diff --git a/core/templates/base.html b/core/templates/base.html
index 205e0d4..ba0349a 100644
--- a/core/templates/base.html
+++ b/core/templates/base.html
@@ -392,6 +392,260 @@
 })();
 </script>
 
+{# === WORK LOG PAYROLL MODAL — click handler + safe DOM builder === #}
+{# Builds the modal body from JSON via createElement + textContent. #}
+{% if user.is_authenticated and user.is_staff or user.is_superuser %}
+<script>
+(function() {
+    var modalEl = document.getElementById('workLogPayrollModal');
+    if (!modalEl) return;
+    var bodyEl = document.getElementById('workLogPayrollBody');
+    var fullLinkEl = document.getElementById('workLogPayrollFullLink');
+    var bsModal = new bootstrap.Modal(modalEl);
+
+    // --- Safe element creator (copied from the worker lookup pattern) ---
+    function el(tag, className, text) {
+        var node = document.createElement(tag);
+        if (className) node.className = className;
+        if (text !== undefined && text !== null) node.textContent = text;
+        return node;
+    }
+
+    function link(href, text, className) {
+        var a = document.createElement('a');
+        a.setAttribute('href', href);
+        a.className = className || 'text-decoration-none';
+        a.textContent = text;
+        return a;
+    }
+
+    function formatRand(amount) {
+        return 'R ' + Number(amount).toLocaleString('en-ZA', {
+            minimumFractionDigits: 2, maximumFractionDigits: 2
+        });
+    }
+
+    function statusBadge(status) {
+        var span = document.createElement('span');
+        if (status === 'Paid') {
+            span.className = 'badge bg-success';
+            span.textContent = 'Paid';
+        } else if (status === 'Priced, not paid') {
+            span.className = 'badge bg-info text-dark';
+            span.textContent = 'Priced, not paid';
+        } else {
+            span.className = 'badge bg-warning text-dark';
+            span.textContent = 'Unpaid';
+        }
+        return span;
+    }
+
+    // --- Reset body to a spinner ---
+    function showSpinner() {
+        while (bodyEl.firstChild) bodyEl.removeChild(bodyEl.firstChild);
+        var wrap = el('div', 'text-center py-4 text-muted');
+        var spin = el('div', 'spinner-border');
+        spin.setAttribute('role', 'status');
+        wrap.appendChild(spin);
+        wrap.appendChild(el('p', 'mt-2 small', 'Loading…'));
+        bodyEl.appendChild(wrap);
+    }
+
+    // --- Replace body content with a built DOM fragment ---
+    function render(data) {
+        while (bodyEl.firstChild) bodyEl.removeChild(bodyEl.firstChild);
+
+        // Header strip (date + project/team/supervisor)
+        var header = el('div', 'mb-3');
+        var dateLine = el('div', 'fs-5 fw-semibold', data.date || '');
+        header.appendChild(dateLine);
+        var subLine = el('div', 'text-muted small');
+        if (data.project) subLine.appendChild(link('/projects/' + data.project.id + '/', data.project.name));
+        else subLine.appendChild(document.createTextNode('—'));
+        subLine.appendChild(document.createTextNode(' · '));
+        if (data.team) subLine.appendChild(link('/teams/' + data.team.id + '/', data.team.name));
+        else subLine.appendChild(document.createTextNode('—'));
+        subLine.appendChild(document.createTextNode(' · ' + data.worker_rows.length + ' worker' +
+            (data.worker_rows.length === 1 ? '' : 's')));
+        if (data.supervisor) subLine.appendChild(document.createTextNode(' · Logged by ' + data.supervisor));
+        header.appendChild(subLine);
+        bodyEl.appendChild(header);
+
+        // Unpriced OT banner (if needed)
+        if (data.overtime_needs_pricing) {
+            var banner = el('div', 'alert alert-warning py-2 px-3 mb-3 small');
+            banner.appendChild(document.createTextNode('Overtime on this log hasn\u2019t been priced yet. '));
+            banner.appendChild(link('/payroll/', 'Price now', 'alert-link'));
+            banner.appendChild(document.createTextNode('.'));
+            bodyEl.appendChild(banner);
+        }
+
+        // Workers table
+        var wrap = el('div', 'table-responsive mb-3');
+        var table = el('table', 'table table-sm align-middle mb-0');
+        var thead = document.createElement('thead');
+        var headRow = document.createElement('tr');
+        ['Worker', 'Status', 'Earned', 'Payslip', 'Paid on'].forEach(function(h, i) {
+            var th = el('th', i === 2 ? 'text-end' : null, h);
+            headRow.appendChild(th);
+        });
+        thead.appendChild(headRow);
+        table.appendChild(thead);
+
+        var tbody = document.createElement('tbody');
+        data.worker_rows.forEach(function(row) {
+            var tr = document.createElement('tr');
+
+            // Worker cell with link + optional Inactive badge
+            var tdW = document.createElement('td');
+            var wLink = link('/workers/' + row.worker_id + '/', row.worker_name);
+            if (!row.worker_active) wLink.className += ' text-decoration-line-through';
+            tdW.appendChild(wLink);
+            if (!row.worker_active) {
+                var badge = el('span', 'badge bg-secondary ms-1', 'Inactive');
+                tdW.appendChild(badge);
+            }
+            tr.appendChild(tdW);
+
+            // Status
+            var tdS = document.createElement('td');
+            tdS.appendChild(statusBadge(row.status));
+            tr.appendChild(tdS);
+
+            // Earned
+            tr.appendChild(el('td', 'text-end', formatRand(row.earned)));
+
+            // Payslip link or em-dash
+            var tdP = document.createElement('td');
+            if (row.payroll_record_id) {
