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Summer is here – and so is a fresh batch of product updates! We kicked off 2026 with a lot of important updates; from an improved Analytics experience that now comes standard with HR, Time, and Absence Management, to time-saving compliance tools and a smoother app login for your employees – these updates are all about giving you more insight, more control, and more time back in your day. Whether you’re managing a growing team on the go, running payroll, or navigating day-to-day operations, we’ve been working hard to build tools that support you and your people every step of the way.
Here’s a quick look at what we’ve recently rolled out (and what will help set you up for success for a strong finish to 2026).
In this post, we’ll cover:
- Workforce Analytics now built right into HR, Time and Absence Management modules,
- New stat holiday calculator functionality for Québec,
- A brand new way to connect with our Service Team,
- Self Service users have an easier way to log in on the Payworks app,
- A new Payroll Hub for clients managing multiple accounts,
- Knit Integrations is here,
- Compliance downloads for Ontario and Québec;
- Small but mighty product enhancements!
From smarter tools to resources that will become your go-to’s, 2026 kicked off some important updates that will make a serious impact to Canadian businesses. Let’s dive into the product enhancements from the start of this year…
Built-in Analytics – making impactful business decisions easier than ever
Our more powerful and easy-to-use Analytics experience has officially rolled out! If you’re already using HR, Time, or Absence Management, you just got an upgrade at no extra cost – with deeper insights and a more intuitive way to explore and share your workforce data, right where you’re already working.
This upgrade delivers a more flexible and powerful analytics platform that evolves alongside your business – with enhanced visualizations, quicker access to critical workforce and business metrics, and everything designed to simplify your analytics workflow and support more confident, data-driven decisions.
Our Analytics solution is designed to deliver value from day one. Intuitive and easy to use, it helps you quickly find the insights you need and more thanks to these features:
- Single Source of Truth: The Compensation, Core HR, Time & Attendance, and Absence collections share a common database, so everything is housed in one single platform.
- Visualizations: Pre-built visual reports and graphs with multiple filter options allow for quick data analysis with very little effort.
- Multiple Data Views: Compare data across cost centres, departments, tax provinces or employees.
- Trend Analysis: Proactively provide your stakeholders with information and current trend analysis to facilitate informed decision-making.
- Easy Exporting & Sharing: Export options are available on all graphs to visually present data as an image, PowerPoint slide, or to share as a spreadsheet.
- Powerful Filtering: Quickly narrow your view to focus on specific data segments and uncover deeper, more meaningful insights.
Simple stat holiday calculations for Québec? Yes, please!
Released just in time for the 2026 Easter stat holiday, Québec clients now have access to both a 1/20 rule and a 1/60 rule for statutory holiday calculations. Employees paid in whole or in part by commission are now calculated using a 12 complete week period before the holiday, at a rate of 1/60 of wages over that period.
A new Additional Earnings field lets you enter dollar amounts (like commissions) to be calculated into the employee’s average rate for stat entitlement. Rule names have also been updated to Québec – 1/60 (with commissions) and Québec – 1/20 (without commissions) for added clarity. This means fewer manual calculations and more confidence that your commissioned employees are receiving the correct stat holiday pay.
Another way to help? “Chat's” what we’re here for!
We know our clients value fast, expert-level service every time they connect with us. That’s why we’re now offering Chat – a new way to connect with our Service teams. Chat gives you real-time access to our team for simple “how do I…” questions, and payroll and workforce management basics — all without interrupting your workflow. On-the-fly questions, quick password resets and more, simply click on the floating chat icon at the bottom right corner of the screen to connect with our Chat team.
Easier app access for your employees
The Payworks App is going strong with nearly 100,000 monthly users, and we’ve made it even easier for your employees to access their Self Service account on it. Once converted to the new email-based login, they’ll have full access to view pay statements, submit time off requests, check their schedules, update their personal information, and more, all from their phone. If you have employees who haven’t made the switch yet, let them know that the help they need is now just one tap away on the login screen.
