Brightwheel Payroll

[For Admins + Managers] Learn more about brightwheel's payroll offerings!

Sabrina avatar
Written by Sabrina
Updated over a week ago

Brightwheel's payroll offerings are a complete, easy-to-use payroll solution, enabling providers to automate tax filings, save time, and manage payroll with confidence with the #1 payroll provider for small businesses.

Under the Staff & Payroll page, the Payroll tab is now home to brightwheel's new payroll solution designed to save you time, track staff timecards and hours, and send that data directly to Gusto to pay your employees.


Get Started

It’s now easier than ever to get started with brightwheel’s best-in-class payroll partnership with Gusto!

ℹ️ Please be aware that this feature is not yet available for some programs, including multi-sites. Follow the guidance below to determine your eligibility and get started if eligible.

  1. Navigate to the Staff & Payroll page on the web

  2. Jump to the Payroll tab

  3. Determine if you see a Notify me or Get started button

    1. If you see a Notify me button, this likely means your program is a multi-site and not yet eligible to use this feature. Click the button and fill out the form to express your interest in using this in the future.

    2. If you see a "Get started" button, this likely means that your program is a single-site and you can further determine your eligibility by clicking the button and answering the two questions presented to you

      1. If you complete the questions and are eligible, click Get in touch with Gusto and follow the process to setup a new Gusto account or connecting an existing one

      2. If you complete the questions and are NOT eligible, the reason(s) why will be provided. Viewing the Payroll page in your account will now show the last date you tried to determine eligibility, how to become eligible, and will allow you to retake the eligibility assessment by clicking Get started.

💡 Payroll may not be immediately available once the setup process has been followed. If this is the case, a yellow banner may be presented on the Payroll page to state when it will be available. For any questions, we recommend reaching out to brightwheel Support.


Connect to an Existing Gusto Account

If you currently use Gusto, it's time to connect your account with brightwheel! 🎉 You may have already completed this in the Get Started section above, but if not, these steps will help.

  1. Log in to brightwheel on the web

  2. Open the Staff & Payroll page from the side menu

  3. Jump to the Payroll tab

  4. Locate the following message under the Sign up now button and click the hyperlink: Already use Gusto? Connect your account to brightwheel

  5. Log in to your Gusto account

  6. Authorize the connection between Gusto and brightwheel

ℹ️ Once authorized, the page will reload to display the Payroll tab now containing two additional sub-tabs: Active payrolls and Payroll history.


Manage Staff Connections

Once your Gusto integration is set up, let's ensure your staff members are connected to Gusto before you begin processing payroll for them.

  1. Log in to brightwheel on the web

  2. Open the Staff & Payroll page from the side menu

  3. Jump to the Payroll tab

  4. On the Active payrolls tab, click Manage staff connections on the right side of the screen

  5. In the popup window, update the information under the Gusto profile info column

    1. Select the Staff name from the drop-down

    2. Select the Job from the drop-down
      💡Any staff members that have identical names in brightwheel and Gusto will be “suggested mappings” to make this process faster for you

  6. When finished, click Save

🚩 Right now, our Payroll integration is only able to send hours for Employees whose compensation type is Paid by the hour. Salaried, Contractor, International, Dismissed, or Candidates won’t show up in brightwheel under Manage Staff Connections.


Review Timecards in brightwheel

  1. Log in to brightwheel on the web

  2. Open the Staff & Payroll page from the side menu

  3. Jump to the Payroll tab

  4. On the Active payrolls tab, use the date filter to select the applicable pay period

  5. Click Review timecards

  6. The page will reload onto the Time tracking page displaying all timecards in the pay period selected

  7. Review the time cards to add a new time card or edit a timecard as needed

💡 Once your staff timecards are reviewed for the pay period, move on to the next step Send Staff Hours to Gusto below!


Send Staff Hours to Gusto

  1. Log in to brightwheel on the web

  2. Open the Staff & Payroll page from the side menu

  3. Jump to the Payroll tab

  4. On the Active payrolls tab, use the date filter to select the applicable pay period

  5. Complete Step 1: Review timecards in brightwheel as mentioned above

  6. Click Send hours

  7. In the popup - review the selected staff members to deselect if needed and review the presented hours
    💡 If there are any corrections to be made, navigate to the Time Tracking page before proceeding!

  8. When ready, click Send hours


Preview and Run Payroll in Gusto

Once you've reviewed your timecards and sent your staff's hours to Gusto, you're ready to Preview and Run Payroll in Gusto! 🎉

  1. Log in to brightwheel on the web

  2. Open the Staff & Payroll page from the side menu

  3. Jump to the Payroll tab

  4. On the Active payrolls tab, use the date filter to select the applicable pay period

  5. On Step 3 Preview & run payroll in Gusto, click Open

  6. Follow along with Gusto's Run a Regular Payroll resource for next steps in Gusto


View Payroll History

Easily navigate to your Payroll history in Gusto right from your brightwheel account.

  1. Log in to brightwheel on the web

  2. Open the Staff page from the side menu

  3. Jump to the Payroll tab

  4. Jump to the Payroll history tab

  5. Click Open in Gusto to view the history there!
    💡 Review Gusto's View employee payroll payments resource for specific steps

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