---
title: "Set up payroll"
description: "Turn on Payroll, set staff pay rates, choose your pay frequency and PTO and overtime settings, then export approved hours as a CSV for your payroll provider."
type: setup
updated: 2026-10-09
canonical_url: https://help.nestlicare.com/owners/staff/set-up-payroll-mode
roles: ["super_admin"]
platforms: [web]
---
Once you turn on **Payroll**, approved timesheets flow into payroll runs that you export as a **CSV** and import into your payroll provider. NestliCare doesn't run payroll itself. There's no tax filing and no direct deposit. Your provider keeps doing that part.

Payroll is for owners. You set it up yourself; there's nothing to request.

## How it works

| Step | Where it happens | Who handles taxes and filings |
|---|---|---|
| Track and approve hours | NestliCare (Timesheets) | — |
| Run payroll and export a CSV | NestliCare (Payroll) | — |
| Import the CSV and pay staff | Your payroll provider | Your provider |

## 1. Turn on Payroll

1. Go to **Settings → Features**.
2. Turn on **Payroll**. This also turns on **Timesheets & Time Tracking**.
3. Under Payroll, check that **Payroll mode** is set to **CSV Export**.

See [Turn features on or off](/owners/settings/enable-or-disable-features).

If you open **Staff & Time → Payroll** and see an **Enable Payroll** button, click it.

## 2. Set each person's pay rate

On **Staff & Time → Payroll → Settings**, the **Staff Pay Rates** card shows how many staff have a rate set, for example "4 of 6 configured". To fill in the rest, click **Manage Staff**, then **Edit** on each person and set their pay type and rate. See [Set a pay rate](/owners/staff/set-a-pay-rate).

## 3. Check your payroll settings

On **Staff & Time → Payroll → Settings**, the **Payroll Configuration** card has:

- **Pay Frequency**: **Weekly**, **Biweekly** or **Monthly**.
- **Organization State**: which withholding forms staff are asked to complete. It doesn't change hours or pay.
- **PTO Hours per Day**: how many hours a day of paid time off counts as.
- **Overtime Multiplier**: for example 1.5 for time-and-a-half.
- **Auto-generate Payroll Runs**: creates draft payroll runs on your schedule. Leave it off if you'd rather start each run yourself.
- **Require Tax Documents Before Payroll**: staff missing required documents (W-4, I-9) are left out of payroll runs.

Click **Save Payroll Settings** when you're done.

Overtime hours are counted on the **Timesheets** page, after 40 hours in a week. Break rules are set there too, under **Break rules**.

## 4. Check staff readiness

Click **Staff Readiness** on the Payroll page to see which staff are missing tax documents. This matters if you turned on **Require Tax Documents Before Payroll**.

## Run payroll

1. Approve timesheets for the period. See [Approve a timesheet](/owners/staff/approve-a-timesheet).
2. Start a payroll run and download the CSV. See [Export payroll](/owners/staff/export-payroll).
3. Import the CSV into your payroll provider.

## Troubleshooting

**I can't see Payroll.** It's off. Turn it on under **Settings → Features → Payroll**. Only owners see the Features tab.

**Payroll turned off by itself.** Someone turned off **Timesheets & Time Tracking**, which also turns Payroll off. Turn Payroll back on.

**A staff member is missing from a payroll run.** If **Require Tax Documents Before Payroll** is on, check **Staff Readiness** for missing documents. Also check that they have a pay rate.

**My provider rejects the CSV with "unknown employee."** The employee ID in the CSV doesn't match your provider's. Set **Employee ID** on that person's staff profile (**Staff & Time → Manage Staff**, then **Edit**) to the ID your provider uses.