I’m here to guide you to get around this issue, @businessragan.
We can delete an employee if they don't have paychecks yet. If they already have one, we can only make them inactive.
To delete an employee:
1. Go to the Payroll menu.
2. Select the Employees tab.
3. Click the employee's name.
4. Select Edit Employee.
5. Change the name of the employee and select Delete employee.
6. Select Yes to confirm the deletion.
You can also check this link for more details: Delete an employee's profile from payroll.
Once everything is in place, you can utilize this article in paying your employees effectively: Process or run payroll.
You’re always welcome to get back to me if you have other concerns or questions about managing your employees in QuickBooks. I’ll be around ready to help you out. Have a good one!