Yes, you can reactivate a former employee by navigating to the Employees tab in your QuickBooks Online (QBO) account, curator1.
Reactivating the employee will not change their past payroll history. All their previous pay records, pay stubs, and tax information will still be available. You can update their profile information, but the hire date needs to stay the same to avoid issues with tax filings.
Here is how to reactivate a previous employee:
- Navigate to the Payroll tab and click on the Employee section.
- Select the employee you wish to reactivate.
If the employee is not visible, adjust the filter on the employee list. Use the dropdown menu above the list to select Active Employees, Inactive Employees, or All Employees.
- Choose either Change status under the Action dropdown or Edit under Employment details.

- To reactivate the employee, select Active in the Status section.

- Once done, click Save.
Additionally, you can visit this article on how to handle employee vacation compensation and modify an employee's vacation policy: Manage employee vacation pay in QuickBooks Online.
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