HR & people · Power BI template

Payroll, Overtime & Absence Power BI template

Power BI payroll dashboard template: payroll cost vs budget, overtime and agency share, absence rate by type, cost per FTE and a department cost summary.

By · Founder & Reliability Engineer · Updated

Free for commercial use

Dark version: same layout, colours re-solved and checked for WCAG AA contrast.

Payroll, Overtime & Absence Power BI dashboard template: 5 KPI cards, a line & column chart, a donut chart, a bar chart, a column chart, a table and 2 slicers on a 1280×720 page

BetaOpens in Power BI Desktop with 8 tables of sample data and every visual bound. See what’s inside

Free, no sign-up. The PBIP with sample data includes the background, theme and a README. 1920×1080 fits a new page in a Fluent 2 report; 1280×720 and 2× fit Classic pages. Downloads carry a small “Made with VizForge” mark (sign in to the studio to remove it).

Customise in the design studio →
Layout
Header card, 5 bold KPIs, payroll combo + pay-element donut, overtime bars + absence columns + department table
Page size
1280×720 px (16:9, Power BI default)
Theme
Slate Executive

Open the sample-data PBIP in Power BI Desktop

Checked against Microsoft Learn's Power BI Desktop projects documentation (as of Nov 2026).

  1. 1

    Unzip to a short path and open the .pbip

    Extract the zip to a short local folder such as C:\PBI (Windows limits project paths to 260 characters, and Desktop can't save a project straight to OneDrive or SharePoint), then double-click the .pbip file or use File → Open in Power BI Desktop. Microsoft still lists projects and TMDL as preview features (as of Nov 2026): if Desktop won't open the project, go to File → Options and settings → Options → Preview features, tick “Power BI Project (.pbip) save option” and “Store semantic model using TMDL format”, then restart Desktop.

  2. 2

    Select Refresh once

    The project ships without the local data cache (.pbi/cache.abf), so Desktop opens the full model definition without data. Select Home → Refresh: every table is built from values written into its Power Query step, so there is no data source to sign in to.

  3. 3

    Save as .pbix or connect your data

    Use File → Save as to keep a single .pbix file, or open Transform data and replace each table's Source step with your own query, keeping the column names so the measures and visuals keep working.

What’s inside the Payroll sample model

Rendered from the same definition the download writes as TMDL, so this list always matches the file.

Tables
8
Fact rows
720
DAX measures
9

Twelve months of payroll for a fictional manufacturer with six departments at three UK sites (Nov 2025 to Oct 2026): cost by pay element, FTE, contracted and overtime hours, a monthly payroll budget, and hours lost to absence by type. Units: Pounds sterling; hours; FTE.

Tables and columns

Calendar

Date table · 2025–2026, one row per day

Date table generated in Power Query (List.Dates), marked as the model's date table.

  • Date (date)
  • Year (whole number)
  • Quarter (text)
  • Month (text)
  • Month Name (text)
  • Week Start (date)
  • Weekday (text)
  • Fiscal Year (text)

Location

Dimension · 3 rows

Sites.

  • Location (text)

Department

Dimension · 6 rows

Departments with their site.

  • Department (text)
  • Location (text)

Pay Element

Dimension · 6 rows

Payroll cost elements.

  • Pay Element (text)

Absence Type

Dimension · 3 rows

Absence categories.

  • Absence Type (text)

Payroll

Fact · 432 rows

Payroll cost per department, pay element and month.

  • Month (date)
  • Department (text)
  • Pay Element (text)
  • Amount (decimal)

Workforce

Fact · 72 rows

FTE, contracted and overtime hours, and payroll budget per department per month.

  • Month (date)
  • Department (text)
  • FTE (decimal)
  • Contracted Hours (decimal)
  • Overtime Hours (decimal)
  • Payroll Budget (decimal)

Absence

Fact · 216 rows

Hours lost to absence per department, type and month.

  • Month (date)
  • Department (text)
  • Absence Type (text)
  • Hours Lost (decimal)

Relationships

Many-to-one, single direction. Inactive relationships are switched on inside a measure with USERELATIONSHIP.

  • Payroll[Month] → 'Calendar'[Date]
  • Payroll[Department] → Department[Department]
  • Payroll[Pay Element] → 'Pay Element'[Pay Element]
  • Department[Location] → Location[Location]
  • Workforce[Month] → 'Calendar'[Date]
  • Workforce[Department] → Department[Department]
  • Absence[Month] → 'Calendar'[Date]
  • Absence[Department] → Department[Department]
  • Absence[Absence Type] → 'Absence Type'[Absence Type]

DAX measures

All measures live in a dedicated Key Measures table. Copy any of them into your own model; rename the table and column references to match.

