Frequently asked questions

What is GYSIO Time & Payroll?

A time-tracking and payroll-approval tool: employees clock in and out, businesses review and approve hours, and everyone stays in sync with built-in messaging. It works for teams of any size — from a two-person shop to a full film production crew.

Does GYSIO Time & Payroll file my payroll taxes or run payroll for me?

No — this app is a time-tracking and approval tool, not a payroll processor. It doesn't file payroll taxes, remit withholding, or issue paychecks. GYSIO Business & Bookkeeping separately offers full-service payroll, bookkeeping, and production accounting for film and TV productions outside this app — contact us through gysio.org or payroll@gysio.org. Using this Service doesn't by itself make GYSIO your payroll processor.

What are GYSIO's business hours?

Monday–Thursday, 8am–3pm Pacific Time. Outside those hours, email payroll@gysio.org or use the chat bubble — a live agent typically responds within 24 hours.

Is there a free plan?

Yes — Free covers up to 2 employees at $0/month, no credit card required. Micro ($14.99/mo) covers up to 5, and plans scale up from there to Scale (31+ employees).

Who can add White Label branding?

Any plan qualifies — there's no minimum tier. The only requirement is that your business signed up directly through GYSIO's pricing page rather than being set up by GYSIO staff. If a staff member set up your account, email payroll@gysio.org to have it enabled.

Can I cancel or change plans anytime?

Yes, anytime from your billing page. Canceling stops future billing but doesn't refund the current billing period already paid for.

What's the Compliance Documents add-on?

For $14.99/mo on top of any plan, you can publish a document — an employee handbook, NDA, harassment policy, contractor agreement, or anything else — and every employee sees it on their dashboard until they electronically sign it. Pick from generic starter templates or upload your own PDF/Word file. Templates are generic starting points, not attorney-drafted documents — review them (and especially the harassment-policy note about state training requirements) before publishing.

How accurate is the wage/paycheck calculator?

Social Security (6.2%) and Medicare (1.45%) are calculated at their exact fixed federal rates. Federal and state income tax withholding are pre-filled starting points based on published rates, not calculated from your actual W-4 or state withholding elections — you can adjust them in the calculator. Treat every result as an estimate for informational purposes, not a paycheck, tax filing, or tax advice.

Does the wage calculator work for 1099 contractors, not just W-2 employees?

Yes — switch to "1099 Contractor" mode. Unlike the employee view, nothing is withheld: you see your full contract pay, plus a separate "suggested to set aside" figure covering self-employment tax (~15.3%, which is both halves of Social Security and Medicare) and estimated federal/state income tax. Should a contractor assume they'll owe roughly the federal/state rates shown on their full contract pay with no deductions or credits? That's a safe, conservative starting assumption for planning purposes, but it's usually an overestimate — most contractors have some deductible business expenses (equipment, mileage, home office, etc.) that reduce the income tax is actually calculated on, and self-employment tax itself is technically based on net income after those deductions, not gross. The other thing worth knowing: the IRS generally expects self-employed people to pay quarterly estimated taxes through the year, not one lump sum at filing time — underpaying quarterly can trigger a penalty even if the full amount is paid by the deadline. None of this is tax advice; a tax professional can tell you your actual rate after your specific deductions and credits.

What overtime and meal-break rules does the app flag?

Every subscriber in every state gets federal overtime flagging (1.5x past 40 hours/week). On top of that, a handful of states have their own daily-overtime rules and the app models each one: California (1.5x past 8h/day, 2x past 12h/day, plus a flag if no 30-minute meal break started before hour 5), Alaska (1.5x past 8h/day), Colorado (1.5x past 12h/day), and Nevada (1.5x past 8h/day, for employees paid under 1.5x Nevada's minimum wage). Every other state relies on the federal 40h/week rule, which is already active for every account. Salaried employees and 1099 contractors are excluded from all of this. It's a starting point, not a substitute for a wage-and-hour attorney or payroll professional.

Can I add salaried employees, not just hourly?

Yes — each team member can be set to Hourly or Salary from your dashboard. Salaried employees are treated as generally exempt from the overtime flags above, though not every salaried role legally qualifies as exempt under the FLSA — confirm exemption status for each role yourself.

Can I add 1099 contractors alongside W-2 employees?

Yes. Any business account can add contractors directly from its own dashboard — no need to go through GYSIO staff. Contractors clock time the same way employees do, but never show tax withholding or overtime flags, just gross pay, since 1099 workers aren't subject to those employee protections.

Can I change the time zone, or is it fixed?

You can change it anytime — it's not fixed. Each business (and each free Individual account) has a Time Zone setting right on its dashboard; pick a new one from the dropdown and it takes effect immediately for computing "today"/"this week" boundaries and displaying every clock time. It's never based on the server's time zone or the viewer's device.

Are the electronic signatures on payroll approvals legally binding?

Typing your name and confirming consent to sign a payroll approval or a time attestation is treated as your electronic signature under the U.S. E-SIGN Act and similar state law, with the same legal effect as a handwritten signature. You're responsible for the accuracy of anything you sign.

Does the Exhibit G-style report satisfy SAG-AFTRA's actual requirements?

Not guaranteed — treat it as a convenience tool, not an official union form. It's modeled on the general Exhibit G structure (call time, meal breaks, wrap time, per-performer rows) based on published industry guides. Before relying on it, print it out and show it to your immediate SAG-AFTRA contact and ask whether they'll accept it in this format.

Does the app calculate union meal-penalty pay (MPVs)?

Yes, on the Exhibit G-style report for each production day. It follows the commonly-described union pattern: the first meal is due within 6 hours of call (5 hours for California productions, matching CA law), a violation accrues for every 30 minutes (or fraction) it's late, and the clock resets once a meal is taken — same for a required second meal. The dollar rate per violation varies by union/local/agreement, so that's an adjustable input — set it to match your contract and the total recalculates live. Treat it as a good-faith estimate, not a guarantee of matching your specific agreement's exact terms. GYSIO also runs full-service payroll and production accounting for film and TV directly — contact us through gysio.org or payroll@gysio.org for a payroll-grade number.

How do I track kit fees or craft services ("crafty") expenses?

Use the day notes feature on any employee's timesheet — flag the day, describe the expense (kit rental, crafty supplies, etc.), attach a photo of the receipt, and enter the dollar amount. That amount always shows as its own line item on payroll approval and printed reports — it's never folded into hours worked, since a kit fee isn't wages.

Does the P-Card feature move money?

No. P-Cards are a record-keeping ledger only — you log the card label, amount loaded, and who it's assigned to, for your own tracking. GYSIO doesn't issue cards or move funds; you load the actual card through your own bank or card provider, then log it here. If you'd rather GYSIO handle funding cards and running payroll for your production directly, that's available as part of GYSIO's full-service payroll — contact GYSIO through gysio.org or email payroll@gysio.org to set it up.

If I message my whole team at once, can employees see each other's contact info?

No. A broadcast message goes out to everyone, but each person only ever sees their own private conversation with you — never who else received it or anyone else's email address.

How are passwords stored?

Hashed with bcrypt — never stored or transmitted in plain text. Data is transmitted over encrypted HTTPS connections, and access to business data is restricted by account role.