WFM UK: Payroll: Data Imports in the Payroll Module

Overview

This article offers comprehensive guidance on managing data imports within the Payroll module, detailing the steps for compiling CSV files for each specific import type, using Microsoft Excel.

This operates in a similar way to the Data Imports in the HR Module.

Contents

• User Access Permissions
• Employee Payments Upload
• Employee Deductions Upload
  • One-off Deduction
  • Ongoing Deduction
  • Deductions over a Set Amount of Pay Periods
• Export Import Results

User Access Permissions

To allow access to the 'Data Imports' page and control which type of upload a certain user can perform, user access permissions must be applied.

• Using the side menu, go to Payroll > Users > Assign User Access > search for and select the required Employee
• Select User Profile from the top-right corner
• Locate the new 'Data Imports' permission group
• To allow access to the new menu option in the HR module, tick Data Imports
• Then, tick the box(es) for any import type that the user is to have

Please note: These permissions are also available on the User Access Templates.

Users with the Data Imports permission enabled can then navigate to the new menu option: 

• Using the side menu, go to Payroll > Administration > Data Imports

This will open the 'Employee Batch Upload from CSV' page.

• From here, select an Upload Type (available options will depend on the assigned user access permissions), select a prepared CSV file and upload it

Employee Payments Upload

Please note: This upload works in the same way as the older version of the Employee Payments Upload, but allows it to be done via CSV, rather than the outdated file type, XLS.

• From the side menu, go to Payroll > Administration > Data Imports
• Use the Upload Type drop-down and select Employee Payments Upload
• Then select Download CSV Template and open the template in Microsoft Excel

Please note: A message will appear to clarify the mandatory and non-mandatory fields, noting that if Location and Division can be used, mainly in the scenario where the costs of these payments need to be charged to another location and/or Division.

The template will look like this, with the following column headers (A-F in Excel):

1. Employee Number: A mandatory field for the employee number of the employee
2. *Payment Code: A mandatory field for the payment code of the payment type to be uploaded
3. Units: A mandatory field for the number of units for the payment to be uploaded
4. Amount: A mandatory field for the number of units for the payment to be uploaded
5. Location: A non-mandatory field to apply a location that the cost of the payment should be applied to
6. Division: A non-mandatory field to apply a division that the cost of the payment should be applied to

*To retrieve the payment code, go to:

• Payroll > Administration > Payment Types
• Select a Payment Type
• See the Payment Code field for the correct code, and use this in the Payment Code field in the upload template:

• Complete the Employee Payments Upload template and ensure it is saved as a .csv file. Example:

• Return to Payroll > Administration > Data Imports > Employee Payments Upload
• Load in the template saved earlier, and select an If Validation Errors Occur option:
  • Cancel Upload - even if just one error, the entire file will not upload and be cancelled
  • Continue with Upload - all successful records in the template will load into the system and add the payments to the employees' current payroll, whilst all unsuccessful ones will not
• Select Upload

Once the upload has been processed, a table will be displayed within the same page, detailing the status of each change in the upload:

A successful row will show 'Record Processed Successfully' under 'Status', and an unsuccessful row will show 'Record Validated with Errors', with the reason detailed under 'Error Description'.

• Correct any erroneous data and reattempt the upload
  • If Continue With Upload was selected, successful records will update the line manager notification settings. When re-completing the upload, exclude successful records
  • If Cancel Upload was selected, no records will be processed, and all records, including successful ones, should be included in the re-completed upload

When an upload has been done, and the results table presented, there are filtering options in the column headers for certain employees, used to filter out successful or unsuccessful records, as well as filters on each error description:

Once the upload has been completed, this will add the payment to the employees' payroll:

Validation

• The Employee Number must exist for an employee
• The employee must be attached to a Payroll
• The Payment Code must exist for the payment to be uploaded
• Units must be entered in a numerical format
• Amounts must be entered in a numerical format
• If used, the Location must exist
• If used, the Division must exist
• If uploading a payment for a leaver, then that leaver must be manually added back to payroll

Employee Deductions Upload

Please note: This upload works in the same way as the older version of the Employee Deductions Upload, but allows it to be done via CSV, rather than the outdated file type, XLS.

• From the side menu, go to Payroll > Administration > Data Imports
• Use the Upload Type drop-down and select Employee Deductions Upload
• Then select Download CSV Template and open the template in Microsoft Excel

Please note: A message will appear to clarify the mandatory and non-mandatory fields.

