Switching payroll providers
The broad UK guide to records, ownership, reconciliation and the first new payroll.
Read the switching guideASSISTED PAYROLL MIGRATION
Switch payroll software without doing it alone.
We help prepare your employee data, investigate migration issues and reconcile opening figures before your first Workmax payroll. You stay in control and approve what goes live.
“Plan your payroll switch” opens our demo request form. Share your current setup so we can arrange a migration conversation.
- Assisted employee import
- YTD and opening balance checks
- Human support
YOUR MIGRATION PLAN
Your migration, from handover to first payroll.
The exact work and timing depend on your source system, record quality, payroll history and agreed implementation scope.
Can we use your current exports?
We review a sample from your current provider before confirming supported fields, file preparation and any manual work. The format, product version and payroll history all matter.
Agree the timing and cost
After reviewing your source records and the work required, we confirm the migration scope, timeline and any implementation fee. Timing depends on record quality, payroll history and who needs to approve the move.
STAGE 01 — PLAN THE HANDOVER
Know what to provide and what still needs checking.
Your Workmax team reviews the setup and outstanding checks with you before preparing employee records. The console shown is used by our staff; you do not need to operate it.
- Your current provider, last outgoing payroll and intended first Workmax payday.
- A sample employee export, payroll history, opening balances and year-to-date reports available from your provider.
- The people who can explain the records, resolve questions and approve the move.
STAGE 02 — PREPARE AND IMPORT
Review employee data before records are imported.
Workmax staff can preview the prepared file, see aggregate validation state and investigate records that need attention before confirming the next action.
- Aggregate validation state is visible before confirmation.
- Records that need attention remain available for staff review.
- Preview and confirmation are separate steps in the workflow.
Moving more than a handful of employees?
You do not need to re-key every employee manually. Workmax can help prepare supported employee data for bulk import and surface records that need attention before they are accepted.
- CSV
- Validate
- Review
- Import
- Preserve the original exports and prepare from a controlled working copy.
- Confirm source-system coverage and any manual preparation after reviewing the available exports and payroll history.
These images show Workmax staff-side tooling with entirely fictional data. They are not customer payroll screens or evidence that a particular migration has completed.
STAGE 03 — RECONCILE
Reconcile the opening position before the first run.
We compare employee figures and payroll totals with your retained source records. If figures do not match, we investigate the source data, mappings and preparation with you, resolve the differences and review the corrected figures before asking you to approve the agreed next step.
What is reviewed
- Opening figures and relevant year-to-date values.
- Employee-level records and payroll control totals.
- Validation findings and the evidence used to resolve them.
Preparation and comparison remain separate from the customer's authorisation of the live payroll.
STAGE 04 — PREPARE THE FIRST PAYROLL
You're supported, but you're still in control.
We prepare the records and review the findings with you. You confirm the information and approve the payroll before it goes live.
Workmax helps
- Prepare or import supported records.
- Investigate mapping and validation findings.
- Review opening and year-to-date figures.
- Prepare the first Workmax payroll for review.
You approve
- Employee records and mappings.
- Opening and year-to-date values.
- Payroll calculations and results.
- Payments and the live payroll submission.
The employer remains responsible for complete, authorised source records, payroll decisions, PAYE, pension and employment-record authority and supporting evidence. Workmax provides product and workflow guidance; use an appropriate adviser where specialist advice is required.
STAGE 05 — ONGOING SUPPORT
Support doesn't disappear after migration.
After your first payroll, use in-app Help for guidance on Workmax features and the steps in your regular payroll workflow.
Everyday product questions
Get help finding and using Workmax features as your team settles into the system.
Your next payroll
Ask for guidance on preparing inputs, reviewing results and following the approval steps in Workmax.
Questions and issues
Explain what you are trying to do through in-app Help so the team can help you work through the product workflow.
Need help? Talk to a person.
Considering Workmax? Book a payroll migration conversation so the team can assess the intended source and scope.
Existing customers can continue the conversation through in-app Help while retaining approval of their payroll records and results.
RELATED GUIDANCE
Related switching guidance.
Keep educational controls, provider evaluation and the commercial migration conversation distinct.
Switching mid-tax year
A narrower checklist for year-to-date continuity, cutover controls and post-run checks.
Read the mid-year checklistBrightPay Cloud comparison
Compare the published evidence for connected workforce and payroll workflows before choosing a migration path.
Compare Workmax and BrightPay CloudBEFORE YOU PLAN THE SWITCH
Migration questions, answered.
Practical answers about supported records, checks, timing and payroll authority.
Can we switch to Workmax in the middle of a tax year?
A mid-year switch can be planned when the employer can provide the required records and reconcile the opening and year-to-date position. The cutover date should leave enough time to review findings and approve the first live Workmax payroll.
What happens to our year-to-date figures?
Relevant YTD figures are reviewed against the source evidence for the agreed scope. The customer approves those values before they are used in the live payroll and retains the records supporting that approval.
Which exports can Workmax use?
Workmax reviews a sample from the source process before confirming supported fields and any manual preparation. Export format, product version, record quality and the history required can all affect the approach.
How long does payroll migration take?
Timing depends on the source system, record quality, payroll history, availability of approvers and implementation scope. Workmax confirms a plan after those inputs have been reviewed.
How much does migration support cost?
Any implementation scope and cost are confirmed after Workmax reviews the source data and required work. The team confirms any implementation fee for the agreed scope.
What is checked before the first Workmax payroll?
The agreed checks can include employee records, opening and YTD values, current-period inputs, exceptions, reports and control totals. The customer reviews the result and authorises the live payroll.
Who is responsible for the payroll after migration?
The employer remains responsible for its records, payroll decisions, approvals, payments and reporting authority. Workmax supports use of the product and the agreed migration workflow.
Ready to plan your payroll switch?
Open the demo request form and tell us about your current payroll setup. We will arrange a conversation about the source records, timing and people who will approve the move.