NEW YORK – The people who prepare your paycheck want you to start taking a closer look at your pay stub because it contains clues to how you can make your money work harder.

The consumer education campaign is part of the annual National Payroll Week program that the American Payroll Association, a San Antonio-based trade group of payroll professionals, sponsors around Labor Day each year.

“Our goal is to educate Americans on ways they can use their paychecks to stretch their budgets,” said spokesman Mark Coindreau.

A lot of American workers acknowledge that they live paycheck to paycheck.

A survey conducted by the association found that more than 35 percent of respondents said it would be “very difficult” to meet their financial obligations if their next paychecks were delayed a week, while more than 38 percent said it would be “somewhat difficult.” The rest said they could handle it comfortably.

One way to avoid delays is to switch from a paper check to having your check directly deposited to a bank checking account or a payroll card, Coindreau said. Yet only slightly more than half of all workers say they’re using direct deposit.

“It can save you time and money,” Coindreau said. “You don’t have to wait in line at the bank, and it’s safer because you’re not going to a bank and getting a wad of cash and walking around with it.”

Direct deposit also can make it easier for workers to collect their pay if they’re caught up in catastrophes.

“Thousands of those who were displaced by Katrina and other hurricanes were not able to get paychecks because they traditionally got them directly from the company or in the mail,” Coindreau said. “For those with direct deposit, the money was available right away.”

Coindreau also said pay stubs can help workers evaluate their savings strategies.

Workers should check the stubs to make sure they’re enrolled in their company’s 401(k) retirement plan, Coindreau said.

“You should take advantage of it, even if you’re right out of college and you think you don’t have enough money,” he said.

Contributions to 401(k) accounts come from pretax income, so contributing reduces your taxable income. And many companies match employee contributions, generally 3 percent or more, “so if you don’t participate, it’s like throwing away free money,” he said.

The next thing workers should look at is whether they’re taking advantages of company benefits such as flexible spending accounts.

Here, too, pretax money can be set aside to cover health transportation and child care expenses during the year, Coindreau said. Employees should check with their benefits department about enrolling, generally during a designated fall sign up period.

Other tips for workers can be found at the associations’ site, www.nationalpayrollweek.com.

Sam Kerch, a senior tax research analyst with Symmetry Software in Scottsdale, Ariz., said National Payroll Week is a good time for workers to take a look at their tax withholding. The company specializes in tax calculation engines for payroll services.

“Pay stub management can be especially useful when it comes to taxes,” Kerch said. “If you end up with a huge refund at the end of the year, you haven’t done it right.”

That’s because a big refund means the worker basically has made an interest-free loan to the government rather than keeping that money and investing it in a 401(k) plans or other savings accounts.

Workers who got a big refund last year – or, perhaps, didn’t have enough money withheld to cover the taxes that were due – can use the company’s calculator at www.paycheckcity.com to recalibrate their withholding so they can file an amended IRS Form W-4 with their employer.

The calculator takes into account a worker’s income, number of dependents, interest income, mortgage interest payments and other variables that affect withholding.

Kerch also said it’s important for workers to understand that the payroll process goes beyond the issue of getting a paycheck – your pay stub can be an essential document.

For example, workers are often asked for their last two pay stubs to prove the level of their income when they’re applying for a loan.

Paycheck tips

You worked for your paycheck. Now make it work for you:

Sign up for direct deposit.

Enroll in a 401(k) plan.

Enroll in flexible spending accounts for health care and other eligible expenses.

Adjust your withholding if you’re getting a big refund from the IRS each year.

Find more tips at www. nationalpayrollweek.com.

Paycheck tips

You worked for your paycheck. Now make it work for you:

Sign up for direct deposit.

Enroll in a 401(k) plan.

Enroll in flexible spending accounts for health care and other eligible expenses.

Adjust your withholding if you’re getting a big refund from the IRS each year.

Find more tips at www. nationalpayrollweek.com.

Paycheck tips

You worked for your paycheck. Now make it work for you:

Sign up for direct deposit.

Enroll in a 401(k) plan.

Enroll in flexible spending accounts for health care and other eligible expenses.

Adjust your withholding if you’re getting a big refund from the IRS each year.

Find more tips at www. nationalpayrollweek.com.