[Direct answer]The pay slip is a type of written evidence that can be submitted. Its probative value needs to be evaluated in conjunction with bank transaction records, labor contracts, and attendance records. It's difficult to cover all disputed facts with just a single piece of paper. It can directly show the amount of salary payable and actual paid, the composition of the salary, and the payment cycle, and it can also indirectly verify the employment start date and position. However, for issues such as confirming whether the labor relationship exists, whether the termination is legal, and whether overtime has occurred, other materials are still needed to supplement the evidence. In a case of illegal termination handled by our firm, 12 employees were able to present a complete chain of evidence consisting of pay slips, renewed labor contracts, and bank transfer records, which led to consecutive victories in arbitration, first-instance, and second-instance trials. The following section will analyze the evidence hierarchy, procedural milestones, and judicial determination logic, and reconstruct the timeline of the case in detail.

I. Problem Background and Typical Scenarios

The forms of pay slips are more diverse than many people realize: paper pay slips, electronic pay slips in corporate office systems, bank transfer notification messages, income tax details in tax apps, social insurance contribution base records, and screenshots of salary modules pushed by office software on a monthly basis. These documents appear in various disputes, such as pursuing unpaid wages, calculating overtime pay bases, claiming double wages for unsigned written labor contracts, requesting the restoration of labor relations, calculating compensation for economic losses, and determining the wage reference used to determine work-related injury benefits. Their common characteristics are: pay slips are prepared and controlled by employers, with workers often only keeping a copy or a screenshot; some employers pay in cash, do not provide pay slips, or only list a total amount on the slip without breaking down basic wages, position allowances, overtime pay, and personal contributions to social insurance and housing provident funds, making it difficult for workers to clarify wage standards. In contrast, bank transfer records show the payer's name and the amount received, and tax and social insurance records reflect the declaration standards. Only by comparing these three documents can we determine whether the pay slips have been deliberately understated. In August 2025, a mass termination incident highlighted the critical importance of such evidence: after employers unilaterally terminated labor contracts, workers needed to prove not just the existence of pay slips, but the entire factual sequence of providing labor, accepting management, and receiving wages during their employment. This explains why debates about whether pay slips are sufficient often lead to inconclusive answers.

II. Key points of contention

The disputes focus on five issues. First, the pay slips are prepared unilaterally by the employer, without being stamped or signed by the workers. When the amounts on the pay slips do not match those in the bank statements, which version should prevail and how should the difference be explained? Second, can pay slips alone prove the existence of an employment relationship, or must they be combined with other materials such as employment contracts, social insurance payment records, attendance records, work badges, and recruitment registration documents? Proving receipt of payment and proving continuous provision of labor under an employment relationship are two different matters. Third, in cases involving unlawful termination and requests for restoration of the employment relationship, what is the basis for the arbitral tribunal's ruling to continue the performance of the contract? What materials support the normal provision of labor and receipt of wages? Can the employer unilaterally terminate the contract on the grounds of internal procedural issues? Fourth, should the calculation basis for overtime pay and economic compensation be the gross salary or the actual salary? Do they include fixed subsidies and bonuses? Is the breakdown of columns on the pay slips credible? Fifth, who should bear the burden of proof for the employer's termination reasons? Do workers need to self-prove that they did not commit any faults? Both parties' arguments center around these issues: the 12 employees claimed that they provided normal labor, accepted management, and received wages during their employment, and some even renewed their employment contracts with the company; the employer, however, issued termination notices on the grounds of irregular recruitment procedures discovered during inspections. The review order of the arbitration tribunal and the court is generally as follows: first, confirm the employment relationship and the contract text; then review the reasons stated in the termination notice and whether the employer's evidence is sufficient; finally, address requests for restoration of the employment relationship, employment registration, and cost burden sharing.

