> ## Documentation Index
> Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://docs.bolto.com/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.

# An Employee Is Blocking Payroll

> What "Needs attention" means on a payroll draft, every cause we see, and how to clear each one.

Read this when a payroll draft shows an employee flagged **Needs attention** or **Complete payroll onboarding**, and you can't approve.

***

## Find who's blocking

The draft marks blocking employees with a red flag, and a task on your overview page names them. If the list is long, sort or search the draft by status. The employee's profile shows the specific item.

## The checklist

Go through these in order. The first five cover almost every case.

| Cause | How to see it | Fix |
| - | - | - |
| **Hasn't accepted the invite** | Status is Invited | Resend from their profile. See [Someone didn't get their invite](/troubleshooting/invite-not-received). |
| **Onboarding not finished** | Status is Onboarding. The profile shows which step is missing. | Ask them to log in and finish. It's usually the W-4, state withholding form, or bank account. |
| **No bank account** | Profile bank details are empty | The employee adds direct deposit in their portal |
| **No pay rate** | Compensation has no rate | Add an hourly or annual rate |
| **Missing state withholding form** | Documents tab shows the form as not started | The employee completes it from Documents in their portal |
| **Work location problem** | Workplaces tab: no location, or a location in a state that isn't Active | Assign a work location. Complete the state's [registration](/payroll/State-Registrations-and-IDs). If they work remotely, make sure the remote flag is set so their home state is used. |
| **State-specific attributes** | A banner or profile field such as "WA attributes" or "MI Form 151" is invalid or empty | Some states need extra details per employee, for example Washington's Long-Term Care exemption with its quarterly date, or Michigan's withholding certificate. Fill them in on the profile. If it still rejects, email support with a screenshot. |
| **Visa status not set** | Employee is on F-1 or OPT but withholding is standard | Email support. See [Special tax situations](/taxes/special-tax-situations). |
| **Name or SSN mismatch** | Agency validation fails | See [Name or SSN is wrong](/troubleshooting/paystub-or-deduction-looks-wrong#name-or-ssn-is-wrong). |
| **Converted from contractor, record is Inactive** | Recently converted, status shows Inactive | Conversions activate overnight. If still Inactive the next day, email support. |
| **Benefits deductions not yet synced** | Draft says waiting on a provider such as Thatch | Provider deductions sync shortly before the deadline. If the deadline is today and it hasn't synced, email support. We can move the pay date a day or push it through. |

## The employee says there's nothing left to do

This happens. The employee's portal shows onboarding complete, but the admin side still flags them. It's usually a state form the employee's view doesn't show, a workplace or state attribute only an admin can set, or a sync delay after they finished. Check the admin profile for the specific item. If nothing is obviously missing, email support with the employee's name and we'll find it on the back end.

## If you can't fix it before the deadline

Remove the employee from the draft, approve the rest of the payroll on time, and pay the employee with an [off-cycle payroll](/payroll/off-cycle-bonuses-commissions) once their issue is cleared. One person's missing form shouldn't make everyone late.


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