+                tdP.appendChild(link('/payroll/payslip/' + row.payroll_record_id + '/', '#' + row.payroll_record_id));
+            } else {
+                tdP.textContent = '\u2014';
+            }
+            tr.appendChild(tdP);
+
+            // Paid on
+            tr.appendChild(el('td', null, row.paid_date || '\u2014'));
+
+            tbody.appendChild(tr);
+        });
+        table.appendChild(tbody);
+        wrap.appendChild(table);
+        bodyEl.appendChild(wrap);
+
+        // Adjustments (optional)
+        if (data.adjustments && data.adjustments.length) {
+            var adjWrap = el('div', 'mb-3');
+            adjWrap.appendChild(el('h6', 'fw-semibold small text-uppercase text-muted mb-2', 'Adjustments on this log'));
+            var adjTable = el('table', 'table table-sm align-middle mb-0');
+            var adjHead = document.createElement('thead');
+            var adjHeadRow = document.createElement('tr');
+            ['Type', 'Worker', 'Amount', 'Payslip'].forEach(function(h, i) {
+                adjHeadRow.appendChild(el('th', i === 2 ? 'text-end' : null, h));
+            });
+            adjHead.appendChild(adjHeadRow);
+            adjTable.appendChild(adjHead);
+
+            var adjBody = document.createElement('tbody');
+            data.adjustments.forEach(function(adj) {
+                var tr = document.createElement('tr');
+                tr.appendChild(el('td', null, adj.type));
+                var wTd = document.createElement('td');
+                wTd.appendChild(link('/workers/' + adj.worker_id + '/', adj.worker_name));
+                tr.appendChild(wTd);
+                tr.appendChild(el('td', 'text-end', formatRand(adj.amount)));
+                var pTd = document.createElement('td');
+                if (adj.payroll_record_id) {
+                    pTd.appendChild(link('/payroll/payslip/' + adj.payroll_record_id + '/', '#' + adj.payroll_record_id));
+                } else {
+                    pTd.appendChild(el('span', 'text-muted', 'unpaid'));
+                }
+                tr.appendChild(pTd);
+                adjBody.appendChild(tr);
+            });
+            adjTable.appendChild(adjBody);
+            adjWrap.appendChild(adjTable);
+            bodyEl.appendChild(adjWrap);
+        }
+
+        // Totals footer
+        var totals = el('div', 'd-flex gap-4 pt-2 border-top small');
+        function totalPair(label, value) {
+            var wrap = document.createElement('div');
+            wrap.appendChild(el('span', 'text-muted', label + ' '));
+            wrap.appendChild(el('strong', null, formatRand(value)));
+            return wrap;
+        }
+        totals.appendChild(totalPair('Total earned:', data.total_earned));
+        totals.appendChild(totalPair('Paid:', data.total_paid));
+        totals.appendChild(totalPair('Outstanding:', data.total_outstanding));
+        bodyEl.appendChild(totals);
+
+        // Footer "Open full page" link target
+        fullLinkEl.setAttribute('href', data.full_page_url);
+    }
+
+    function renderError() {
+        while (bodyEl.firstChild) bodyEl.removeChild(bodyEl.firstChild);
+        bodyEl.appendChild(el('div', 'alert alert-danger', 'Failed to load payroll info for this log.'));
+    }
+
+    // --- Open the modal and fetch data ---
+    function openForLog(logId) {
+        showSpinner();
+        fullLinkEl.setAttribute('href', '/history/' + logId + '/');
+        bsModal.show();
+
+        fetch('/history/' + logId + '/payroll/ajax/')
+            .then(function(resp) {
+                if (!resp.ok) throw new Error('HTTP ' + resp.status);
+                return resp.json();
+            })
+            .then(render)
+            .catch(renderError);
+    }
+
+    // --- Delegated click listener: any [data-log-id] triggers the modal ---
+    document.addEventListener('click', function(ev) {
+        var target = ev.target.closest('[data-log-id]');
+        if (!target) return;
+        // Let real links/buttons inside the row do their own thing.
+        if (ev.target.closest('a, button')) return;
+        ev.preventDefault();
+        openForLog(target.getAttribute('data-log-id'));
+    });
+})();
+</script>
+{% endif %}
+
 {% block extra_js %}{% endblock %}
+
+{# === WORK LOG PAYROLL MODAL (admin-only) === #}
+{# Hidden by default. Any element with data-log-id anywhere in the app #}
+{# triggers this modal. Fetches JSON and builds the DOM safely. #}
+{% if user.is_authenticated and user.is_staff or user.is_superuser %}
+<div class="modal fade" id="workLogPayrollModal" tabindex="-1" aria-hidden="true">
+    <div class="modal-dialog modal-lg modal-dialog-scrollable">
+        <div class="modal-content">
+            <div class="modal-header">
+                <h5 class="modal-title"><i class="fas fa-calendar-day me-2"></i>Work Log Payroll</h5>
+                <button type="button" class="btn-close" data-bs-dismiss="modal" aria-label="Close"></button>
+            </div>
+            <div class="modal-body" id="workLogPayrollBody">
+                <div class="text-center py-4 text-muted">
+                    <div class="spinner-border" role="status"></div>
+                    <p class="mt-2 small">Loading…</p>
+                </div>
+            </div>
+            <div class="modal-footer">
+                <a href="#" id="workLogPayrollFullLink" class="btn btn-sm btn-accent">
+                    <i class="fas fa-external-link-alt me-1"></i>Open full page
+                </a>
+                <button type="button" class="btn btn-sm btn-secondary" data-bs-dismiss="modal">Close</button>
+            </div>
+        </div>
+    </div>
+</div>
+{% endif %}
 </body>
 </html>