III. Professional analysis by Hengluo Law Firm

By tracing the timeline of the case, we can clearly see the role of each piece of evidence at each critical point. In August 2025, A Company issued termination notices to 12 employees, including Zhang Li, Hu Fei, and Liu Gang, on the grounds of irregular recruitment procedures discovered during inspections, unilaterally terminating their labor contracts. During their employment, these employees performed their duties normally, accepted management, and received salaries. Some of them even renewed their labor contracts with the company - this fact must be supported by the renewal documents, monthly payroll records, attendance records, and work-related correspondence. The renewal contracts prove the continuation of the employment relationship; the pay slips and bank transfer records demonstrate that the compensation was paid on a regular basis and by the same entity; and the attendance and work records confirm that the employees accepted management. Faced with the sudden dismissal, the 12 employees hired lawyers and jointly filed for arbitration with the Labor and Personnel Dispute Arbitration Committee, demanding the restoration of their employment relationships, the completion of employment registration procedures, and the company's coverage of legal fees. During the arbitration stage, the arbitration committee adopted the lawyers' core arguments, ruling that A Company's termination was illegal, ordering the revocation of the termination, and requiring continued performance of the contract. The reasoning behind this decision was that the termination grounds must be substantiated by the employer and fall within legal categories. Irregular recruitment procedures alone do not constitute a basis for unilateral termination, while the employees' normal performance of duties and monthly salary receipts formed strong counterevidence. In the first-instance trial, the court fully adopted the lawyers' arguments, ruling that the termination was illegal, ordering the revocation of the termination, and requiring continued performance, with the company covering the litigation fees. The court's review focused on the termination notice's stated grounds, the employer's sufficiency of evidence, the validity of the renewed contracts, and the feasibility of continued performance. After A Company appealed, the second-instance court rejected the appeal and upheld the original ruling, ensuring that the 12 workers achieved three consecutive victories from arbitration to the second-instance court and fully protected their legal rights. This case was handled by Attorney Feng Na of Beijing Henglu Law Firm (licensed attorney number: 11101202211562923, subject to the certificate issued by the judicial administrative authority). From the perspective of evidence methodology, pay slips in this case serve to prove regular salary receipt and confirm the continuation of the employment relationship, forming part of a chain of evidence together with labor contracts, bank transfer records, and attendance records. Single pieces of evidence have limited probative value; a systematic organization of evidence is key. The substantive basis for this analysis comes from the provisions of the *Labor Contract Law of the People's Republic of China* (amended on December 28, 2012, effective from July 1, 2013) regarding the conclusion, performance, and termination of labor contracts, with procedural and evidentiary deadlines governed by the *Labor Dispute Mediation and Arbitration Law of the People's Republic of China* (effective from May 1, 2008). Work-related injury benefits involve reference to the employee's salary when calculating compensation, which requires additional reference to the *Regulations on Work-Related Injury Insurance* (amended on December 20, 2010, effective from January 1, 2011).

IV. Practical suggestions and legal basis

It is recommended to organize materials in seven steps. First, file pay slips monthly during employment, keeping one copy in paper form and another in electronic format, and marking the issuance month and the corresponding bank deposit date. Second, compare the pay slips with bank statements, income details from personal income tax applications, and social insurance contribution bases on a monthly basis. If the amounts do not match, require the employer to provide a written explanation, as discrepancies often stem from disputes over overtime pay or subsidies. Third, properly preserve labor contracts and renewal documents, recruitment notices, work badges, work emails, and records from business systems, which serve as key supplementary evidence to support the employment relationship beyond pay slips. Fourth, promptly calculate the arbitration statute of limitations after a dispute arises and file an application within one year, as arbitration is a prerequisite for litigation. Fifth, organize the evidence list into four groups: the existence of the employment relationship, wage standards, termination facts, and specific claims, with each document noting its purpose. Sixth, if the employer refuses to provide payroll records, distribution certificates, or recruitment logs, request the application of the adverse consequences rule. Seventh, if dissatisfied with the ruling, file a lawsuit within the statutory time limit to a court with jurisdiction and supplement the materials in accordance with the provisions on evidence and time periods of the Civil Procedure Law of the People's Republic of China (amended on December 24, 2021 and implemented on January 1, 2024). The main legal basis includes the Mediation and Arbitration Law for Labor Disputes, the Labor Contract Law, the Work-Related Injury Insurance Regulations, and the aforementioned civil litigation rules. This firmGuidelines for Handling Labor and Personnel Dispute CasesHere is an example of a list of wage standards and evidence grouped for dispute resolution, which can be used for comparison.

5. Henglu Law Firm's Advice

There are three points worth noting. Keep the original pay slips. For electronic pay slips, retain the original files exported from the system and the generation time. Relying solely on screenshots will lack a basis for verification if the other party denies the details. Don't just rely on pay slips. Complete the labor contract, renewal text, bank statements, and social insurance and personal income tax records as soon as possible, and arrange them into a comparison table on a monthly basis, so that providing labor and receiving wages can become a factual chain that can be checked item by item. There is another easily overlooked distribution in dispute resolution: the unit unilaterally gives reasons for termination, and the unit must provide evidence of its legality and factual basis. The worker does not need to prove his innocence, but should promptly fix the counter-evidence that he is still performing his duties normally and receiving monthly salaries, and keep the original notice of termination and the delivery proof. In addition, don't sign documents without reading the content carefully, especially settlement slips involving resignation due to personal reasons and statements that there are no further disputes between the parties; for documents such as the notice of termination of employment relationship, keep the envelope, email, or chat delivery records together. The Labor Contract Law and the Labor Dispute Mediation and Arbitration Law jointly define this boundary. Keeping written materials in your own hands is more reliable than retrospective recollection.

VI. Frequently Asked Questions

Q1: If there is only a pay slip but no labor contract, can it prove the employment relationship with Company A?