Payroll CostTotal employment cost.
Payroll Cost =
SUM ( Payroll[Amount] )

Format string: £#,0

Payroll BudgetBudgeted employment cost.
Payroll Budget =
SUM ( Workforce[Payroll Budget] )

Format string: £#,0

Payroll vs Budget %Over (+) or under (−) budget.
Payroll vs Budget % =
DIVIDE ( [Payroll Cost] - [Payroll Budget], [Payroll Budget] )

Format string: +0.0%;-0.0%

Overtime & Agency %Share of payroll spent on overtime and agency staff.
Overtime & Agency % =
DIVIDE ( CALCULATE ( [Payroll Cost], 'Pay Element'[Pay Element] IN { "Overtime", "Agency staff" } ), [Payroll Cost] )

Format string: 0.0%

Overtime HoursHours worked above contract.
Overtime Hours =
SUM ( Workforce[Overtime Hours] )

Format string: #,0

Absence RateContracted hours lost to absence.
Absence Rate =
DIVIDE ( SUM ( Absence[Hours Lost] ), SUM ( Workforce[Contracted Hours] ) )

Format string: 0.0%

Hours LostHours lost to absence.
Hours Lost =
SUM ( Absence[Hours Lost] )

Format string: #,0

FTEFull-time equivalents at the latest month.
FTE =
VAR LastMonth = MAX ( Workforce[Month] )
RETURN
    CALCULATE ( SUM ( Workforce[FTE] ), Workforce[Month] = LastMonth )

Format string: #,0

Cost per FTE per MonthEmployment cost per FTE-month.
Cost per FTE per Month =
DIVIDE ( [Payroll Cost], SUM ( Workforce[FTE] ) )

Format string: £#,0

What each visual is bound to

The PBIP opens with these fields already on each visual.

Field bindings per visual
VisualFields
DepartmentSlicerDepartment[Department]
LocationSlicerLocation[Location]
Payroll costCard[Payroll Cost]
vs budgetCard[Payroll vs Budget %]
Overtime & agency shareCard[Overtime & Agency %]
Absence rateCard[Absence Rate]
Cost per FTECard[Cost per FTE per Month]
Payroll vs budget by monthLine & column chartCalendar[Month], [Payroll Cost], [Payroll Budget]
Payroll by elementDonut chart'Pay Element'[Pay Element], [Payroll Cost]
Overtime hours by departmentBar chartDepartment[Department], [Overtime Hours]
Hours lost to absence by monthColumn chartCalendar[Month], [Hours Lost], 'Absence Type'[Absence Type]
Department cost summaryTableDepartment[Department], Department[Location], [FTE], [Payroll Cost], [Payroll vs Budget %], [Overtime & Agency %], [Absence Rate]

Questions this dashboard answers

Each one is answered by a visual on the page, from the sample model's own tables and measures.

About this dashboard layout

Payroll is usually the largest cost line, and most of its variance comes from two places: overtime and agency staff covering for vacancies and absence. This page puts those side by side. The cards show payroll cost, variance to budget, the share spent on overtime and agency, the absence rate and cost per FTE per month.

Payroll against budget by month is a combo with cost as columns and the budget line on top. The donut splits cost by pay element (base pay, overtime, shift allowance, bonus and commission, agency staff, employer national insurance and pension), which is how a finance business partner explains a variance in one sentence.

Overtime hours by department and hours lost to absence by month (stacked into short-term sickness, long-term sickness and other unplanned absence) sit together, because in shop-floor departments the two move together: winter sickness drives winter overtime. The department table compares FTE, cost, budget variance, overtime and agency share and absence rate.

Absence rate is hours lost over contracted hours, the standard denominator, so part-time staff don't distort it. The sample is a fictional manufacturer with six departments at three UK sites over 12 months.

Visuals on the page

Positions are Power BI page pixels. Enter them in Format → General → Properties → Size and position, or use the PBIP download where they are already set.

Visual positions in the Payroll, Overtime & Absence template
VisualTypeXYWidthHeight
DepartmentSlicer9043216040
LocationSlicer10803216040
Payroll costCard4012020864
vs budgetCard29612020064
Overtime & agency shareCard54412020064
Absence rateCard79212020064
Cost per FTECard104012020064
Payroll vs budget by monthLine & column chart40232784192
Payroll by elementDonut chart872232368192
Overtime hours by departmentBar chart40472312208
Hours lost to absence by monthColumn chart400472312208
Department cost summaryTable760472480208

Custom visuals for this layout

Built-in Power BI visuals cover most slots above. These slots also suit a custom visual; each page covers the data shape, DAX and a prompt to generate it as a .pbiviz.

Already have a report?

Brand Makeover tries Payroll, Overtime & Absence first on every page of your Power BI project (.pbip zip) where it fits: the page's visuals have to go into its 10 data slots without overlaps. Pages it can't seat get another catalog layout or a brand grid. Queries, filters and bookmarks are left as they are. Free, in your browser.

Opens with the Analyst / Dense preset, because the Executive preset doesn't use this layout (10 data slots; this preset uses templates with at most 7).

