same contract. <\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">All provider agreements have a clause limiting their liability to some multiple of the monthly rate, and that limit is generally applicable to the indemnity as well. Failure to make a timely payment on a Performance Funding deposit accrues interest and damages, and the damages escalate as time goes by without resolution, a penalty which could exceed a liability cap intended to cover ordinary service problems.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><b>Ask for filing evidence, not filing confirmation.<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> Challans, the payment receipts issued for each statutory deposit, and acknowledgement numbers, monthly, as an SLA deliverable rather than on request.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><b>Keep enough internal capability to check.<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> A provider running everything with nobody in-house able to read an ECR filing is a single point of failure with a contract attached.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"What_service_credits_are_realistic_in_a_payroll_outsourcing_SLA\"><\/span>What service credits are realistic in a payroll outsourcing SLA?<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Service credits are normally a percentage of the monthly fee, which itself is insignificant compared to the statutory fine. Knowing this ratio avoids an unrealistic level of complacency.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">A useful structure separates two categories:<\/span><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><b>Service failure cases.<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> Payroll tardiness, insufficient accuracy, breach of questions. Appropriate use of percentage-of-fee credits.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><b>Statutory failures.<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> Missed deposit or filing deadlines. These ought to be indemnified for the penalty and interest involved, not credited with a fee credit, since they\u2019re not even close to being comparable and the indemnity only holds up to the limit on liability right beside it.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><b>Two further terms worth negotiating: <\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">a repeat breach provision that invokes a governance review and not just an increased credit, along with a termination provision after a certain number of statutory breaches within a rolling period. The latter is the one the provider least wants to see, but this tells you how important it is.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"What_should_a_payroll_outsourcing_SLA_say_about_data_security\"><\/span>What should a payroll outsourcing SLA say about data security?<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Name the standard, the residency and the breach notification window. Vague security language is common and unenforceable.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The<\/span> <span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Digital Personal Data Protection Act, 2023<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> is in force, though not all at once.This act has got the Presidential approval in August 2023, the Rules have been notified in November 2025, and the provisions will be rolled out in three phases: 13 November 2025, 13 November 2026, and the rest of the provisions on 13 May 2027. Whatever phase of roll out the enforcement mechanism is at when you read this, the basic structure has already been laid down \u2013 the liabilities associated with processing of employee data are yours as the data fiduciary, i.e., the decision maker in terms of why and how the data would be processed, which in India is akin to a data controller, irrespective of whom you get to process the data.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">AKAL Information Systems, TankhaPay&#8217;s parent company, holds ISO 27001 certification for information security management. Whichever provider you choose, this is the standard to ask them to demonstrate, not just claim.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Specify:<\/span><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Certifications obtained, e.g., ISO 27001, with documentation and renewal dates<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Storage and processing locations, including by country, along with any use of a sub-processor<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Notice of a data breach within a certain time frame to a certain contact and with minimum content requirements<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Access control, meaning who at the provider can view or change payroll records, and whether there is a log<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Sub-processor consent, so the provider cannot move your data to a fourth party without notice<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"What_should_a_payroll_outsourcing_SLA_say_about_business_continuity\"><\/span>What should a payroll outsourcing SLA say about business continuity?<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">An outage, a ransomware incident, or a data centre failure at your provider is not hypothetical. Payroll is time-critical in a way most outsourced functions are not: a delayed payslip is visible to the entire workforce on a fixed date, not sometime that week.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Three things to name in writing:<\/span><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><b>The Recovery Time Objective.<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> In how many hours after a failure in the primary system will payroll begin again, and in what way: by means of a backup site, alternative processing, or by a manual procedure?<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><b>Incident notification.<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> In how many hours after an incident affects your information or processing will the provider inform you, and whom will inform you?<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><b>Testing the fall-back process, not just talking about it. <\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">When was the provider\u2019s contingency plan tested, and how did that testing go? A contingency plan that has never been tested is a paper plan, not a plan at all.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"What_exit_terms_belong_in_a_payroll_outsourcing_SLA\"><\/span>What exit terms belong in a payroll outsourcing SLA?<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Negotiate exit at signature, not at exit. Once you have given notice, your negotiating position is gone, and your data is with someone who no longer has a commercial reason to help.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Four terms:<\/span><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><b>Data format and completeness. <\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">A named machine-readable format covering employee master, year-to-date figures, statutory histories and payslip archives. &#8220;A report&#8221; is not a format.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><b>Timeline.<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> Delivered within a defined period of notice, not at the end of it.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><b>Cost.<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> Included in the fee. Exit charges for your own data are a lock-in mechanism.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><b>Final filing responsibility. <\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Who files for the last period the provider processed, and by when. The handover month is where obligations fall between two providers.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><strong>Related reading:<\/strong> <a href=\"https:\/\/www.tankhapay.com\/blog\/switch-payroll-outsourcing-without-breaking-cycle\/\">How to switch payroll outsourcing without breaking a cycle<\/a><\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> covers the operational side of this.<\/span><\/p>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"How_should_a_payroll_outsourcing_SLA_be_governed_after_signing\"><\/span>How should a payroll outsourcing SLA be governed after signing?<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">An SLA with no review schedule stops being enforced within two quarters. Governance is the clause that keeps the rest alive.