Since our platform has an integration with your payroll provider, we can take a lot of work off your plate regarding the processing of your payroll files through automation.

This guide will help you set up your integration and understand your specific responsibilities for the proper administration of payroll files.

1. Determine Your Integration Type
2. Initiate Your Integration Setup
3. Are There Any Reasons Why My Plan Might Not Be Eligible for an Integration? 
4. What Are My Responsibilities If My Plan Has an Active Payroll Integration? 
5. What Do You Handle for Me If My Plan Has an Active Payroll Integration?
6. Will My Payroll Provider Charge Me Fees to Set Up and/or Maintain My Payroll Integration? 
7. How Do I Disconnect My Integration?

Determine Your Integration Type

There are two possible integration types. Your eligibility depends on your prior relationship with us and your payroll setup.

• If you were previously an Accrue client, you will use our API integration.
• If you were not previously an Accrue client, you will use our file-based integration.

API – How to Initiate Your Integration Setup (for Prior Accrue Clients)

Note: This integration will not support multiple EINs.

To initiate your integration:

1. Log in to your employer portal.
2. Navigate to the "Contributions" page.
3. Click the gear icon.
4. Click the Connect to Paylocity button.
5. You will be redirected to Paylocity’s app marketplace.
6. Search for the “Vestwell 2.0” app.
7. Click Begin Integration and follow the steps to authorize your connection.
8. You will be redirected to your portal once authorization completes.
   • If your plan has multiple pay groups, you must add a pay schedule name to identify each pay group. 
9. Lastly, set up any employer contribution codes and formulas.

Please do not run payroll until you see Vestwell Integration retirement deduction codes. These will appear 4 business days before your first payroll with us. You can locate the codes in Paylocity by following the instructions below:

1. Log in to Paylocity.
2. Navigate to "People Search."
3. Navigate to the employee.
4. Select Pay.
5. Select Pay Setup.
6. Look for the below codes:
   • 401K
   • 4ROTH
7. If your plan allows, loans will also be set up within Paylocity through the integration.

Custom Deduction Codes (API Integration)

Our integration sets up and manages your employees' 401(k) deductions using Paylocity's standard codes: 401K (pretax) and 4ROTH (Roth). Catch-up contributions run through these same codes, so you don't need a separate catch-up code.

Please don't create custom 401(k) or Roth deduction codes, and deactivate any you already have. This applies to codes you created yourself and to codes carried over from a previous payroll or retirement provider.

How to deactivate a custom code in Paylocity

1. Go to HR & Payroll > Configuration > Company Setup > Payroll > Deductions.
2. Select the custom code.
3. Clear the Active checkbox.
4. Select Save & Return.

Paylocity can only inactivate a code that is not attached to any employee as a recurring deduction, not part of a code group or custom calculation, and not in an open pay batch. If the Active checkbox isn't available, contact your Paylocity representative.

Note: Existing IRA codes must also be deactivated by you, the employer.

File-Based Integration – How to Initiate Your Integration Setup

1. In your Paylocity portal, Navigate to "HR & Payroll" and then "Marketplace."
2. Search for “Vestwell” in the name field.
3. Click Begin Integration to access, complete, and sign the integration form.
4. View the alert window. Any important information and fees will be reflected here. If you wish to proceed, select “Acknowledge associated fees for this service” and continue.
5. Enter the following information. Note: You must complete the following information exactly as follows, or your request will be rejected by Paylocity, and your integration will be delayed.
   • Client Information: Complete ALL fields
   • Vendor Name: Vestwell
   • Plan ID(s)/Policy Numbers(s): Paylocity company ID (this is your Paylocity company code and NOT your retirement plan number)
   • Vendor Contact Name: Ashley Lettieri
   • Effective Date: Anticipated first payroll date 
   • Vendor Contact Email: payrollintegrations@vestwell.com
   • Vendor Contact Phone: (917) 979-5358
   • TPA Information: Leave all fields blank; even if you are working with a TPA, please leave this section blank
   • Broker/Advisor Information: Leave all fields blank; even if you are working with an advisor, please leave this section blank
6. Select the Electronic Records and Signature Disclosure link to read the disclosure. If you are ready, proceed to submit.
7. Sign the document and click Finish to submit the request to Paylocity. You will see the notification that your request has been successfully submitted and a reference number.
8. Your Paylocity representative will reach out to assist you with deduction code set up. If you have created and are using custom deduction codes with your Paylocity Account Manager, please communicate these to the Paylocity team during integration setup. This includes the set up of any loans.

If you have recently switched payroll providers to Paylocity and your first payroll run with Paylocity is also your first payroll with us, your integration will not be active for the first payroll date. You may be required to manually input your deferral rates in your Paylocity system and submit your first payroll manually to us. For more information, please reach out to your representative. 

Note: Until the integration is activated, contribution uploads into the portal will be required until our team has notified you that the integration can begin.

Are There Any Reasons Why My Plan Might Not Be Eligible for an Integration?

Some plan design features currently prohibit the use of payroll integration. This includes:

• Plans that do not have an established recurring pay schedule setup in either the portal or the payroll system
• Plans that do not use the same payroll provider for all pay group(s)
• Plans that have limitations that prevent each pay group from being integrated
• Eligibility rules that exclude certain classes of employees, types of compensation, or certain types of hours worked
• Plans that allow after-tax contributions (integration is available for these plans only if you use a third-party administrator)
  • Note: After-tax and Roth contributions are not the same.

What Are My Responsibilities?

Our ability to successfully process your payroll files and administer your plan depends on you. Your responsibilities as an employer with a payroll integration are outlined below. 