Payroll Hub – one place to manage all your accounts
If you manage payroll across multiple Client IDs in Payworks, navigating between separate environments is a thing of the past. Payroll Hub is a new consolidated dashboard that brings all your accounts together in one place — making it faster and easier to access and manage everything you need without switching between environments.
Designed with accountants and bookkeepers in mind, Payroll Hub is also a great fit for any payroll administrator juggling more than one Customer ID. There's nothing you need to do to get started — if you're eligible, you'll see it automatically. Your payroll processes stay exactly the same; Payroll Hub simply
changes how you move between your accounts.
Unravelling complicated B2B connections with Knit integrations to connect your favourite tools to Payworks
Want the freedom to use best-in-class tools without sacrificing payroll efficiency? Our integration solution, powered by Knit, is a no-code integration hub that connects the Payworks application with third-party solutions like HR, time tracking, accounting, and benefits without developer effort, costly custom builds, or ongoing technical maintenance.
Here’s what that means for you: pre-built integrations with automatic field mapping, quick implementation with consistent data across all your systems, no developer work or technical knowledge required on your end, and seamless data sync that eliminates manual entry. We manage and maintain all connectors (including field mapping) so you can confidently combine the best payroll experience with the tools that fit your unique workflows.
No need to keep this on the “Download”
Québec Payroll Guide
Paying employees in Québec means navigating one of the most complex payroll environments in Canada – from dual remittances to both the CRA and Revenu Québec, to managing QPP, QPIP, CNESST, and HSF contributions. We’ve put together a handy Québec Payroll Guide designed to help you stay on top of it all, so you can pay your team accurately and stay compliant. As a Payworks client, your service representative is always just a call away – and with Québec-specific calculations built right into our Payroll application, you can trust that the latest rates and rules are automatically applied every pay run. Download the Québec Payroll Guide here.
Ontario HR Compliance in 2026 Webinar
If you’re an Ontario employer, 2026 has brought some big changes, and staying on top of them matters. From new pay transparency requirements in job postings to mandatory AI disclosure in recruitment, updated candidate communication rules, and enhanced record retention obligations, there’s a lot to understand. That’s why we’ve put together a weekly webinar session for HR professionals, business owners, and anyone else wearing the HR hat. Bonus! You’ll get the Ontario HR Compliance Guide after attending the webinar.
And remember – Payworks is here to help you navigate it all. Our solutions are built to support compliance with Canadian employment standards, so you can focus on your people while we help you stay on the right side of the rules. Register for the Ontario HR Compliance in 2026 webinar.
We can’t forget the small but mighty product improvements we’ve made
We’ve made a few quality-of-life improvements that we think you’re going to love:
Delete schedule templates: You can now remove outdated schedule templates to keep your list clean and manageable. Over 10% of client template names include words like “DO NOT USE” or “DELETE” – so we know this one’s been a long time coming!
Gender field: We’ve added Gender as a selectable field in HR Checklists and the ESS employee profile to help clients comply with BC Pay Transparency requirements by allowing employees to self-identify. By default, the field isn’t visible on the employee profile, but clients who wish to collect this information can turn it on through ESS Screen Access.
Time Off Request notifications: Time Off Requests now show who is notified when a request is submitted or edited – so your employees always know exactly who’s in the loop. Fewer questions, more clarity, and a smoother experience for everyone.
Ready to learn more?
As you plan for a strong finish to the year, these updates are built to help you work smarter, reclaim your time, and feel confident in every payroll run. From powerful system integrations to ready-to-go compliance tools and resources, Payworks gives you the flexibility and support you deserve to focus on what matters most.
Ready to see what the right tools and support can do for you? Book a demo to explore how Payworks can help set your business up for its best year yet: https://www.payworks.ca/landing-pages/campaigns/book-a-demo.
These articles are produced by Payworks as an information service. They are not intended to substitute professional legal, regulatory, tax, or financial advice. Readers must rely on their own advisors, as applicable, for such advice.
