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Sage HR Employee Import Checklist
Sage HR Employee Import Checklist

Checks to make in your employee template before you import them to Sage HR.

Oliver Cook avatar
Written by Oliver Cook
Updated over a week ago

Please check the following list to ensure your employee import works.

⚠️CAUTION: Do not amend the format of the import layout, only the contents in each relevant cell.

📎NOTE: The details for the first employee in the import list must begin on Row 3 of the Excel sheet. Any information in the rows above (i.e. Row 1, Row 2) will not be imported.

First Name - Required Field

Last Name - Required Field

Work Email - Required Field

  • Email is case sensitive and will be the format the user will need to use to log, e.g. if work email is imported as [email protected] then the employee won’t be able to login using [email protected].

  • Check the spelling as you must terminate and delete the employee in Sage HR and add them again with the correct details if it isn’t correct

Password

  • Must be at least eight characters long

  • Must have at least three of: Uppercase letter, Lowercase letter, Number, and Special Character

📎NOTE: If left blank, the employee can set up their password after they are sent a welcome email.

Employment Start Date - Required field

  • Field must be formatted to “Date” type - In Excel browse to: Highlight fields > Home tab > Number section > Dropdown box – select either Short Date or Long Date

  • If the Employment Start Date isn’t a valid date (e.g. 31/04/20), it will populate with
    the date of import instead.

Employment Status

  • Must be one of: Full-time, Part-time, Contract or Intern

  • If left blank, Employment Status is recorded as Full-time by default

Position

  • Input any position – if it doesn’t exist in Sage HR yet, it is created as an option automatically.

📎NOTE: If an employee profile already exists in Sage HR, and you are using the import template to overwrite existing employee information, when the position field is blank, the employee's existing position is removed.

Employee number

  • Input an Employee reference number

  • Double check it isn’t already assigned to another employee by going into Sage HR: Browse to Reports > Employee Data > Custom Reports > Create a report, then select Name and Employee # Fields

Reports to

  • Can be left blank – it is used to structure the Company Organisation chart.

  • Must be the Work Email address of the person they report to. The person they report to must already exist in Sage HR.

  • If the person they report to doesn’t yet exist in Sage HR but is included in the Import List, this will import both the employee and the person they report to.

  • Email Address is case sensitive and you must check the spelling. It must match the work email of who they report to exactly as it appears in Sage HR.

Time off approved by

  • Must be the Email Address of the person who approves their time off. The time off approver must already exist in Sage HR.

  • If the person who approves their time off doesn’t yet exist in Sage HR but is included in the Import List, this imports both the employee and the time off approver.

  • Email Address is case sensitive and you must check the spelling. It must match the Time Off Approver’s work email exactly as it appears in Sage HR.

  • If left blank, the Sage HR Admin user is assigned by default.

Location

  • Enter their work location. Can be geographically specific (e.g. London) or site specific (e.g. Office).

  • If the location does not already exist in Sage HR, it will be created automatically.

Gender

  • Can choose from Male, Female, Other or be left blank

Marital Status

  • Can choose from Single, Married, Divorced, Widower, In a relationship, Other or be left blank

Nationality

  • Select British or otherwise select the relevant option from the nationalities list which you can see in the Nationalities tab at the bottom of the import template.

  • If the value doesn’t match a nationality from the list, then it won’t be imported

Mobile Phone number

  • Set field format to “General” type - Excel: Highlight fields > Home tab > Number section > Dropdown box – select General

  • Use 44 international dial code for UK mobile numbers instead of 0, as Excel removes the 0

Address 1

  • Allows special characters (commas etc), and there is no character limit

Address 2

  • Allows special characters (commas etc), and there is no character limit

City

  • Allows special characters (commas etc), and there is no character limit

Postal Code

  • Allows special characters (commas etc), and there is no character limit

  • No postcode format required, e.g. NE1 1AA

Country

  • Select United Kingdom otherwise select the relevant option from the countries list which you can see in the Countries tab at the bottom of the import template

  • If the value doesn’t match a country from the list, then it won't be imported

Emergency contact – Full Name

  • Enter the Emergency Contact Name

  • If left blank, no other Emergency Contact information is imported

Emergency Contact – Relation

  • Can choose from Husband, Wife, Father, Mother, Son, Daughter, Brother, Sister, Friend, Partner, Relative, Other or leave blank

Emergency Contact – Mobile Phone #

  • Set field format to General type - In Excel browse to: Highlight fields > Home tab > Number section > Dropdown box, then select General

  • Use 44 international dial code for UK mobile numbers instead of 0, as Excel removes the 0

Emergency Contact – Email

  • The value present in this field is imported regardless of what is entered so check that the email spelling and format is correct

Status

This must say either:

  • Active – if the employee is still in employment

  • Terminated – if the employee no longer works for you

📎NOTE: If left blank, it defaults to Active in Sage HR meaning they are classed as in employment.

Termination Date

  • If the Status field has a value of Terminated, then the Termination Date is a required field. The employee won't import without one
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  • Field must be formatted to Date type

    • In Excel browse to: Highlight fields > Home tab > Number section > Dropdown box, then select either Short Date or Long Date

  • Check to see if they have been imported successfully into Sage HR

    • Reports > Employee Data > Terminated Employees

  • If the Termination Date isn’t a valid date, e.g. 31/04/20), it won’t import the employee.
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