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Incorporate the following into a monthly operational review: accuracy, volume of queries, median time taken to resolve the issue, statutory filings made with proof, and any breach with its root cause analysis. Incorporate quarterly commercial reviews at a higher level: trends, repeating issues, and any changes in scope.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The most relevant measure is not accuracy. It is the number of queries per hundred employees because it moves up before the accuracy starts falling down.<\/span><\/p>\n<div style=\"background-color: #dbeafe; padding: 20px; border-radius: 10px; margin: 20px 0;\">\n<h3><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Payroll_outsourcing_SLA_checklist\"><\/span>Payroll outsourcing SLA checklist<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Thirteen things that have to be checked off before signing, all summarized from everything above. And if anything isn\u2019t there, it isn\u2019t an omission; it\u2019s a stance.<\/span><\/p>\n<ol>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Cut-off date, processing period, and delivery date, all dated<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Accuracy level stated, including the measurement unit<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Deposit due dates stated according to statutory obligations<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Statutory filing requirement for each tax form, with the owner named<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Documentation of the monthly filing process offered, not on request<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Timing for resolution of queries during working hours, stated separately<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Employee query management identified<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Security requirements, residency and notification period<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Recovery time of business continuity and incident notification period<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Consent to engage sub-processors<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Service credits, indemnity and liability cap<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">In any statutory breaches, a direct termination<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Exit data format, timeline and cost, at no additional charge<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ol>\n<\/div>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Payroll_outsourcing_SLA_is_a_control_not_paperwork\"><\/span>Payroll outsourcing SLA is a control, not paperwork<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The clauses that get negotiated hardest are usually price and accuracy. The clauses that determine whether the arrangement works are query resolution, filing evidence and exit terms.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">None of them protects you from statutory liability, because nothing can. What a well-written SLA does is make failures visible early, recoverable financially, and grounds for leaving.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">If you would like the checklist above applied to an agreement you are reviewing, our<\/span><strong><a href=\"https:\/\/www.tankhapay.com\/payroll\/payroll-outsourcing-services\"> payroll outsourcing services<\/a><\/strong><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> team works through SLA terms with clients across multi-state and multi-entity setups. <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.tankhapay.com\/demo\"><b>Request a Risk Assessment<\/b><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> and we will tell you which clauses are missing and which ones are doing less than they appear to.<\/span><\/p>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Common_questions_about_payroll_outsourcing_SLAs\"><\/span>Common questions about payroll outsourcing SLAs<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">A few questions come up in contract review that the sections above do not cover directly.<\/span><\/p>\n<h3><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Who_is_legally_liable_if_an_outsourced_payroll_filing_is_late_in_India\"><\/span>Who is legally liable if an outsourced payroll filing is late in India?<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The Employer. The statutory registrations belong to your business premises; thus, the notice, interest and assessments will be sent to you. The indemnity clause gives you the opportunity of getting back the payment at a later time.<\/span><\/p>\n<h3><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"What_accuracy_percentage_should_I_ask_for_in_a_payroll_outsourcing_SLA\"><\/span>What accuracy percentage should I ask for in a payroll outsourcing SLA?<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">It will be possible to measure at 99.5% or above per payslip. What is more important is the measurement unit and the definition of errors, since 99.9% measured per data field is a less serious commitment than 99.5% per payslip.<\/span><\/p>\n<h3><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Should_the_SLA_cover_employee_queries_or_only_employer_queries\"><\/span>Should the SLA cover employee queries or only employer queries?<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Both, written separately. Employee query handling is where outsourcing most often degrades the experience, and it is the clause most frequently left out of a provider&#8217;s standard template.<\/span><\/p>\n<h3><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Can_I_ask_for_a_parallel_run_in_the_SLA\"><\/span>Can I ask for a parallel run in the SLA?<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Yes, and you should. Two full parallel cycles before go live, with reconciliation as part of the implementation schedule rather than being done orally. If the vendor turns down a parallel run, then it tells you how it manages risk.<\/span><\/p>\n<h3><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"What_if_the_provider_refuses_to_sign_a_termination_right_for_statutory_breaches\"><\/span>What if the provider refuses to sign a termination right for statutory breaches?<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">It is information. Inquire as to how many times it will be tolerated, and when it is zero times, measure how certain they were in the sales presentation.<\/span><\/p>\n<h3><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"What_happens_if_the_provider_has_a_system_outage_or_security_incident\"><\/span>What happens if the provider has a system outage or security incident?<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">That is what the business continuity clause is for. If the SLA does not name a recovery time and an incident notification window, you find out what the provider&#8217;s real capability is during your first live incident, not before signing.<\/span><\/p>\n<div style=\"border: 2px solid #004899; padding: 20px; border-radius: 10px; margin: 20px 0;\"><em><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">TankhaPay, created by Akal Information Systems \u2013 a company with 26 years\u2019 experience in payroll and statutory compliance and CMMI Level 5, ISO 9001, ISO 20000, and ISO 27001 certifications \u2013 integrates a payroll system, payroll outsourcing service, EOR service, NATS apprenticeship management, and global talent mobility solutions on one platform. TankhaPay is used by more than 1,000 companies in India, such as Bank of Baroda and UIDAI.<\/span><\/em><\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<div class=\"tmnf_excerpt\">Most payroll outsourcing contracts are written by the provider. Most are signed with the accuracy c\u2026<\/div>","protected":false},"author":6,"featured_media":14736,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[159],"tags":[238],"class_list":["post-14734","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-payroll","tag-payroll-outsourcing"],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO Premium plugin v27.7 (Yoast SEO v27.7) - https:\/\/yoast.com\/product\/yoast-seo-premium-wordpress\/ -->\n<title>What to Put in a Payroll Outsourcing SLA: 2026 Checklist<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"The clauses, thresholds, and hours to negotiate in a payroll outsourcing SLA, plus the one thing an SLA cannot do for an Indian employer, whatever it says.\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" 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