How Does Oscar AI Employee Onboarding Work for Payroll Bureaus in BrightPay Cloud?

A payroll bureau rolls out Oscar by creating onboarding invitations for each employer client, or by enabling Oscar in the client portal so clients start their own requests. Either way, the new starter’s details come back to the bureau, and nothing is added to BrightPay until someone at the bureau has reviewed and approved it.

What is Oscar in BrightPay?

Oscar is BrightPay’s AI payroll employee onboarding assistant, built directly into the software. It collects a new starter’s details, checks them as they arrive and prepares them for review. Oscar assists with collecting and validating data. The payroll professional still makes the decision to add the employee.

How do you switch Oscar on for a client?

Oscar is enabled per employer client. Bureaus create each onboarding invitation on a per-employer basis, so they can use Oscar for each of their clients. Bureaus can also enable Oscar in the client portal, which lets clients start their own onboarding requests without contacting the bureau first.

What does a new starter do with Oscar?

The new starter first hears from Oscar on WhatsApp, which collects non-sensitive details such as name, job title and address. A photograph of a utility bill can be used to extract the address automatically. Oscar reviews each answer as it arrives, asks again if something looks incomplete, and then gives the starter a summary to check.

How does Oscar collect sensitive details?

For sensitive information, Oscar sends a secure link to a protected environment instead of collecting it in the chat. That covers bank details, National Insurance number, P45 and date of birth. A scanned or photographed P45 has data such as tax code, taxable pay and National Insurance number extracted automatically. The starter sees a final summary before submitting and can go back and amend anything first.

What does the bureau review before the employee is added?

When the starter submits, both the starter and the employer are notified. The bureau or accountant then reviews the completed record and approves it before the employee is added to BrightPay Cloud, by selecting Add Employee to BrightPay. Bank details are verified, and nothing is committed to the employee’s record until a person has approved it.

The review covers what the starter told Oscar, including whether this is their only employment, their job title and their address. It also covers the P45 data Oscar extracted and the date of birth and bank details from the secure link. The record arrives structured and ready for a single review-and-approve step.

Every step, from the original request to the employer’s review, is recorded in an audit trail. That gives a bureau a record of what was asked, what came back and who approved it.

How does Oscar work for employers running payroll in-house?

Oscar works in exactly the same way for employers running payroll in-house. It is enabled in the employer’s own BrightPay Cloud account, and the employer reviews and approves each onboarding invitation before the new starter is added.

Is Oscar secure?

Oscar operates within BrightPay Cloud’s existing security and data compliance framework. WhatsApp messages stay end-to-end encrypted, sensitive details are collected through a secure encrypted link rather than the messaging app, and data is handled in line with UK GDPR. The employer or bureau keeps control throughout, because nothing is committed without review and approval.

Where is Oscar available?

Oscar is available in BrightPay Cloud for UK customers.

When can a new starter complete onboarding?

Oscar works around the clock, so a new starter can complete onboarding in the evening or at the weekend. The data is then waiting in BrightPay Cloud the next time the practice or business logs in to review it.

This content may have been developed with the assistance of AI tools. Content is reviewed by a member of the Bright team before publication. Guidance on legislation can be obtained from your industry body.