Payroll Center

The Payroll Center is the central hub for configuring and managing your payroll in BQE CORE. From here, you can initiate the payroll onboarding process, connect an existing Gusto payroll account, and seamlessly transition to a fully integrated payroll experience in CORE. Click to watch this video on CORE Payroll. 

The Payroll Center screen serves as the starting point for companies that are either:

• new to payroll in CORE and need to complete the one-time onboarding setup, or
• already using Gusto for payroll and want to connect their existing account to sync payroll data directly into CORE

Note: If your company’s payroll service is suspended, CORE displays a message in the Payroll Center indicating the suspension status and restricts access to payroll-related features.

Field Descriptions

How To

Start Payroll Onboarding

Connect Existing Gusto Account

Add Employees

Match Employee Records

Review Payroll Time and Expenses

Exclude Payroll Entries

Run Payroll

Generate Payroll Reports

Manage Payroll Settings

Connect to Guideline

Field Descriptions 

Start Payroll Onboarding

If your company is setting up payroll in BQE CORE for the first time, watch this video or follow these steps:

1. Open the Payroll Center screen from the side menu > Payroll.
   
   
2. In the New to Payroll in CORE panel, select Start Onboarding to launch the payroll onboarding wizard and begin configuring your company information.
3. Review the Required Information (PDF) and ensure that you have the necessary company details available, including:
   • Legal business name and entity type
   • Employer Identification Number (EIN)
   • Registered addresses and industry classification
   • Bank account details for payroll funding
   • Employee information
4. Follow the prompts in the onboarding wizard to complete each section. Check Field Descriptions above for details.
   • Accept the Terms of Services to enable payroll functionality.
   • Enter and verify your Employer Identification Number (FEIN/EIN).
   • Provide company location details and federal tax information.
   • Specify the company industry classification.
   • Enter bank account details for payroll disbursement and tax payments.
   • Add employee records and compensation details.
   • Define a payroll schedule based on your payment frequency.
   • Enter state tax information, including registration details and withholding account numbers.
   • Upload and sign any required compliance documents.
     
     

5. After all sections are complete, select Submit Onboarding Application. CORE sends your information to Gusto for review. The approval process typically takes 1–2 business days. When the application is approved, payroll functionality is activated, and you can begin processing payroll in CORE.

   Note: The onboarding process can be paused and resumed at any stage, and all progress is saved automatically.

Connect Existing Gusto Account

If your company already uses Gusto for payroll, you can connect your existing Gusto account to CORE and import your payroll data, employee records, and other historical information from there without creating a duplicate setup.

To connect your Gusto account to CORE, watch this video or follow these steps:

1. Open the Payroll Center screen from the side menu > Payroll.
   
   
2. If your company is already processing payroll using Gusto, select Connect Account to integrate your existing payroll information with CORE. This ensures that employee records, payroll history, and year-to-date data are imported automatically, allowing you to continue payroll operations without re-entering data.
3. You must review and accept Gusto Terms of Services, which define the legal terms, data handling policies, and responsibilities associated with payroll processing. Accepting these terms is mandatory before you can proceed with onboarding.
   
   
4. Sign in to your Gusto account in the authentication window that opens.
5. Next, select Authorize to allow CORE to connect with Gusto. This grants permission for CORE to access your Gusto payroll information, employee records, and account data needed to run payroll. If you do not want to proceed, select Deny to cancel the connection and return to CORE.

After authorization, CORE automatically imports your existing Gusto payroll data, including employee information, payroll schedules, and year-to-date data, so you can continue payroll operations without re-entering any details in CORE.

Note: Authorizing CORE ensures a secure connection with Gusto and enables seamless payroll data synchronization. This step must be completed before payroll processing can begin in CORE.

Add Employees

Within the Payroll Center under the Employees tab, you have the ability to view a comprehensive list of all employees along with their current payroll status. This overview helps you quickly understand where each employee stands in the payroll process.

If an employee’s Payroll Status is marked as Not Added, this indicates that the employee has not yet been incorporated into the payroll system. Essentially, they have not been set up for payroll processing at this time.

To start onboarding employees, watch this video or follow these steps:

1. Open the Payroll Center screen from the side menu > Payroll.
   
   
2. On the Employees tab, click on the employee record that is not been added and choose Start Onboarding.
3. Complete the onboarding workflow.
   
   
4. After all required information is submitted, the employee’s Payroll Status updates to Completed, and they become available for payroll processing.
   
   

Match Employee Records

The Employee Matching in CORE ensures that employee records synchronized from Gusto are accurately linked with corresponding employee records maintained in CORE. This mapping is essential for payroll data consistency across both platforms and must be completed before payroll can be processed.

To match employee records, watch this video or follow these steps:

1. Open the Payroll Center screen from the side menu > Payroll.
   
   
2. On the Employees tab, click > Match Employees to access the Employee Matching screen.
3. Review the list of Payroll Enabled Employees from Gusto displayed in the left column and the corresponding CORE Employees displayed in the right column.
   
