> ## Documentation Index > Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://docs.plane.com/llms.txt > Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further. # Concepts > The mental model behind Plane—workers, payroll, payments, compliance, workflows, and workspaces. Before diving into specific features, it helps to understand how Plane organizes things. This page explains the core concepts you will encounter throughout the product and API. ## Workers A **worker** is any person or party you pay through Plane. Workers come in three types: **employees** (hired through your entity or Plane's employer of record), **contractors** (independent workers you pay for services), and **vendors** (businesses you pay at the company level). The worker is the central object in Plane—compensation, documents, payments, and compliance all connect to a worker. Learn more in [Workers](/product/workers). ## Payroll **Payroll** is the scheduled operating cycle that calculates what each worker is owed and executes the payments. Each pay period, Plane prepares payroll using your workers' compensation, deductions, and any recent changes. You review and approve, and Plane handles funding, currency conversion, and transfers. Pay schedules vary by country and worker type. Learn more in [Payroll and Payments](/product/payroll). ## Payments A **payment** is a single transfer of funds to a worker. Payments happen automatically as part of payroll, but you can also create them on demand for bonuses, reimbursements, or invoices. For contractors and vendors, **payment requests** let workers submit amounts for approval before payment is scheduled. Learn more in [Payments](/product/payments). ## Compliance **Compliance** covers everything required to keep your team legally and operationally sound—agreements, tax documents, identity verification, and work authorization. What is required depends on the worker's type and country. Plane generates the right agreements, collects the right documents, and applies local rules automatically during onboarding. Learn more in [Compliance and Documents](/product/compliance). ## Workflows and tasks Plane organizes operational work into **projects** containing **checklists** and **tasks**. When you onboard a worker, for example, Plane creates a project with tasks assigned to you (the admin) and the worker. Tasks have clear ownership and run in parallel where possible, so onboarding does not become a bottleneck. You can track what is still outstanding from the worker's profile or the onboarding overview. ## Workspaces A **workspace** is the top-level container for your organization in Plane. It holds your workers, payroll configuration, documents, and settings. Everything you do in Plane happens within a workspace. Most companies have a single workspace, but the concept keeps your data isolated and organized. Set up your workspace and add your first team member. Learn about worker types and lifecycle management. Understand how payroll runs and payments work. Explore every object and endpoint in the Plane API.