Hi, @ngleave.
Thanks for posting in the Community! I'm here to provide some information about payroll in QuickBooks Online (QBO).
If you have employees and would like to run their payroll within the QuickBooks Online (QBO) Essentials, then yes. You will need QBO Payroll Core given that you already subscribed to it.
However, if you haven't subscribed to any payroll subscription yet, there are a few options that you can choose that suits your business. You can refer to this link for the product comparison: payroll products and features.
Once you're ready to pay your employees in the future, here's an article that will you through the step-by-step process on how to create paychecks: How do I create a paycheck for an employee?
I'll come to help and answer them if you have additional questions or concerns with managing QuickBooks. Take care and have a wonderful day!
