How Can I Setup the Online Employee Portal?

The online employee portal lets employees update their contact and bank account details, request leave, submit timesheets, and clock in and out of available shifts using the timeclock.

For leave requests, see our other FAQ on the topic.

Once activated, employees access their portal by visiting the Lightning Payroll website and clicking Employee Login at the top right.

Before activating a portal account for an employee, make sure the employee's email address has been added under Employees >> Details >> Personal.

Activate the portal for a selected employee under Employees >> Details >> Online Portal.

Ticking Activate This Employee's Online Portal? lets you choose which features the employee can use.

Personal Details – lets the employee update their contact details and timeclock PIN (used if the employee uses the Lightning Payroll Timeclock app on Android devices).

Bank Account Details – lets the employee add, edit or delete the bank accounts their pay is sent to. The employee can also split their pay between multiple accounts automatically.

Any changes the employee makes to their personal or bank details in the portal are synced back into Lightning Payroll the next time you open the program.

Manual Time Entry

This is where you choose whether the employee can clock in and out of available shifts, or add and edit timesheet entries, via the portal. To use it, first create shifts and assign them to the employee.

Allow Employee to Clock In and Out Through the Timeclock? – lets the employee clock in and out of their available shifts directly in the portal. The recorded clock in and out times can then be synced straight into the employee's pay in Lightning Payroll.

Allow Employee to Manually Edit Their Timesheet? – lets the employee manually enter the start and end times for their available shifts. The timesheet data can then be synced straight into the employee's pay in Lightning Payroll.

Completing Activation

When you are happy with the settings, click Refresh Employee Portal to complete activation. The employee receives an email with details on how to log in.

Activating Multiple Employee Portals

You can set up and activate the portal for each employee individually. To apply the same settings to several employees at once, use the Configure Multiple Employee Portal Settings wizard under the Tools menu.