   
4. Use the Matching Status filter to view all records or filter by matched or unmatched employees.
5. For each unmatched employee, select the field in the CORE Employees column and choose the correct employee record from the drop-down list.
6. Continue matching until all employee records are linked between CORE and Gusto.
7. Click Save Progress to save the completed mappings.
8. Review the Total Matched Records count displayed at the top of the screen to confirm that all employees have been successfully matched.

Note: Employee matching is typically performed once during initial setup. You can revisit this screen at any time to update mappings if new employees are added to either Gusto or CORE.

Review Payroll Time and Expenses

The Payroll T&E Reviewer screen consolidates all employee time, expenses, pay rates, and payroll-related data in a single location. Reviewing this information before processing payroll is a critical step to ensure data accuracy, compliance, and proper synchronization with Gusto. From this screen, payroll administrators can validate approved hours, confirm reimbursement amounts, check overtime status, and control which records are included in the upcoming payroll cycle. Any missing or unapproved records are highlighted so that they can be addressed before payroll is processed.

To review payroll time and expenses, watch this video or follow these steps:

1. Open the  Payroll T&E Reviewer screen from the side menu > Payroll > Payroll Center.
   
   

2. Use the filters to narrow down the records:

   • Department
   • Employee
   • Period

   Note: When the Add reimbursable expenses from other periods filter is applied, the selected outside-period reimbursable expense date range persists for all payroll admins reviewing the same payroll period.

3. Next review employee data. The table displays key details for each employee, including Pay Rate, Type, Regular Hours, Total Payroll Hours, OT Check, etc. 
4. After verifying the data, toggle the Sync to Payroll option for the employees you want to include in the sync process. Make sure there are no pending approvals or incomplete records before proceeding.
   Note: Negative time or expense entries are synced to Gusto only when the net total for an employee within a pay period is greater than zero. If the net total is zero or negative, the sync is blocked, and an error is displayed.
5. Click Sync with Payroll to send the reviewed data to Gusto. A confirmation message appears when the sync is successful. The Synced Status column shows whether the data has been successfully synced.
6. If changes are made after syncing, the status updates to Changes Detected, indicating that a re-sync is required.
   
   
7. Click > Show/Hide Columns to show more columns in the list. You can also access the Overtime Calculator and related reports from this menu.

Note: When payroll service is suspended, this screen is available in read-only mode. Payroll-related controls, including syncing and review actions, are disabled.
 

Exclude Payroll Entries

You can exclude individual approved time and reimbursable expense entries from the current payroll batch without changing the original entry approval status. Excluded entries are skipped during payroll sync but remain available for inclusion in future payroll runs.

To exclude a payroll entry, follow these steps:

1. Open the  Payroll T&E Reviewer screen from the side menu > Payroll > Payroll Center.

   
    

2. Expand the employee payroll details to view individual time and expense entries.
3. Select the Time Entries or Expense Entries tab.
4. Next, click next to the entry you want to exclude and select Exclude Entry from the menu.
5. Click Save Changes.

Excluded entries are not synced to Gusto, are not marked as paid, and are not associated with payroll checks or payments for the current payroll batch. 

Note: Excluding an entry does not unapprove it or change its status in the Time Entries or Expense Entries screens. The original record is preserved exactly as approved.
 

Run Payroll

The Payrolls screen allows you to process employee payroll based on approved hours, expenses, and compensation data. Before initiating a payroll run, make sure all employee records are up to date, payroll schedules are defined, and time and expense data has been synced. If payroll service is suspended, you cannot initiate or submit payroll. All payroll processing actions are disabled.

The Payrolls screen has two main tabs:

• Run Payroll
• General Ledger

To process payroll for a selected period, watch this video or follow these steps:

1. Open the Payrolls screen from the side menu > Payroll > Payroll Center.
2. On the Run Payroll tab, select the payroll type from the drop-down:
   • Scheduled Payroll (Check Field Descriptions above for details.)
   • Off-Cycle Payroll
   • Dismissal Payroll
3. Select Scheduled Payroll from the drop-down.
   
   
4. On Run Payroll >New Payroll tab, choose the pay period from the Select Pay Period drop-down.
5. Click Run Payroll to begin processing payroll for that period.
   Note: A reminder message is displayed before payroll is submitted as finalized to indicate that all time and eligible expenses for the payroll period should be synced. This can be verified in the Payroll T&E Reviewer and helps prevent incomplete payroll runs.
6. Review the hours and additional earnings. Verify employee hours, reimbursements, paid time off, and gross pay details. Check any alerts about payroll submission deadlines or pay dates.
   
7. Click Save & Continue to proceed.
8. Next, verify the summary details such as total payroll, debit amount, debit account, debit date, and employee pay date. 
   
