Gusto's import is forgiving about file format, which makes it easy to get started. The catch for trade show crews is everything that has to be right before the file: the hours, the overtime split and who's who.
How the Gusto import works
In Gusto, you start a payroll, then use the option to import payroll data above the employee table. You can upload your own spreadsheet and Gusto will try to match your columns and rows, or you can download Gusto's CSV template, fill it in and upload that. After upload, you review the column matching and the data, then import.
Three behaviors to know before you upload:
- An import replaces existing entries for the same payroll. If you hand-keyed a few hours first, the import can overwrite them.
- Zeros overwrite, blanks don't. A 0 replaces whatever was entered. An empty cell leaves it alone.
- Workweeks matter for overtime. If a non-exempt employee earned overtime in the pay period, you can add a workweeks column with each week's date range and that week's hours. This lets Gusto assign pay to the right week instead of treating the period as one total.
If an import keeps failing, Gusto's own advice is to download a fresh copy of its template and move your data into it.
Before you start
- Approve the hours. Check each line's in, lunch and out times, the overtime split under your agreement, and the foreman's page total.
- Match every name to the employee in Gusto. Handwritten names change from day to day ("Mike R.", "M. Rodriguez", "Rodriguez"). Settle who's who before the file, not during import.
- Check your pay types. Make sure your Gusto account has the pay types your crews actually earn, such as double time and reimbursements, before you try to import them.
- Download the template from the import screen so your columns line up with what Gusto expects.
A worked example
Here are two fictional crew members for a two-week pay period. Column names below are illustrative; use the names in your Gusto template.
| Employee | Workweek | Regular hours | Overtime hours | Double time hours | Reimbursement |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew Member 01 | 11/2–11/8 | 40.00 | 6.00 | 2.00 | 45.00 |
| Crew Member 01 | 11/9–11/15 | 16.00 | 0.00 | 0.00 | |
| Crew Member 02 | 11/2–11/8 | 32.00 | 0.00 | 0.00 | 30.00 |
Notice that Crew Member 02 has no row for the second week. That's a blank, not a zero, so nothing already entered for that week is overwritten.
Step by step
- Approve the hours and settle every name.
- Total by person, workweek and pay type.
- Fill in Gusto's CSV template, or your own file in the same layout.
- In Gusto, run payroll, choose the payroll, and import payroll data.
- Review Gusto's column matching, then review the data.
- Compare Gusto's totals with your approved totals for each pay type before you submit.
What Gusto won't do for a union crew
Gusto runs payroll. It doesn't read your collective bargaining agreement or build the monthly contribution reports for your pension, health and welfare and training funds. Those still have to come from the approved hours, by fund, with each fund's caps and rules. See how to prepare monthly benefit fund contribution reports.
Why imports fail or come out wrong
- A reformatted file. Custom files sometimes lose formatting Gusto needs. Start from a fresh template.
- Zeros where you meant blanks. A 0 wipes out an earlier entry.
- Overtime with no workweek. Multi-week periods need the week each hour belongs to.
- Name mismatches. "Crew Member 01" on the sheet must be the same person in Gusto.
- Importing twice. The second import replaces the first; make sure the second file is complete.
Where myCrewIQ fits
myCrewIQ builds this file from paper sign-in sheets. The crew signs in as usual, the sheets are photographed or uploaded, each line is read beside its scan, and a person approves the batch. The approved hours become a payroll import file laid out for Gusto, and the same hours feed your benefit fund reports and labor budget. Crew members are matched by payroll ID; Social Security numbers never go into the payroll console.
myCrewIQ prepares the file and you import it yourself. It never connects to or submits to Gusto, so test-import one file before relying on a new layout.
Frequently asked questions
- Can I upload a spreadsheet to Gusto instead of typing hours?
- Yes. While running payroll, use the import payroll data option and upload a spreadsheet or CSV. Gusto's template is the safest starting point.
- Does a Gusto import overwrite hours I already entered?
- It replaces existing entries for the same payroll, and any zero in your file overwrites what was there. Blank cells leave existing entries alone.
- How do I handle overtime across two weeks in a Gusto import?
- Add a workweeks column with each week's date range, and give each week its own hours.
- Does myCrewIQ submit payroll to Gusto?
- No. myCrewIQ prepares the import file and you import it yourself.