Hi there, @kimstack. I'm here to help you add your new employee to your QuickBooks Online (QBO) account.
Usually, the error message you're getting happens when the name is already added as a supplier or a customer. To add the employee successfully, enter additional characters or initials to your employee's name.
I'm adding these screenshots for your visual references.
![](https://lithium-response-prod.s3.us-west-2.amazonaws.com/intuit.response.lithium.com/RESPONSEIMAGE/9e542688-ed23-4f39-a70e-23c74511f0d6.default.PNG)
![a27 3.PNG a27 3.PNG](https://quickbooks.intuit.com/learn-support/image/serverpage/image-id/77476i604825CD7132E4AA/image-size/large?v=v2&px=999)
For additional resources while adding an employee in QBO, open this article: Add a new employee to your payroll.
On the other hand, here's how you can modify an existing employee's information: Edit or change employee info in payroll.
Please let me know if you have any other payroll questions about your employee setup. I'm always here to help. Keep safe!