• The template will look like this, with the following column headers (A-O in Excel):

1. Employee Number: A mandatory field for the employee number of the employee
2. Employee Name: A non-mandatory field for the employee's name
3. *Deduction Type: A mandatory field for the deduction type to be used, using the actual name of the deduction type (not the deduction code)
4. Amount Per Period: A mandatory field for adding the amount to be deducted each pay period (subject to further information below)
5. Start Date: A mandatory field for the date the deduction starts, dictating which payroll the deduction starts
6. End Date: A mandatory, or non-mandatory field (depending on how the deduction will operate, see below) for the date the deduction will stop, dictating which payroll the deduction ends
7. Initial Total: A mandatory, or non-mandatory field (depending on how the deduction will operate, see below) for the total amount that will be deducted from the employee
8. Deduct From Total: A mandatory field, where only Yes or No should be used (subject to further information below)
9. Suspend Deduction?: A mandatory field that should always be set to No
10. No of Payruns: A mandatory, or non-mandatory field (depending on how the deduction will operate, see below) for adding the number of pay runs the deduction will deduct for
11. Total Remaining: A non-mandatory field for adding the total amount actually remaining from the Initial total
12. Variable: A mandatory field that should always be set to No
13. Reference Number: A non-mandatory field where a reference number can be added, if required.
14. NI Number: A non-mandatory field for the employee's National Insurance Number
15. Notes: A non-mandatory field, where notes can be added to the deduction being added to the employee's payroll

Please note: Some of the fields above state 'should always be set to No', but are required to validate the deduction being added to payroll.

One-Off Deduction

To complete a one-off Deduction, along with the Employee Number and *Deduction Type, the following cells must be populated on the Deduction upload template:
 

• Amount Per Period 
• Start Date - must fall within current pay range 
• End Date - must fall within current pay range
• Deduct from Total - always No
• Suspend Deduction? - always No
• Variable - always No

Ongoing Deduction

To complete an ongoing Deduction, along with the Employee Number and *Deduction Type, the following cells must be populated on the Deduction upload template: 
 

• Amount Per Period 
• Start Date - must fall within current pay range
• Deduct from Total - always No
• Suspend Deduction? - always No
• Variable - always No

Deductions over a Set Amount of Pay Periods (initial total prorated)

To complete a Deduction over a set amount of pay periods, along with the Employee Number and *Deduction Type, the following cells must be populated on the Deduction upload template: 
 

• Amount Per Period 
• Start Date - must fall within current pay range
• Initial Total - total to be deducted from the employee
• Deduct from Total - always Yes
• Suspend Deduction? - always No
• No of Payruns - total number of payruns for which the Deduction will appear
• Variable - always No

*To retrieve the deduction name, go to:

• Payroll > Administration > Deduction Types
• Select a Deduction Type
• See the Description field for the correct name, and use this in the Deduction Type field in the upload template:

• Complete the Employee Payments Upload template and ensure it is saved as a .csv file type. example (one-off deduction):

• Return to Payroll Module > Administration > Data Imports > Employee Deductions Upload
• Load in the template saved earlier, and select an If Validation Errors Occur option:
  • Cancel Upload - even if just one error, the entire file will not upload and will be cancelled
  • Continue with Upload - all successful records in the template will load into the system and add the deductions to the employee's current payroll, whilst all unsuccessful ones will not
• Select Upload

Once the upload has been processed, a table will be displayed within the same page, detailing the status of each change in the upload:

A successful row will show 'Record Processed Successfully' under 'Status', and an unsuccessful row will show 'Record Validated with Errors', with the reason detailed under 'Error Description'.

• Correct any erroneous data and reattempt the upload
  • If Continue With Upload was selected, successful records will update the line manager notification settings. When re-completing the upload, exclude successful records
  • If Cancel Upload was selected, no records will be processed, and all records, including successful ones, should be included in the re-completed upload

When an upload has been done, and the results table presented, there are filtering options in the column headers for certain employees, used to filter out successful or unsuccessful records, as well as filters on each error description:

Once the upload has been completed, this will add the payment to the employees' payroll:

Validation

• The Employee Number must exist for an employee
• The employee must be attached to a Payroll
• The Deduction Type must exist for the payment to be uploaded
• Amount per period must be present, in a numerical format
• A start date must always be used
• If uploading a deduction for a leaver, then that leaver must be manually added back to payroll

Export Import Results

As of 12th February 2026, the ability to export the results of the import is available, regardless of the import completed.

To do this: 

• Complete an import, as above
• When presented with the results table, select Export to Excel or Export to CSV

• This will download the file, which can then be opened in Excel and the data can then be reviewed:

Please note: Remember, whether successfully validated records must be included in a re-attempted upload depends on whether Continue Upload or Cancel Upload was selected as part of the import process.