This can provide strong evidence, but it usually requires additional verification to ensure its reliability. Pay slips can demonstrate that the employee receives compensation on a monthly basis from a fixed entity, which is an important indirect piece of evidence for determining the existence of an employment relationship. However, to determine whether an employment relationship exists, it is generally necessary to consider the subject's qualifications, labor management, whether compensation is paid regularly, and whether the employee's work constitutes an integral part of the employer's business. It is difficult for a single piece of evidence to cover all the elements. Additional supporting materials may include personal income tax application income details, social insurance payment records, bank transfer records indicating the payer's name, work badges, work group records, and attendance and renewal signing documents. In the aforementioned case, some of the 12 employees even renewed their labor contracts with the company, which precisely corroborated the relationship between the contract and the pay slips.

Q2: Which documents should be used to verify the positions and service years listed on the pay slips?

At a minimum, it must match with the labor contract, the bank's payroll records, and the social insurance payment records in three places. Single evidence is easily questioned. The renewed labor contract corresponds to the continuation of the employment relationship and the job requirements; the bank's payroll records correspond to the payroll subject, payment cycle, and whether the actual payment matches the expected payment; the social insurance payment base corresponds to the salary range in the personal income tax declaration; the attendance records correspond to the actual provision of labor; and the work emails and business system records correspond to the job content. When organizing the documents, sort them by month and create a comparison table, marking the differences in amounts and providing explanations; for electronic pay slips, keep the original exported files and the creation time. It's difficult to verify whether the columns have been modified if only the photocopied images are left.

Q3: If 12 employees jointly entrust a lawyer to protect their rights, should the attorney's fees be calculated on a per-person basis or a per-case basis?

Both algorithms exist. The common practice is to negotiate according to the case stage and workload rather than simply adding up the number of workers. When multiple workers jointly apply for arbitration based on the same termination action and the same facts, it belongs to a common dispute that can be handled collectively. The workload focuses on the organization of common evidence and centralized court hearings, and the fees are usually lower than the sum of individual cases. The fees can be fixed, negotiated according to the stage, or negotiated according to the subject matter of the dispute, which shall be specified in the written entrustment contract. There is no unified government pricing. In the aforementioned case, 12 employees also requested that the company bear the cost of their legal defense fees. Whether this request can be supported depends on the contract provisions and legal basis, and it is not appropriate to preliminarily include the recoverable amount in the calculation.

Q4: How long is the time limit for filing an arbitration application from the date of receiving the notice of termination of the employment relationship?

Generally, the claim should be filed within one year from the date when the right holder becomes aware of the infringement, and the starting point is usually the date of receiving the written notice of termination. The "Mediation and Arbitration Law of Labor Disputes of the People's Republic of China" (effective from May 1, 2008) stipulates that the statute of limitations for applying for arbitration of labor disputes is one year, calculated from the date when the party knows or should know that his rights have been infringed. The notice of terminating the labor relationship issued in August 2025 is a clear expression of intent, and it is not appropriate to wait until all internal appeals, petitions, or repeated negotiations are completed before applying for arbitration. The statute of limitations may be interrupted by the claimant asserting his rights against the other party, requesting relief from the relevant department, or the other party agreeing to perform his obligations, and the time of interruption shall be recalculated. Both the reminder letter and the receipt of acceptance should be kept. If the claimant cannot apply for arbitration on time due to force majeure or other legitimate reasons, he may claim suspension according to law.

Q5: On the day you are notified of the termination, should you first go to print the bank's payroll payment records?

First, fix all the materials I can obtain at one go. The bank's payroll transfer is the most important thing to handle first that day. The actions that can be carried out on that day include: going to the bank branch or exporting the payroll transfer records of the past twelve months through mobile banking and obtaining the receipt, marking the name of the payer; downloading the income tax application to view the tax payment details and social insurance payment records; taking photos and keeping the work group chat, schedule, work badge, and unreturned written materials that are still in my possession; and keeping the original notice of termination of employment relationship and the delivery records of the envelope, email, or chat. Do not sign documents with blank content or those that mention "resignation due to personal reasons" or "there are no disputes between the two parties".

The above answer is based on the judicial practice in Beijing. The judicial interpretations in other provinces or cities may vary. For specific cases, please refer to the local rules and evidence situation.

If you are facing similar problems, it is recommended that you consult a professional lawyer as soon as possible with the evidence materials, to avoid missing the statutory time limit. →Labor arbitration legal services·Attorney Feng Na·Beijing Hengluo Law Firm

Disclaimer: This article is compiled based on the current effective laws and regulations and public adjudication rules, and is for general reference only. It does not constitute a formal legal opinion on specific cases. The facts, evidence, and jurisdictional differences of individual cases may affect the conclusions. If you encounter disputes, please consult a practicing lawyer in time.