Oscar is BrightPay's employee onboarding AI assistant tool that lets you collect new starter information quickly and securely, directly from your employees. Instead of manually chasing forms and entering data yourself, you can send an onboarding invitation and your employee enters their own details online. These details then flow straight into BrightPay for you to review and approve.

What is Oscar?

Oscar is an integrated onboarding feature in BrightPay and the BrightPay Client Portal. It allows you (or your clients, if you are a bureau) to:

• Create an onboarding request for a new employee
• Automatically send the employee an email and WhatsApp invitation
• Let the employee securely enter their personal and employment details online in a two-stage process
• Review and approve the information in BrightPay before the employee is set up on the payroll

Oscar helps reduce data entry, improves accuracy and provides a simple, modern experience for new starters.

How does Oscar work?

1. Create an onboarding request

In BrightPay, go to Employees > Employee Onboarding and select Onboard New Employee.

To start the onboarding process, you enter some basic details: first name, surname, job title, start date, mobile number and email address. You can also add notes such as pay details if required.

You then review the information on a summary screen and select Create Onboarding Request. A deadline is automatically set for two weeks' time, but this can be edited.

2. Employee receives an invitation

When you create the onboarding request, Oscar sends:

• An email to the employee
• A WhatsApp message with a unique, secure link to start the onboarding process

The employee is advised by email that they will receive a WhatsApp message to complete their details.

Each employee's link contains a unique 256-bit randomly generated cryptographic code, ensuring that only the intended recipient can access and submit their sensitive information. This industry-standard security measure protects all employee data throughout the onboarding process.

3. Employee enters initial details

The onboarding request appears in BrightPay (and, if enabled, in the Client Portal) with the status In Progress. The employee uses the link in their WhatsApp message to access a secure online form.

In the first stage, the employee enters their initial personal and employment details by answering five key questions. Once completed, they are shown a summary of the details they've provided and asked to confirm by selecting Submit.

If an employee deletes their email or WhatsApp message in error, you can resend the invitation at any time.

4. Employee submits sensitive data

After confirming their initial details, the employee is sent a secure webform to collect sensitive information including:

• Date of birth
• Bank account details
• Whether they have a P45
• National Insurance number (NINO)

All sensitive data is transmitted and stored using the same 256-bit cryptographic security that protects the initial onboarding link, ensuring maximum protection of personal information.

5. Employee reviews and submits

Once the employee enters their sensitive information, they are shown a summary of all details on the webform. They can review everything and make any corrections before final submission. When they are satisfied with the information, they select Submit.

The employee then receives a confirmation message and a WhatsApp notification confirming that all their details have been successfully verified and received.

6. Review and approve in BrightPay

Once the employee completes the entire onboarding process, you receive an email notification letting you know that an onboarding request needs to be approved. In BrightPay, the status of the onboarding request changes to Review now on the Employee Onboarding screen.

You can then review the information, make any necessary updates and complete the process of setting the employee up on the payroll.

Managing onboarding requests

From the Employee Onboarding screen in BrightPay, you can manage each request using the spanner icon opposite the employee's name. This allows you to:

• Resend invitation – if the employee deletes or does not receive the email or WhatsApp message
• Cancel – if the onboarding request is no longer required or if an incorrect phone number was entered
• Edit onboarding details – update items such as the deadline date, start date or employee email address whilst the request is in progress

This gives you full control over each onboarding request from within BrightPay.

Using Oscar through the Client Portal

If you use the BrightPay Client Portal, your clients can also onboard employees themselves, once you give them permission.

To enable this in BrightPay, go to: Employer > Client Portal > Settings

Then:

1. Ensure the relevant users are set up to access the employer on the Client Portal
2. Under Permissions, tick Enable employee onboarding for
3. Choose whether to allow this for all users or super users only
4. Select Save

When a user logs into the Client Portal with this permission, they will see an Employee Onboarding option under the Employees section, and can create onboarding requests in the same way as in BrightPay.

Data security and access

The information entered by an employee during Oscar onboarding is fed directly into the Employees section in BrightPay Cloud. However, this information — including bank account details — is held within BrightPay and is not automatically shared with the employer.

If the employer needs access to the employee's bank details, the administrator or payroll processor would need to share this information directly, or alternatively the employer can be provided with the bank file generated from BrightPay, which will include the employee's bank account details.

Pricing

Oscar is currently available free of charge, but there will be an additional cost to use this feature in BrightPay in the future.

Summary

Oscar is BrightPay's built-in solution for onboarding new employees. It:

• Sends automated invitations via email and WhatsApp with secure, encrypted links
• Lets employees enter their information in two stages: initial details first, then sensitive data
• Protects all employee information with 256-bit cryptographic security
• Notifies you when an onboarding request is ready to review
• Can be used both in BrightPay and via the Client Portal (with permissions)

This helps you streamline your onboarding process, reduce manual data entry, enhance data security and provide a better experience for new starters.

Frequently Asked Questions

Q. How much does Oscar cost?

A. Oscar is currently free to use as part of the Early Access Programme (EAP), with no commitment required. Early feedback has been very positive, with participants receiving completed employee data ready for review in BrightPay in less than 24 hours, compared with a typical turnaround time of five to seven days. Long‑term pricing has not yet been finalised. As more customers use Oscar, BrightPay will gain a better understanding of the resources needed to operate and support the service at scale, which will inform a pricing model that reflects the value delivered. Pricing details will be shared well in advance of any changes.

Q. How is my employee's sensitive data protected?

A. All onboarding links are protected with 256-bit randomly generated cryptographic codes, ensuring that only your employee can access their unique form. Additionally, sensitive data such as bank details and National Insurance numbers are transmitted and stored using industry-standard 256-bit cryptographic security protocols. Your data never leaves BrightPay and is not shared with external systems or third parties without authorisation.

Q. Can I customise the onboarding email?

A. At present, it is not possible to amend or white label the onboarding email sent to employees via Oscar. This has been requested and is with our development team. We do not have a confirmed timescale for if or when this will be implemented.