A simple guide for adding a new employee to UK payroll.
What does payroll onboarding do?
Payroll onboarding collects the information needed to pay a new employee correctly and complete their UK payroll setup.
You do not need to understand payroll or tax rules. Givver guides the employee through the questions and asks for the relevant information.
This process helps:
Set up the employee for PAYE.
Apply the appropriate starting tax information.
Calculate tax, National Insurance and student loan deductions.
Pay the employee into the correct bank account.
Maintain the information needed for payroll records.
Before you start
Go to Employee profiles and check that all required fields have been completed.
Pay particular attention to:
Personal email: The payroll onboarding link is sent here.
Entity: The legal company that employs and pays the employee.
Start date: When the employee should enter payroll.
Employee details: Check that their name and employment information are correct.
Givver will highlight any missing required information before you can continue.
Step 1: Add the employee
When the employee’s profile is ready, select:
Add employee or Add employees
A confirmation window will open with two email options:
Send welcome email: Helps the employee access Givver.
Send payroll onboarding email: Asks the employee to complete their payroll information.
Select Send payroll onboarding email and confirm Add employee.
You can select both options if the employee should receive their welcome and payroll emails at the same time.
Step 2: The employee receives an email
The payroll onboarding email is sent to the employee’s personal email address.
It contains a link to their onboarding form. The link is valid for 14 days, so the employee should complete it as soon as possible.
The employee should have the following ready:
Their National Insurance number.
Their bank details.
Their current-year P45, if they have one.
Information about any student or postgraduate loan.
Details of another job or pension, if applicable.
The form normally takes around 5–10 minutes.
Step 3: Complete the payroll information
Do you have a P45?
The employee is asked whether they have a P45 from the current tax year.
If they have a P45
They select “Yes, I have a P45” and:
Upload the P45.
Enter the tax code shown on it.
Enter their total pay and tax paid to date.
Provide their National Insurance number.
Answer the student loan questions.
A P45 is provided by a previous UK employer when someone leaves their job.
If they do not have a P45
That is not a problem. They select:
“No, I don’t have a P45”
Givver shows the New Starter Checklist instead. The employee answers questions about previous jobs, pensions, benefits and student loans.
Their answers help payroll apply the appropriate starting tax information. HMRC requires a Starter Checklist when a suitable P45 is unavailable. HMRC: Starter Checklist
If the employee receives their P45 later, they should send it to HR or payroll so the team can check whether their payroll record needs to be updated.
What if the employee does not know their NI number?
The current Givver form requires a National Insurance number before the employee can complete onboarding.
The employee should check:
A previous payslip.
A P60 or P45.
Their Personal Tax Account.
The HMRC app.
They should not enter a temporary, incorrect or invented number. If they cannot find it, they should contact HR or payroll before continuing.
National Insurance category letter
The NI category letter helps payroll calculate how much National Insurance the employee and employer need to pay.
Givver uses the employee’s date of birth to apply the standard category:
Category M: Employee is under 21.
Category A: Employee is 21 or older.
Step 4: Complete personal information
The employee confirms their:
Legal name and title.
Date of birth.
Home address.
They should enter their details exactly as they appear on their official records. An accurate date of birth is particularly important because it affects the automatic NI category.
Step 5: Add bank details
The employee provides:
Bank name.
Account holder’s name.
Account number.
Sort code.
These details are used to pay their salary. Employees should enter them directly into Givver and should never send bank or tax information by normal email.
Step 6: Complete onboarding
Once all required information has been entered, the employee selects:
Complete onboarding
Their information is saved, and they receive a confirmation email. Givver may send reminders while the form remains incomplete.
Completing onboarding prepares the employee for payroll. It does not mean that payroll has already been calculated, approved or submitted.
Important compliance checks
Payroll onboarding supports your UK payroll obligations, but it does not replace all employer checks.
Before the employee’s first payroll, please make sure that:
The information entered is complete and accurate.
Any P45 belongs to the employee and relates to the current tax year.
The Starter Checklist has been completed if a suitable P45 is unavailable.
The NI category has been reviewed if the employee has special circumstances.
Payroll has the information in time to report the employee to HMRC on or before their first payday. GOV.UK: New employees and HMRC
The employee’s right to work has been checked separately. This is not covered by payroll onboarding. GOV.UK: Right to work checks
The employee has been assessed for workplace pension duties. The Pensions Regulator
Payroll information contains sensitive personal and financial data. Access should be limited to authorised people and used only for legitimate employment and payroll purposes.
Employers must retain PAYE records for at least three years from the end of the relevant tax year. GOV.UK: Keeping PAYE records