Curious (as I work in Information Systems), what time tracking software is your company using? Also wondering, approximately how large the company you work for is?
The website I go to for all time tracking is called Dayforce. That's also where we request the pay advance.
It's not hitting payroll, they just do a quick and dirty calculation based on hours worked since the last pay and come up with a limit. Then deposit it to your bank, and you see it as a post tax deduction on your next check.
Don't know exactly how big the company is, but the main plant has over a thousand employees and there are plants scattered all over the country.