This guide is for Payers and Account Admins managing employee payroll on Rise.
Before You Start
Make sure the following are in place before adding an employee to payroll:
Your team has an active payroll program set up (US EOR, UK EOR, etc.)
The employee has been invited to your team and has a Payable onboarding status
The employee's country matches the payroll program — only employees in the correct country will appear in the selection list
💡 Not sure about onboarding status? Go to People in the left nav — the Onboarding Status column shows each member's current stage. Only members showing Payable are eligible to be added to payroll.
Step 1: Go to the Payroll Section
Make sure you're in the correct Team workspace
Click Payroll in the left-side navigation menu
From the Payroll Dashboard, click Add Employee in the top right corner
Step 2: Select the Employee
A list of eligible team members will appear. Only members who:
Are based in the correct country for your payroll program
Have completed onboarding (Payable status will show up here. Select the employee you want to add.
⚠️ Note: If you add a contractor to payroll, their worker type will automatically update to Employee. Once added, they will no longer be eligible for direct contractor payment options (Pay Now, Pay Once, Record). Their only payment method going forward will be payroll.
Step 3: Fill In Employment Details
Complete the required fields for this employee:
Payroll Program — confirm which program they're being added to (e.g. United States EOR)
Salary — enter their annual or hourly gross pay
Start Date — can be any date, including mid-cycle. Rise will automatically prorate its first payment
Job Title — their role within the team
Work Hours — defaults to 40 hours per week (full-time)
Optional compensation fields:
Signing Bonus — paid out in the first pay cycle
One-time Variable Compensation — a one-off additional payment on a specific date
Variable Compensation Stipend — a recurring additional amount
💡 Tip: The start date does not need to align with the beginning of a pay cycle. Rise adjusts the cash requirement automatically for mid-cycle additions.
Step 4: Confirm and Submit
Review all the details and click Confirm to add the employee to payroll.
You'll receive a confirmation, and the employee will appear in the All Employees tab on your Payroll Dashboard with a Pending status until they complete their required steps.
What the Employee Needs to Do Next
After being added, the employee must complete two steps before their first payment can be processed:
1. Tax Declaration Form
The employee will be prompted to fill out and submit their tax declaration form (equivalent to a W-4 for US employees). Cash requirements will update within a few minutes of this being submitted.
2. Employment Agreement
The employee must sign their Employment Agreement. This document is generated specifically for them after being added to payroll — it includes their salary, role, start date, work hours, and other employment terms. Rise, and the employee is the signer — you, as the payer, are not required to sign.
⚠️ Payroll will not process for this employee until both steps are complete. You can track their progress under the Action Items section or in their member profile under People.
What Happens After Setup?
Once the employee completes their required steps:
Their cash requirement appears on your Payroll Dashboard for the upcoming cycle
Rise automatically calculates gross pay, taxes, and deductions each cycle
Payments are processed on the scheduled pay dates — no manual action needed
💡 Make sure your account is funded before the cycle due date. Visit your Payroll Dashboard to check if your balance covers the upcoming requirement, and use Deposit or Transfer Balance if you need to top up.