This article explains why team member accounts linked to Deputy Payroll (AU) can no longer be permanently deleted. It also covers what you can do instead to manage inactive team members while preserving payroll records.

Before you read

• Target audience: This article is for System Administrators and users who manage payroll. 
• Plan restrictions: This information applies only to customers using Deputy Payroll (AU).
   

This article covers

• Why payroll-linked employees cannot be permanently deleted
• What you should do instead of deleting employees
• How this interacts with periodic deletion processes
   

Why payroll-linked employees cannot be permanently deleted

Once a team member has been linked to Deputy Payroll (AU) - for example, by being assigned to a pay calendar after payroll has been configured - that team member can no longer be permanently deleted from Deputy.

This is designed to assist with legal and compliance requirements, including Australian employer obligations relating to payroll and employment record-keeping.

Retaining linked employee records also helps your organisation maintain:

• Access to historical payroll data
• Clear audit history
• Accurate payroll reporting
• Data consistency across Deputy systems
   

What you should do instead of deleting employees

While permanently deleting an employee is not possible once a payroll link exists, you can still do the following to manage inactive employees:

• Terminate the team member via their employee profile and Deputy Payroll (AU)
• Archive the team member so they no longer appear in active workflows or billing calculations

Terminate the team member

If the team member is no longer working for your business, you should consider terminating their employment via their employee profile in the People tab. Then, if required, complete the One Tap Terminate process via the Payroll tab.

For detailed instructions, check out What happens in payroll when a team member is terminated.

Archive the team member

If you no longer want the team member to appear in active workflows or billing calculations, archive the team member in Deputy.

Archiving the team member:

• Removes them from day-to-day workflows across Deputy
• Removes them from appearing in billing-related views and operational lists
• Preserves payroll and historical records
   

How this interacts with Deputy's periodic deletion processes

Employee records linked to Deputy Payroll (AU) are excluded from the platform’s periodic deletion processes for unused or inactive accounts.

This exemption exists to help keep payroll-related records and linked datasets complete and recoverable when required.
 

Helpful resources

• Getting started with Payroll (AU)
• Archiving team members
• What happens in payroll when a team member is terminated?