Adding and Managing Team Members in QuickBooks Time

QuickBooks Time gives businesses several ways to bring workers into the system, but the available steps shift depending on which part of the interface you happen to land in. Users navigating the platform for the first time routinely encounter friction when trying to distinguish between the Classic QuickBooks Time layout and the newer Time team view, both of which handle team-member creation differently.

Where to Find the Right Menu

The clearest path into the team-management area runs through the main navigation. Heading to the apps section, then selecting Time, and opening the Overview page brings up the relevant options. From there, users can choose to open Classic QuickBooks Time or jump directly into the Time team section. Both areas allow you to add people, but the on-screen wording and the sequence of clicks differ enough to cause confusion.

Sending Invitations Through Classic QuickBooks Time

In the Classic view, the My Team tab is the starting point. Selecting the option to add team members brings up a prompt to send invitations. The system then displays a list of workers who have not yet received or accepted an invite. Only individuals with an email address or a mobile number on file are eligible.

By default, the platform selects every eligible person automatically. Administrators can deselect specific individuals or clear the entire list and manually pick only the ones they want to include. Under the email and text options, you choose whether to send invitations by email or by text message. When a mobile number is available, text is the default method. A final button confirms and dispatches the invitations to the selected group.

For workers who need a follow-up, opening a specific team member’s details in the My Team tab reveals a general settings area where you can send or resend an individual invite.

Adding Workers Through the Time Team Section

The newer Time team interface offers a broader set of options. Selecting the button to add team members opens three distinct pathways: adding an employee, adding a contractor, or adding a worker manually.

Adding an employee or contractor walks you through a form with required fields, and the system saves the entry once everything is filled out. Contractors can also be added directly from the Expenses page if that is more convenient for the workflow.

Manual entry is the most flexible route. After selecting the option to add manually, you enter the person’s basic information and assign a role. The role choices presented here are Administrator, Worker, and Payroll Manager. Setting up custom permissions or changing a role beyond those three options requires a separate trip into the permissions settings. During manual entry, you can also provide an email address or mobile number to trigger an invitation at the same time you create the profile.

Importing From Payroll and Accounting Platforms

For businesses that already maintain employee records elsewhere, QuickBooks Time supports direct imports from several outside platforms. Choosing the import option prompts you to select your software provider and follow a provider-specific integration guide. Supported integrations include ADP RUN, Gusto, QuickBooks Desktop, and Xero.

A spreadsheet import is also available for bulk additions or updates. The process works by exporting your current team-member list as a comma-separated values file, opening it in a spreadsheet application, and modifying the data. This method is particularly useful for archiving multiple people at once: you change the status column to archived, save the file in the proper format, and upload it back into QuickBooks Time. The system walks through a verification step before finalizing the import.

Adjusting Permissions and Worker Settings

Once team members are active in the system, their access levels and personal settings can be fine-tuned. In QuickBooks Time itself, opening the Team Member Details window allows administrators to make changes and save them directly.

For those running QuickBooks Online payroll alongside Time, permissions are adjusted from a different location. Navigating to the Payroll section, then selecting Employees or Contractors, and opening a specific person’s profile reveals a Permissions tab where access can be modified.

QuickBooks Time also includes a company-wide setting that shifts a degree of control to the workers themselves. Under Company Settings, the My Team area includes a Permissions section with a checkbox allowing team members to manage their own settings. Enabling this and saving the change lets individuals handle certain profile details without administrator involvement.

Archiving and Restoring Workers

Removing a team member from the active list is handled through an archive function rather than a permanent deletion. Next to a person’s name, a menu of additional options includes Archive, which requires confirmation before it takes effect. Archived workers are not gone for good; switching the view filter to show archived members brings up an option to unarchive anyone who needs to be reactivated. For general QuickBooks troubleshooting related to team management, the archive and restore cycle is one of the more commonly overlooked workflows.