Review payroll alerts to get information about pay changes and trends before you submit them. They point out unusual changes so you can double-check them.
We show pay changes and trends only during regular payroll runs. They do not appear for off-cycle or extra-pay payrolls.
We use your past payroll data to highlight changes that may need a closer look, so you can catch issues before you pay your team.
Here’s what to expect when you review pay changes and trends:
We show pay changes and trends during the Review step of a regular payroll.
We flag signals, not confirmed errors.
If nothing looks unusual, you may see a message saying no major issues were detected.
You should still review payroll before submitting.
We never change pay or submit payroll for you. You stay in control of what gets paid.
When you reach the Review step, you can compare the current payroll to recent payrolls for each employee. Look for these payroll insights above the Payroll Details section.
We may flag:
Hours that are much higher or lower than usual
Large changes in overtime or double overtime
Unusual bonuses, commissions, or tips
Reimbursements or deductions that are larger than normal or don’t usually appear
We explain each insight in plain language and link you back to where you can review or fix it.
Reviewing pay changes and trends helps with review, but they do not:
Submit payroll for you
Change hours, pay, or deductions on their own
Catch every possible issue
Provide legal or tax advice
You should still review payroll carefully and talk to your own advisors when needed.
To provide information on pay changes and trends, we need past payroll data to spot patterns. Because of this:
New employees may not have enough history for insights
Some payroll types or experiments may not show insights
If the payroll's insights do not appear, you can still run payroll as usual.
To review pay changes and trends during a regular payroll run:
Start a Regular payroll.
Go to the Review page.
Look for the pay changes and trends above the Payroll Details section.
Click on an insight to see what changed and which employee it affects. Decide if the change is expected. Think about schedule changes, bonuses, promotions, or seasonal shifts.
With the insight expanded, you can click Edit to fix anything that looks wrong. Click Dismiss to ignore an alert.
Use the link in the insight to update hours, earnings, reimbursements, or deductions.
Return to the Review page.
If the change is expected, move forward or dismiss the insight when that option is available.
Submit payroll when you’re ready.
To get the most value from these insights:
Review insights first on the Review step.
Double-check missing or unexpected values.
Keep employee pay and setup up to date.
Document known large changes so your team expects the flags.
Q: Are the insights—pay changes and trends—always right?
No. We look for patterns, not full business context.
We may flag changes that are expected, like seasonal overtime or promotions.
We may miss issues that don’t stand out from past payrolls.
We only show insights for employees with enough payroll history, so new employees may not have insights yet.
Use these insights as a second set of eyes, not your only review.
Q: Do these insights slow down payroll?
A: No. They're designed to be fast and appear automatically on the Review step. You can quickly scan them, fix anything that looks wrong, and submit payroll.
In many cases, these alerts save time by pointing you to a few specific items instead of requiring you to review every row.
Q: Does this change how Gusto uses my data?
A: No. We use the same payroll and employee data you already enter in Gusto.
We look at how values change over time for each employee.
We do not sell your data.
We use insights only to improve your payroll experience and help reduce errors.
For more details, review Gusto’s Privacy Policy and Terms of Service.
Q: Can I use these insights with other payroll features?
A: In most cases, yes. They work with:
Regular payroll using the spreadsheet view
Time tracking (synced hours still appear in payroll)
Some features, such as Payroll on AutoPilot® or certain experiments, may have limitations. If change and trend alerts are not available for a payroll, you can still run payroll normally.
Q: What happens if I review payroll alerts and trends regulary?
A: Reviewing insights often can help reduce:
Payroll corrections
Payroll cancellations
Off-cycle payroll fixes
This helps you pay your team accurately and with greater confidence each time you run payroll.