Answer
When your employer activates your online employee portal, you receive an email containing your username and a temporary password. To access the portal, visit the Lightning Payroll website and click Employee Login at the top of the page.
Signing In for the First Time
- Enter your Email address or username and Password, then click Sign In.
- A 6-digit login code is emailed to you. Enter the code when prompted and click Submit.
- If your email address is linked to more than one employer's portal, a list appears. Select the correct account and click Continue.
- 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.
- Welcome – An overview of what the wizard covers. Click Next to begin.
- Employee details – Update your contact details and emergency contacts. Save your changes before advancing to the next step.
- 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.
- 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.
- 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.
- Pays – View and download any payslips that have already been uploaded. This step is shown only if payslip access is enabled by your employer.
- 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?