How Do I Import Employee Records Into Lightning Payroll?

To save time and reduce manual data entry, we strongly recommend using Lightning Payroll's built-in employee export feature when transferring employees between database files or setting up a new company.

The export tool creates a CSV file in the exact format expected by the import process, including personal details, leave balances, superannuation information and year-to-date (YTD) figures for the selected financial year. This ensures the smoothest and most reliable import experience.

Employees are imported under Employees >> Actions >> Import Employees From CSV.

For guidance on creating an export file for this purpose, please see:

How Do I Export Employees Or Merge Lightning Payroll Databases?

If you are not transferring from another Lightning Payroll database, you can also manually prepare a CSV file. Please see our example spreadsheet here or refer to the field reference below for supported columns and formats.

All fields are optional, however we recommend completing as much information as possible. All employee details, including shifts, allowances and other pay items, can be edited in the employee profile after the import is complete.