Payroll automations help admins who use both Gusto Time tracking and Gusto Time Scheduling get payroll ready with less busywork. There are two settings, and you can turn on one or both:
Payroll preparation: approves timesheets that match the schedule, flags hours that need a fix, and sends you a Pre-payroll review email before payroll is due.
Payroll submission: submits payroll for you on your payroll deadline day.
Payroll automations are rolling out gradually. If you do not see them in your pay settings, they are not available for your account yet.
When you turn on Payroll preparation, Gusto:
Collects hours from Gusto Time tracking and asks employees to fix gaps themselves, like a missed clock-in or clock-out for a scheduled shift.
Compares hours to the schedule and flags hours that look unusual. You and your employees both see these flags, so they can be fixed before payroll.
Approves timesheets automatically when they closely match the scheduled shift.
Sends you a Pre-payroll review email before payroll is due. It shows what is already handled, what still needs your attention, and your projected payroll total.
Replaces some of the usual reminder emails about entering and reviewing time. The Pre-payroll review email takes their place.
Your Pre-payroll review email also lists pay change and trend alerts with the items that need your review. These alerts compare this payroll to your past payrolls and flag unusual hours, bonuses, commissions, and other pay. Select Review payroll in the email to open your payroll, where they appear again under Review unusual payroll entries.
To learn what these alerts look for, go to Review changes to your regular payroll with helpful alerts.
Before you start, make sure your company uses both Gusto Time tracking and Gusto Time Scheduling.
Go to Settings, then Pay settings.
Select the Automations tab.
Turn on Payroll preparation, Payroll submission, or both.
To turn a setting off, go back to the Automations tab and turn it off.
You cannot use payroll automations at the same time as Payroll on AutoPilot® or payroll approvals. When you turn on Payroll preparation or Payroll submission, Payroll on AutoPilot® and payroll approvals turn off. If you turn on payroll approvals later, your payroll automations turn off.
Gusto only approves a timesheet automatically when the hours closely match the employee's scheduled shift. You review everything else yourself.
Gusto never approves a timesheet with 0 hours automatically. You will always see these under Review timesheets when you open your payroll, so you can check them.
If you run payroll before the pay period ends, you still get the Pre-payroll review email. But Gusto does not approve timesheets automatically for that payroll, because the pay period is not over yet.
Employees paid by check, and employees who may be skipped from payroll, are called out separately. That way you can take action before payroll is submitted.
When Payroll submission is on, you do not need to sign in and submit payroll each payday. Edit or cancel anytime before the 2:00 p.m. PT cutoff on your payroll deadline day, when Gusto submits it for you.
Your payroll deadline is still the one shown in Gusto. The cutoff comes earlier on that same day.
If Gusto cannot submit your payroll automatically, you can still submit it yourself before your payroll deadline.
After Gusto submits your payroll, you can still cancel it before your payroll deadline.
After payroll is submitted, you get a payroll insights summary by email. It links to your Payroll Trends Report, so you can see how this payroll compares to your recent payrolls.
This content is not to be taken as tax, legal, benefits, financial, or HR advice. Since rules and regulations change over time and can vary by location, consult a lawyer, tax, or HR expert for specific guidance. Gusto's time tracking tools help you record and calculate hours, but you're responsible for reviewing them and for complying with wage and hour laws that apply to your business.