Restyle my report into this

Swap a slot for a custom visual

Pick any slot and VizForge AI writes a custom visual (.pbiviz, with TypeScript source) sized to it, in this template's colours and shaped for the fields it is bound to.

Generate one that fits this layout.

Card · 208×64 px · bound to [Payroll Cost]

1, 2 or 5 credits depending on the brief · 5 free on signup. Sign in or create a free account on the next screen; the brief is saved for 30 minutes.

Brief sent to the generator (you can edit it there)

A Power BI card visual titled "Payroll cost". It sits in a 208×64 px slot on a designed report page. Match the report's brand: data colours #1E3A5F, #778DA6, #B5651D, #5E7A8C, #A18758, #3D6B5A; background #FFFFFF; text #1B2430; font Segoe UI. Transparent visual background so the page design shows through; no visual border. In the sample model it is bound to [Payroll Cost]; keep the same data roles so the fields drop straight in.

Not sure what to build? Browse the visual catalog or open the template in the design studio and hand off any slot from there. Or start in the AI generator with a blank brief.

Colours and theme

Slate Executive

Quiet grey-and-navy Power BI theme for board packs and executive scorecards: low-saturation data colours, one navy accent, strong text contrast.

See the Slate Executive palette and contrast checks →

Use the background in an existing report

Prefer to keep your own report? Apply the design to it instead of opening the PBIP.

  1. 1

    Download the background

    Take the 1920×1080 PNG for a new page in a Fluent 2 report (the default size for new pages), or the 2× PNG (2560×1440) for sharp text on a 1280×720 Classic page. Power BI scales the image to the canvas.

  2. 2

    Set the canvas background

    Format page → Canvas background → Browse. Set Image fit to Fill and transparency to 0%.

  3. 3

    Import the theme

    Design ribbon → Import theme (in the Power BI service: View → Theme pane), then pick the downloaded JSON. Data colours and fonts now match the design. Older Desktop builds: View → Themes → Browse for themes.

  4. 4

    Place your visuals

    Size each visual to the positions above with background and border off, or open the PBIP project where they are already placed.

Questions about this template

Does the Payroll, Overtime & Absence template come with sample data?

Yes. The “PBIP with sample data” download contains a semantic model with 8 tables and 9 DAX measures, and every visual on the page is already bound to it. The sample: Twelve months of payroll for a fictional manufacturer with six departments at three UK sites (Nov 2025 to Oct 2026): cost by pay element, FTE, contracted and overtime hours, a monthly payroll budget, and hours lost to absence by type. The data is written into each table's Power Query step, so there is no data source or sign-in.

Is it a .pbix file?

It is a Power BI project (PBIP): a folder of text files that Power BI Desktop opens like a .pbix. Open the .pbip file, select Refresh once to load the sample rows, then use File → Save as if you want a single .pbix.

What visuals are in the Payroll, Overtime & Absence template?

The page has 12 visual areas: 2 slicers, 5 cards, 1 line & column chart, 1 donut chart, 1 bar chart, 1 column chart, 1 table. Their exact positions are listed on this page so you can match them in Power BI's Format → General → Properties panel, or skip that step by downloading the PBIP project.

Which theme does the Payroll, Overtime & Absence template use?

It ships with the Slate Executive theme (light tone). Download the theme JSON here, or open the template in the design studio and switch to any other theme or your own brand colours.

Is there a dark version of the Payroll, Overtime & Absence template?

Yes. Switch the preview to Dark and every download (background, theme JSON and PBIP) comes in that version. The layout is identical; the page, card and text colours are re-solved for a dark page, and the accent, status and data colours keep their hues but are adjusted until text meets WCAG AA (4.5:1) and chart colours reach 3:1 against the cards.

How do I use the background image in Power BI Desktop?

Select the page, open Format page → Canvas background, choose Browse and pick the PNG, then set Image fit to Fill and transparency to 0%. Give your visuals a transparent background and no border so the designed panels show through.

Can I open the PBIP project in Power BI Desktop?

Yes. PBIR is the default report format in Power BI Desktop since September 2026, and the download is a PBIP project: unzip it and open the .pbip file, select Refresh once and the sample data loads into visuals that are already bound (the empty PBIP leaves the containers unbound for your own data). Microsoft still lists projects and TMDL as preview features (as of Nov 2026), so if Desktop won't open it, enable them under File → Options and settings → Options → Preview features.

Build guides for this dashboard

Guides to the same dashboard job: which custom visuals it needs, the DAX behind them and prompts to generate them.

KPI cards for this layout

Headline numbers drawn by one DAX SVG measure each, for the Card visual or a table row.

Want the headline numbers to look like cards rather than plain values? Browse the KPI card gallery or build your own in the SVG measure builder.

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Make the Payroll, Overtime & Absence template yours

Swap in your brand colours and logo, move panels, add icons and generate missing visuals with AI, then export the background, theme JSON and PBIP project.

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