How Do I Complete My Employee Portal Setup When I First Log In?

When your employer activates your online employee portal, you receive an email containing your username and a link to choose your own password. The link in that email works for 2 hours; if it has expired, use the Get New Password Link button in the email to be sent a fresh one. To access the portal, visit the Lightning Payroll website and click Employee Login at the top of the page.

Some portal invitations instead contain a setup link (valid for 24 hours). Click the link, choose your own password on the Employee Portal Setup screen, and click Save Password & Continue — you are signed in straight away and use that password for future logins.

If you receive a 6-digit login code by email before you open the invitation, that login code is separate from the setup link. Using the code does not use up the invitation link, so you can still open the setup link later while it is still valid.

Signing In for the First Time

1. Enter your Email address or username and Password, then click Sign In.
2. A 6-digit login code is emailed to you. Enter the code when prompted and click Submit.
3. If your email address is linked to more than one employer's portal, a list appears. Select the correct account and click Continue.
4. On your first login, the portal automatically opens the Employee Onboarding wizard. If you dismiss it, you can re-open it by clicking Start Onboarding Wizard from your dashboard.

Steps in the Onboarding Wizard

The wizard shows only the sections your employer has enabled. Each step is labelled with a progress counter at the top of the screen.

1. Welcome – An overview of what the wizard covers. Click Next to begin.
2. Create your password – Choose the password you will use to sign in to the portal from now on, then click Save Password before continuing. This step appears if you have not yet set your own password.
3. Employee details – Update your contact details and emergency contacts. Save your changes before advancing to the next step.
4. Tax settings – Enter your payroll tax information so deductions are calculated correctly. For AU employees this is your Tax File Number (TFN) declaration; for NZ employees this is your IR330 tax code and IRD number. Save before advancing.
5. Bank accounts – Add or update the bank accounts your pay should be deposited into. You can also rank multiple accounts and set a split amount.
6. Super – (AU only) Enter your super fund USI and member number, or select your employer's default fund. This step is not shown for NZ employees.
7. KiwiSaver – (NZ only) Review your KiwiSaver status and contribution rate. This step is not shown for AU employees.
8. Pays – View and download any payslips that have already been uploaded. This step is shown only if payslip access is enabled by your employer.
9. Review and Complete – Use Back to revisit any section. When you are satisfied, click Mark Onboarding as Complete to notify your employer and proceed to the dashboard.

After Completing the Wizard

You are taken to the Employee Dashboard, which shows Quick Links to all the sections you have access to, such as Update Details, Bank Accounts, Payslips, Leave, and Tax Settings. You can return to any of these at any time.

For help on what your employer needs to configure before you receive a portal invitation, see How Can I Setup the Online Employee Portal?