Payroll / HR Database Schema

What this template is for

This payroll and HR database schema gives you a ready-to-edit ER diagram for an HRIS or payroll system. It models the entities every HR system needs: departments and positions, employees, salary history (effective-dated rows so a raise doesn't erase the old amount), timesheets, payroll runs that combine salary plus timesheet for a pay period, and leave requests. The key design decision is treating Salary as an effective-dated history table rather than a column on Employee — that's what makes audit, historical payroll re-runs, and back-pay corrections possible. Use it to design an HRIS, document an existing payroll database, or explain why salary changes belong in a history table.

When to use this template

• Design the database for an HRIS or payroll system.
• Model salary as an effective-dated history so raises don't lose the old amount.
• Plan payroll runs that combine base salary plus timesheet hours for a period.
• Decide how leave requests interact with timesheets and payroll.
• Document an existing HR database for a new engineer.
• Explain to stakeholders why historical payroll re-runs need salary history.

How to use it

1. 1Start with Department and Position — the org structure.
2. 2Add Employee referencing both, plus identity fields and hire date.
3. 3Add Salary as a history table with effective_from / effective_to per employee.
4. 4Add Timesheet capturing hours and overtime per work date.
5. 5Add Payroll combining salary + timesheet for a pay period, with gross/tax/net.
6. 6Add LeaveRequest with type, dates, and approval status.

Quick example