Edit an active incentive plan's name, description, people, goals and rules; archive it to stop it for good and release its goals and compensations; or delete it while it's still a draft. Archiving is how you close or end a bonus plan once its last period has been paid.

Before you start

• You need the Manage incentive plans permission.
• Send every period you want to pay before archiving. An archived plan can't send payouts.

Steps

Edit the name or description of an active plan (admin)

1. Go to Compensation > Incentive plans and open the active plan.
2. Open the Settings tab.
3. Change the Name or Description.
4. Click Save.

The Settings tab shows "Period, recurrence, and payroll are locked". Use the People and Goals tabs to manage people and goals.

Archive an active plan (admin)

1. Go to Compensation > Incentive plans.
2. Open the plan, or open the actions of the plan's row in the list.
3. Click Archive plan.
4. Read the dialog: "Archived plans become read-only and can no longer be sent to payroll, and their variable compensations are released so other plans can use them. They are hidden from the list by default — select the Archived status filter to see them. This action is irreversible."
5. Click Archive. The message "Plan archived successfully" confirms it.

Find archived plans (admin)

1. Go to Compensation > Incentive plans.
2. Open the Status filter and select Archived.

Delete a draft plan (admin)

1. Go to Compensation > Incentive plans.
2. Open the draft plan, or open the actions of its row in the list.
3. Click Delete plan.
4. Confirm in the Delete "plan name" dialog. This can't be undone.

What archiving changes

Rules and behavior

• If a plan is Draft, then it can be deleted but not archived.
• If a plan is Active, then it can be archived but not deleted.
• If a plan is Archived, then it can't be edited, reactivated or deleted.
• If a send to payroll is being calculated for the plan, then Archive plan isn't available until it finishes.
• If a goal belongs to an archived plan only, then the goal can be deleted from the Goals module. The goal disappears from the archived plan's goal list, and payouts already sent keep the goal's name.
• If a goal of an archived plan has its targets changed, then the archived plan shows the goal's new targets wherever it shows the goal, while the payouts already sent keep the values used at the time.
• If a plan is archived, then the variable compensations it used can be picked by another plan's Payroll concept.
• If you change people, goals, weights or payout rules of an active plan, then the change only applies to periods that haven't been sent to payroll.

Limitations

• You can't reactivate or unarchive a plan.
• You can't delete an active or archived plan.
• You can't change the Period, Recurrence or Payroll concept of an active plan.
• You can't send unpaid periods of an archived plan. Send them before archiving.
• You can't duplicate a plan to reuse it next year. Create a new plan.
• One can't archive or delete plans.

Troubleshooting

• Symptom: "I can't find my plan in the list." → Cause: The plan is archived, and archived plans are hidden by default. Or the list shows a different year. → Fix: Select Archived in the Status filter and check the year in the date navigator.
• Symptom: "Delete plan is missing." → Cause: Only draft plans can be deleted. → Fix: Archive the plan instead.
• Symptom: "Archive plan is missing." → Cause: The plan is a draft, it's already archived, or a send to payroll is being calculated. → Fix: Delete the draft, or wait for the send to finish.
• Symptom: "I can't delete a goal: This goal can't be deleted." → Cause: The goal is in an active incentive plan. → Fix: Remove the goal from the plan in its Goals tab, or archive the plan.

FAQ

1. How do I end a bonus plan at the end of the year?

Send the last period to payroll, then click Archive plan.

2. Can I bring back an archived plan?

No. Archiving is permanent. Create a new plan if you need it again.

3. What happens to the goals of an archived plan?

They're unlocked: you can delete them or change their period and frequency. Payouts already sent are not affected.

4. Can I delete a plan by mistake?

Only draft plans can be deleted, and Factorial asks you to confirm. Active plans can only be archived.

5. Can I rename an active plan?

Yes, in the Settings tab.