Help / Employees

Employee guide: from your invitation to your first pay stub

What to do after your employer invites you: set up your account, fill in your forms, and where to find your pay each payday and your W-2 each year.

EmployeesSOP6 min

Your employer uses StartEase Payroll to pay you correctly and keep the right records. You only see your own information. This guide lists everything you do, in order.

When	What you do
Today	Accept the invitation and set a password.
Before your first day	Fill in My profile, your W-4, and Form I-9 Section 1.
Every payday	Open My pay stubs.
When something changes	Update your address or give a new W-4.
Each January	Get your W-2.

Step 1. Accept the invitation

Open the email from StartEase Payroll and select the link.
Choose a password of at least 12 characters and type it twice.
Select Set password and continue.

The sign-in page. Next time, sign in at payroll.starteaseai.com/app with your email and password.

The link expires. If it has, ask your employer to send a new invitation. If you forget your password, see Sign in, reset your password, and stay signed in.

Good result: you land on My profile with the sections listed below.

My profile is your home page. The menu has two items: My profile and My pay stubs.

Step 2. Fill in My profile

Each section shows Complete or N to finish. Work from the top. If your employer sent you an offer letter, it appears at the top of My profile: Read and accept your offer letter.

My profile. Required fields are marked REQUIRED.

Personal: legal name, Social Security number, date of birth, personal email. The SSN must match your Social Security card because it appears on your W-2. It is stored encrypted and shown only as the last four digits.
Home address: where you live. It decides your resident state and local taxes.
Form W-4: how much federal income tax to withhold. Fill in your filing status, then Steps 2 to 4 only if they apply to you, then the date you signed. Upload your signed W-4 (PDF, JPG, PNG or WebP, up to 10 MB).
State withholding: shown only if your state taxes income. Enter what you wrote on your state's withholding form.
Form I-9, Section 1: your name, how you attest your right to work, and the date you sign.

Form W-4. Upload your signed copy at the bottom of the section.

More detail: Fill in your profile and Form W-4 and Form W-4: what it is and how it is approved.

Form I-9, Section 1. Your employer completes Section 2.

Sign Section 1 no later than your first day of work.
Within 3 business days of starting, show your employer your original documents so they can complete Section 2: one from List A, or one from List B plus one from List C.

More detail: Form I-9: what to fill in and what to bring.

Note. If you have not given a W-4 yet, your employer still pays you. Federal tax is then withheld as for a single filer with no adjustments until you give one, which may withhold more than you need. Give your W-4 as soon as you can.

Step 3. After you submit

Your payroll team reviews your W-4. You get an email when it is approved, or when it needs a change (with the reason). If it is rejected, upload a corrected copy.
If you replace a W-4 file later, it is reviewed again.

Step 4. Every payday

When a payroll is approved you get an email: Your pay stub is ready. It names the pay date and has no amounts. Open My pay stubs to see them.

My pay stubs: gross pay, taxes and take-home for every paycheck.

A pay stub. Save it as a PDF or print it.

The status says Paid once your employer has paid you from its bank. StartEase does not send money; if you are not paid by your pay date, ask your employer. More detail: Your pay stubs and Download your pay stubs.

When something changes

What happened	What you do
You move	Update Home address in My profile before the next payday.
Your tax situation changes (marriage, a second job, a new child)	Fill in a new W-4, upload it, and enter the new date.
You claimed exemption from withholding	The claim ends each year. Give a new W-4 by February 15 or withholding returns to the standard amount.
You leave the company	Tell your employer the date. Your last paycheck covers the days you worked.

Every January: your W-2

Your employer must give you Form W-2 by January 31. Open My pay stubs or follow Get your Form W-2.

Emails you will get

Your invitation, and reminders to finish your I-9 Section 1 and W-4.
Your W-4 was approved, or needs a change.
Your pay stub is ready.
Your W-2 is ready.
Your password was changed, or a new sign-in from a new browser or device. If that was not you, change your password and write to hi@starteaseai.com.

Tip. No email from StartEase ever contains your pay amount, your Social Security number or your bank details. Be careful with any message that asks for them.

Checklist

☐ Password set and signed in
☐ Personal and Home address complete
☐ W-4 filled in, signed date entered, file uploaded
☐ I-9 Section 1 signed by your first day
☐ Documents shown to your employer within 3 business days

Next: Your pay stubs