Payroll Codes

File-based integration

• Work with your payroll representative to set up and maintain payroll codes within your payroll system.
• This includes the initial setup of any employer contribution codes which will be funded on a per-pay-period basis.
• It is important that these payroll codes do not change once the integration setup is completed.

API integration

• The standard 401K and 4ROTH deduction codes are set up for you by Paylocity when you are onboarding to the payroll system. We use these codes to set up and maintain your savers' deductions.
• Set up any employer contribution codes and formulas which will be funded on a per-pay-period basis.
• It is important that these payroll codes do not change once the integration setup is completed.
• Don't create custom 401(k) or Roth deduction codes, and deactivate any you already have. This includes codes you created yourself and codes carried over from a previous payroll or retirement provider. Catch-up contributions already run through the standard codes, so you don't need a separate catch-up code.
• To deactivate a custom code in Paylocity:
  • Confirm the code is not attached to any employee (active or inactive) as a recurring deduction, is not part of a code group or custom calculation, is not an auto-post line item in any batch type, and is not in an open pay batch. If it is in an open batch, process payroll first.
  • Navigate to HR & Payroll > Configuration > Company Setup > Payroll > Deductions.
  • Select the custom code.
  • Clear the Active checkbox.
  • Select Save & Return.
  • Note: A code that has been processed in payroll can't be deleted, so deactivate it instead. If the code was processed this calendar year, Paylocity recommends waiting until the next calendar year to deactivate it, to preserve year-to-date reporting. If the Active checkbox isn't available, contact your Paylocity representative.
  • Paylocity's steps are also available in the Paylocity application under Help.

Discretionary and/or Profit-Sharing Contributions 

• Set up and maintain non-mandatory employer contributions in your payroll system.
• Submit non-mandatory employer contributions through your employer portal using an off-cycle upload.

Mandatory Employer Contributions

• Maintain and submit mandatory employer contributions that are on a frequency other than a per-pay period basis using an off-cycle upload.

Loans

• For plans with an API integration, we will automatically set up the loan repayment deduction in Paylocity.
• For plans with a file-based integration, set up and maintain retirement loans within your payroll system.

Pay Groups

• Make sure any pay groups in your payroll system are also set up in your employer portal and vice versa. These pay groups should be named according to your Paylocity company codes.
• If you are removing a pay group from your payroll system, please contact your retirement plan representative.
• The number of pay groups or companies in your payroll system may affect your plan's eligibility to integrate.

Saver Status Changes - Payroll System

• Make updates in your payroll system when savers are hired, terminated, or re-hired. Include a specific date when making these status changes in your payroll system.

Saver Personal Information

• Maintain complete, accurate, and up-to-date personal information within your payroll system. This includes date of birth, social security number, and email address.

Pay Frequency/Schedule Changes

• Report any pay frequency or pay schedule changes to your retirement plan representative to ensure there is no delay in processing your payroll files upon making this change in your payroll system.

Negative Contributions/Corrections

• Negative contributions and corrections can't be processed through the integration. For assistance with negative contributions or corrections, please contact your retirement plan representative.

Review Payroll Data

• We rely on you to provide us with correct, updated, and complete data about your employees, regardless of whether we receive that data directly from you or from your payroll provider. Regular audits and spot checks of the data provided to us will help you quickly identify and rectify any discrepancies.
• We recommend ensuring accuracy of the plan contact info on your employer portal because an email will be sent to notify you of any discrepancies.

What Do You Handle for Me If My Plan Has an Active Payroll Integration?

Saver Deferrals - First Integrated Payroll

• Four business days prior to your first pay date with us, we will use the saver deferral rates in the portal to set saver elections in your payroll system. To guarantee saver deferral rates have been updated in your payroll system, do not run payroll prior to four business days before your scheduled pay date.

Saver Deferral Updates

• Ongoing deferral changes made in the portal by eligible savers will be communicated to your payroll system. It may take a few pay periods for this to be reflected in saver paychecks.
• We recommend that you opt in to auto-approval by contacting your Paylocity representative. If this is not turned on, the Company Admin will receive an email from Paylocity for each deduction change sent by us.
• If your plan has an auto-enrollment feature, the same guidelines above apply.

Saver Status Changes in the Portal

• When you add, rehire, or terminate employees in your payroll system, the changes will be reflected in the portal one business day after the next pay date.

Processing Contributions

• We process saver deferrals and employer contributions, which are maintained by the integration, shortly after you run payroll in your payroll system.
• If you process payroll early, we will never process the contributions file before the pay date.
• Off-cycle contributions processed in your payroll system will come through the integration and reflect in your employer portal after the pay date.

 Loans

• For plans with an API integration, we will automatically set up the loan repayment deduction in Paylocity.
  • The deduction will include the correct amount to withhold per-pay-period and the total amount expected to be repaid.
  • If a loan's payment amount changes (e.g., due to reamortization), we'll update the deduction automatically.
  • If you’d like to reamortize the loan or change the payment amounts, please contact your retirement plan representative.
  • When the loan is fully repaid, canceled, or no longer being repaid through payroll, we will automatically stop the deduction in Paylocity.
  • We only manage the Vestwell Loan Repayment deduction. If another loan deduction exists for the same saver under a different name, remove it to prevent withholding the payment twice.

Will Paylocity Charge Me Fees to Set Up and/or Maintain My Payroll Integration?

Your payroll provider may charge fees in conjunction with the integration. Please check with your Paylocity representative for more specific details. 

We will not charge you to facilitate this integration.

What If I Amend My Plan? 

If your plan has been amended or if you are considering an amendment to your original plan documents, you are responsible for informing your payroll provider of the updates.

How Do I Disconnect My Integration?

If you change payroll providers, it is your responsibility to inform us so that we can disconnect your integration and assess whether integration with a different payroll provider is available. Please reach out to your representative, and we will assist you.