   
    
9. Review additional details in the tabs provided. Check Field Descriptions above for details.
   • Company Pays: Employer-paid taxes, contributions, and benefits
   • Hours Worked: Total hours, overtime, double time, and paid leave
   • Employee Take Home: Gross pay, deductions, reimbursements, taxes, benefits, and net payment
   • Taxed and Debited: Taxes and contributions by employees and company
10. If needed, click Edit Payroll to make adjustments before submission.
11. Click Submit Payroll to finalize the payroll run.
12. Review the confirmation message to verify submission. The debit date, employee pay date, and payment breakdown appear on the confirmation screen. 
    
    
13. View or print payroll checks and receipts using the links provided at the bottom of the screen.

After submission, open the Payroll History tab to review processed payrolls. Each record shows the transaction date, pay period, payroll type, check date, debit and credit totals, linked transactions, and status.

Generate Payroll Reports

You can generate detailed payroll reports to review payroll costs, employee earnings, taxes, and other related data. CORE allows you to either use predefined payroll reports or customize them with specific filters, columns, and date ranges. Reports can also be exported as spreadsheets (.csv) for further analysis or sharing.

To generate and export reports, watch this video or follow these steps:

1. Open the Reports screen from the side menu > Payroll > Payroll Center.
   
   
2. Select a report type:
   • Payroll journal
   • Custom report
3. Choose the columns to include, e.g., Payroll, Employee, Work Address, Employer.
   
   
    
4. Add filters as needed, e.g., Time period, Dismissal date, Employment status/type, Payment method.
5. Click Generate Report. The report is downloaded automatically as a .csv file to your browser’s default Downloads folder.
6. If no file downloads, allow pop-ups/downloads for CORE and try again.
7. Click Back to return to the Reports screen.

Manage Payroll Settings

The Settings screen under Payroll allows you to manage essential payroll configuration details for your company. This includes company information, payroll schedules, benefits, account mapping, and processing preferences. Keeping these settings accurate ensures payroll runs smoothly, financial data stays consistent, and compliance requirements are met.

To manage payroll settings, watch this video or follow these steps:

3. Open the Settings screen from the side menu > Payroll > Payroll Center.
   
   
4. Review the Company tab to verify or update key information such as legal name, industry, funding account, administrator details, and company status. Click Edit Company to update the company information, if needed.
5. Click Pay Schedule to view or adjust payroll frequency, manage existing pay schedules, or preview upcoming pay dates.
6. Open the Benefits tab to add new employee benefits or manage existing ones. Any changes here will apply to future payroll cycles. You can connect Guideline from here to set up and manage 401(k) retirement plans, including Traditional and Roth contributions. Check Connect to Guideline below for details.
   
   
7. Go to the Chart of Accounts tab to map payroll-related expenses, taxes, reimbursements, and other earning categories to the correct accounts for accounting and reporting purposes.
   
   
8. Select the Payroll tab to configure processing preferences, including:
   • ACH payment speed and transaction limits
   • Auto-creation of checks for employees without direct deposit
   • Notification settings for payroll events
   • Payroll administrator access and management
      

When you have finished updating and reviewing your settings, your payroll is ready for accurate processing and reporting.

Note: When payroll service is suspended, access to payroll settings is restricted. Only limited configuration options will be available.

Connect to Guideline

Guideline is a 401(k) provider that integrates with CORE Payroll through Gusto to help businesses set up and manage affordable, fully administered retirement plans. After connecting, Guideline handles plan administration, employee onboarding, and contribution management automatically. It supports both Traditional and Roth contributions. Any contribution updates are reflected in CORE Payroll after Guideline's nightly update.

To connect to Guideline, follow these steps:

1. Open the Settings screen from the side menu > Payroll > Payroll Center.

2. Go to the Benefits tab and select Connect to Guideline. You can also connect to Guideline from the Overview tab in the Payroll Center.

   

3. Enter the email address associated with your Guideline account.

• If your company already has a Guideline account, click Connect to Guideline to be redirected to the Guideline login page.
• If no account exists, entering an email address redirects you to set up a new Guideline account.

4. After connecting, Guideline integrates with CORE Payroll to handle plan administration, employee onboarding, and contribution setup.
5. Connect a bank account to fund 401(k) contributions. You can do this using one of the following methods:

• Plaid: Connect your bank account instantly through Plaid's secure verification flow.
• Manual: Enter your bank account details manually and verify the account through micro-deposits.

6. After the bank account is connected, Guideline automatically creates the required benefits in CORE Payroll. No manual setup is required by the payroll administrator.

For new companies, benefits are created in CORE Payroll automatically after setup is complete. Employee benefits for new employees are created after an eligible employee has elected contributions. Any contribution updates made after the initial setup, employee opt-outs from the Guideline 401(k) plan, or deactivated benefits due to employee termination, are reflected automatically in CORE Payroll after Guideline's nightly update. If your company ends its service with Guideline and after the final payroll on the plan is completed, Guideline deactivates all associated benefits as part of its nightly update.