Import employees from a CSV or Excel file

If you have many employees to add, you can import them all at once from a file instead of adding each one by hand. The file can be a .csv, .xls or .xlsx, in whatever column layout your old system exports.

Who can do this: Owner, Admin, HR

Import employees from a file

1. Go to Employees and click Import CSV.
2. Choose a .csv, .xls or .xlsx file. The file can be up to 2 MB. If you need a starting point, click Download the sample template.
3. Panatag works out which column is which and opens the Check the import window. Check the preview and the columns under How we read it, and change any column that’s wrong. The required columns are First name, Last name and Hire date, plus a rate: Monthly rate for salaried staff, Daily rate for daily-rate staff, or Hourly rate for people paid by the hour. The optional columns are Employee number, Work email, Gender and Pay basis (monthly, daily or hourly).
4. Leave Remember this format as ticked so the next file in the same layout is read the same way, then click Import N employees.

While the import runs

Large files import in the background. The window closes as soon as Panatag accepts the file, and you can keep working or leave the page.

• An Importing button with a percentage shows in the top bar. Click it to see each import’s progress, for example 350 of 700 rows.
• When the import finishes, a message tells you how many employees were imported, how many were already on file and how many need review. The employee list refreshes on its own.
• If an import stops partway, the top bar shows it with a red mark. Upload the same file again: employees who were already added are skipped, not added twice.

Saved file formats

Once a format is remembered, it shows above the upload box as Saved format: · v1.

• The next file in the same layout is read with the saved format. You still see the Check the import window before anything is imported.
• If your old system changes its export, click Upload new sample. Panatag reads the new layout and saves it as the next version (v2, v3…). History lists the versions.
• Remove forgets the format. Employees you already imported stay.

Import daily-rate staff

• A row with a Daily rate is imported as daily-rate, with that rate. Panatag works out the monthly equivalent from your workweek; a monthly rate in the same row is ignored.
• A row with daily in the Pay basis column needs a Daily rate, or it goes to Review imported rows.
• A daily rate on a row marked monthly or hourly also goes to Review imported rows.
• In Review imported rows, Fix & add has a Pay basis choice. Pick Daily rate and enter the Daily rate (₱); Panatag shows the monthly equivalent and your region’s minimum wage. A row that failed because of its daily rate starts on Daily rate.

Import people who are paid by the hour

• A row with an Hourly rate is imported as paid by the hour, with that rate as their personal hourly rate. You don’t need a monthly rate for them.
• To import hourly staff without a rate yet, put hourly in the Pay basis column. Set their rate later from the employee’s Compensation tab with Edit hourly pay.
• Rows with no rate column filled and no pay basis follow How new hires are paid in Settings → Payroll.
• A row can’t be monthly and have an hourly rate at the same time. That row goes to Review imported rows.

Punches you import before switching someone to hourly still count: saving their hourly pay picks up their punches from the last 45 days.

You can also upload an employee CSV or Excel file during the first-run setup wizard, on the Add your employees step.

Fix employee rows that failed to import

Rows that failed to import go to Review imported rows. Each failed row has two options:

• Fix & add: correct the row, choose the Pay basis (Monthly salary, Daily rate or Hourly) and its rate, and add the employee. For Hourly, the Hourly rate (₱) is optional: leave it blank to use the rate card.
• Dismiss: drop the row.

While failed rows are waiting, a Review N import rows button appears on the employee list so you can come back to them later.

After importing employees

Imported employees still need government IDs (TIN, SSS, PhilHealth, Pag-IBIG) before payroll can run for them. Add them from each employee’s profile on the Personal tab with Update IDs.