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GorillaWorks

Staffing Agency Payroll Services

Staffing agency payroll services built for the way you actually pay people.

W-2 employees, 1099 contractors, and incorporated consultants, all calculated from the timesheets approved in your system. In the US we report gross earnings to your payroll provider, which handles deductions, disbursement, and filing. In Canada we calculate gross-to-net with every deduction and pay workers and suppliers by direct deposit, then provide the reports you need to remit and file.

See how it works
  • Calculated from approved time
  • W-2 & contractor support
  • US: gross earnings to your provider
  • Canada: calculated, paid, filing reports

The problem

Contractor payroll breaks general-purpose payroll tools.

Payroll providers built for one company paying its own employees fall apart when you're paying a changing roster of contractors across dozens of jurisdictions on weekly cycles.

Jurisdiction sprawl

Every state and province has its own tax rates, remittance schedules, and classification rules. Your payroll team can't be experts in every state and province.

Worker classification risk

W-2 vs. 1099 vs. incorporated: misclassification penalties are existential, and the rules shift under your feet.

Pay delays cost you contractors

Contractors who get paid late or wrong don't complain. They take their next contract through a different agency.

The solution

Every worker type. Every jurisdiction. One payroll run.

From approved timesheet to money in the contractor's account, with every tax obligation handled along the way.

Pay calculated from approved time

Every approved timesheet becomes pay data per worker for W-2 employees and contractors. In Canada we calculate gross-to-net with every deduction and withholding; in the US we report gross earnings to your payroll provider.

  • Canada: federal and provincial gross-to-net
  • US: gross earnings reported to your provider
  • Weekly, bi-weekly, and custom pay cycles
  • Generated automatically from approved timesheets

Run in Canada, payroll-ready in the US

Two countries, two models, one workflow. In Canada we calculate gross-to-net, pay workers and suppliers by direct deposit, and provide the reports you need to remit and file. In the US we report gross earnings to your payroll provider, which handles deductions, disbursement, and filing.

  • Canada: deductions calculated, direct deposit, remittance & filing reports
  • US: gross earnings reported to your provider
  • Canada: year-end T4s generated, available self-service
  • The right model applied per worker location

Every worker classification

W-2 employees, 1099 independent contractors, T4 employees, and incorporated consultants, calculated correctly side by side from the same approved time.

  • W-2 / 1099 / T4 / incorporated support
  • Classification-appropriate calculations
  • Canada: year-end T4s generated, available self-service; US forms filed by your provider
  • Garnishments and deductions handled in Canada

Compliance from day one

Onboarding feeds payroll directly: I-9 collection, W-4 elections, and direct deposit details are captured before the first timesheet arrives.

  • I-9 / W-4 collection during onboarding
  • PIPEDA and state privacy regulation coverage
  • Full audit trail on every payment
  • ISO 27001 certified platform

One source of truth with billing

The same approved timesheet drives contractor pay and the client invoice, so payroll and billing always reconcile, and margin is visible per placement.

  • Approved time flows straight into payroll
  • Pay rate vs. bill rate margin per contractor
  • No separate payroll data entry, ever
  • Real-time payroll cost reporting
See how billing automation completes the loop

How it works

From approved time to paid contractor in four steps.

  1. Onboarding sets up pay

    I-9s, W-4s, classification, and banking details are collected during automated onboarding, before day one.

  2. Approved time flows in

    Timesheets approved in your VMS or in-platform land in payroll with rates already applied. No re-entry.

  3. Taxes calculate per jurisdiction

    Federal, state, and provincial amounts are calculated for each worker's location and classification. In Canada we calculate them on schedule and provide the remittance reports; in the US they go to your payroll provider.

  4. Paid in Canada, handed off in the US

    In Canada, direct deposit runs on your pay cycle, every cycle. In the US, your provider disburses from the gross earnings we report. Year-end forms (T4) are generated in Canada; US forms are handled by your provider.

Run the numbers

Estimate your gross margin in seconds.

Margin is the whole game in staffing. Drag the sliders to see the gross profit hiding in your bill and pay rates, then see it tracked live in the platform.

Margin calculator

Drag the sliders to see your gross margin.

$112/hr
$70/hr
20.0%

Payroll taxes, insurance, and benefits on top of pay.

40 hrs
10
Annual gross profit
$582,400
Across 10 contractors at 40 hrs/week. Healthy margin.
$28.00
Margin / hr
25.0%
Margin %
$11,200
Per week

This is a back-of-the-napkin estimate. GorillaWorks tracks your real gross margin live, per client, recruiter, and contractor.

FAQ

Staffing payroll FAQs

What operators ask before moving payroll to GorillaWorks.

What are staffing agency payroll services?

Staffing agency payroll services turn approved timesheets into worker pay: calculating wages and deductions, then either running payroll or preparing it for a payroll provider. GorillaWorks turns approved timesheets into worker pay for W-2 employees and contractors. In Canada we calculate gross-to-net, pay workers and suppliers by direct deposit, and provide the reports you need to remit and file. In the US we report gross earnings to your payroll provider, which handles deductions, disbursement, and filing.

Does GorillaWorks run payroll in both the US and Canada?

With the right model for each country. In Canada we calculate gross-to-net, pay workers and suppliers by direct deposit, and generate the reports you need to remit and file; remittance and filing themselves stay with you, and year-end T4s are generated and available self-service. In the US, we report gross earnings from approved timesheets to your payroll provider, which uses them to run deductions, disburse, and file. We do not calculate US deductions, remit US taxes, or file US forms ourselves.

Does it handle both W-2 employees and contractors?

Yes. W-2 employees, 1099 independent contractors, T4 employees, and incorporated consultants are all handled side by side, each with classification-appropriate treatment. In Canada they are calculated and paid by direct deposit, with remittance and filing reports provided for you; in the US, gross earnings for both W-2 and contractor workers are reported to your payroll provider.

How does payroll stay in sync with billing?

Both are driven by the same approved timesheet. The hours that pay the contractor are exactly the hours billed to the client, which means payroll and AR always reconcile and gross margin per placement is visible in real time.

What about onboarding compliance, like I-9s and W-4s?

Onboarding is part of the platform. The right onboarding package is matched to each worker type, and I-9s, W-4 elections, custom document templates, and direct deposit details are collected automatically when a contractor is placed, so payroll is ready before the first timesheet arrives.

How fast is payroll ready?

Because approved time flows in automatically, pay is ready the moment time clears, with no processing lag. In Canada, direct deposit runs on your pay cycle, whether weekly, bi-weekly, or custom. In the US, gross earnings are reported to your provider as soon as time clears, ready to disburse.

Keep exploring

Staffing Agency Software

The all-in-one back office platform: onboarding, timesheets, payroll, billing, and commissions in one system.

Learn more

Staffing Agency Billing Software

Invoices generated the moment timesheets are approved, with $3B+ billed through the platform annually.

Learn more

Staffing Compliance Software

Worker classification, tax calculations, and document compliance handled automatically across the US and Canada, with remittance and filing reports provided for you in Canada.

Learn more

See it live

See payroll services working on your workflow.

Book a 30-minute demo and we'll walk through the platform configured around how your agency actually operates.

ISO 27001 Certified