CORAA
Internal audit programme - H2R audit programme

Hire to Retire and Payroll Internal Audit Programme programme.

An H2R internal audit programme tests the employee lifecycle from manpower approval and recruitment to employee master changes, attendance, payroll, statutory deductions, reimbursements, exits, full-and-final settlement and access removal.

Download Excel/PDF workbookOpen detailed checklist
Why this cycle matters

Payroll errors become recurring leakage. H2R audit needs HR, payroll, finance, bank-upload and IT access evidence in one programme, otherwise ghost employees and leaver payments are missed.

Unapproved hiring or salary changes
Ghost employees and duplicate bank accounts
Attendance/overtime manipulation
PF/ESI/PT/TDS errors
Leaver payments after exit
HRMS/payroll access conflicts
Fieldwork programme

Audit procedures, evidence and sample basis procedures

Hiring and onboarding

Objective: Hiring is approved and new employees are valid.

Procedure steps
  • Trace manpower requisition to approval and offer.
  • Check BGV and joining document completion.
  • Match new joiners to employee master creation.
Evidence

MRF, offer letter, BGV, joining checklist, HRMS log.

Sample basis

New joiners and lateral hires during the period.

Employee master and payroll changes

Objective: Salary and bank changes are authorised.

Procedure steps
  • Review employee master changes.
  • Test salary revision, incentive and bank changes.
  • Search duplicate bank/PAN/UAN fields.
Evidence

Employee master, change log, revision letter, bank proof, approval.

Sample basis

All high-risk changes plus random sample.

Attendance, payroll and statutory

Objective: Payroll is computed from approved inputs and statutory deductions are supported.

Procedure steps
  • Match attendance/leave/overtime to payroll.
  • Recompute selected payroll cases.
  • Review PF, ESI, PT and salary TDS evidence.
Evidence

Attendance report, payroll register, deduction workings, challans/returns.

Sample basis

Selected months and employee categories.

Exit, FNF and access removal

Objective: Leavers are settled and removed from systems promptly.

Procedure steps
  • Trace exits to last payroll and FNF approval.
  • Check recoveries and asset return.
  • Match leavers to HRMS, ERP, email and bank access removal.
Evidence

Exit checklist, FNF sheet, payroll register, access logs, bank upload.

Sample basis

All leavers or risk-based leaver sample.

Data requests

  • Employee master with change log
  • Attendance, leave, overtime and payroll register
  • PF/ESI/PT/TDS challans and returns
  • Exit list, FNF sheets and access removal evidence

Analytics to run

  • Payroll after exit date
  • Duplicate salary bank accounts
  • Salary change without approval
  • Overtime spikes by location/manager
  • Inactive employees in HRMS or bank file

Red flags

  • Bank account changed just before payroll
  • Payroll users can edit employee master
  • Large manual reimbursements
  • Leavers active in finance applications
  • Negative leave/overtime exceptions ignored
Execution workflow

Build a defensible file RCM to evidence.

Use this cycle programme after the SOW, data request list and RCM are aligned. The Excel workbook should carry sample rationale, extraction filters, preparer sign-off, reviewer sign-off and observation references.

Authority

Use current standards and entity facts sources

ICAI IASB lists the Compendium of Standards on Internal Audit as on February 2026 as applicable from 1 April 2026. Use this page as a practical workpaper starter, then verify the latest standard, law, regulation, ERP report and client fact pattern before concluding.

FAQ

H2R audit programme questions answers

What should an H2R audit programme cover?

It should cover manpower approval, hiring, onboarding, employee master, attendance, payroll changes, statutory deductions, reimbursements, exits, full-and-final settlement and access removal.

Is this H2R/payroll programme a substitute for professional judgement?

No. It is a fieldwork starter. The internal auditor must tailor it to the approved scope, ERP, delegation matrix, locations, volumes, materiality, prior findings and current legal position.

Can I download a H2R/payroll audit programme in Excel?

Yes. Use the linked CORAA workbook for the cycle. It contains editable RCM, testing, evidence and monitoring sheets that can be used as a fieldwork base.

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