How do I build my employee profile data file for Tilt?

Quick answer

Build your employee profile file from Tilt's CSV template so you can bulk-create Tilt accounts and keep employee data current. Populate the template — ideally with a custom HRIS export that matches Tilt's column headers — filling in every required field (marked with an asterisk) and as many optional fields as you can. Column headers must match the template exactly, including asterisks, and every date must be YYYY-MM-DD. Once your file is built, you can test it, upload it manually, or send it via SFTP.

Who this applies to / Prerequisites

You must be an HR user in Tilt.
Download the Employee Profile Data Import CSV File Template. It's also in Tilt: log in as HR, click Org Settings, click the Uploads tab, then download the Template and Instructions beneath the Uploads button.
Your file must be saved as .csv. Tilt does not accept .xlsx or other file types.

Steps

Step 1: Choose how to populate the file

Manual entry from your HRIS — best for small employee bases, or when you only want to share data for employees who have reported a need for leave.
Recommended: a custom HRIS export that matches Tilt's expected column headers and data values. This makes it easy to keep Tilt data current on a recurring basis.

Fill out as many optional fields as possible — the more complete the data, the more it benefits your HR team.

Step 2: Format the file

Column header names must match the template exactly (including asterisks) for Tilt to recognize the data. Fields marked with an asterisk (*) are required.

Column	Field Name	Required?	Field Description	Format / Accepted Values
A	Employee ID	Optional	A unique identifier for the employee. If sent, all employee IDs must be unique — duplicates cause errors.	Unique string or number
B	First Name*	Required	Employee's legal first name.	Text
C	Last Name*	Required	Employee's legal last name.	Text
D	Email*	Required	Employee's work email. Functions as Tilt's unique identifier for the employee.	Valid email address
E	Personal Email	Optional (strongly encouraged)	The employee's personal email. Especially important when employees can't access work email while on leave.	Valid email address
F	Phone	Optional	The employee's personal phone number.	10–12 digits, with or without dashes
G	Country	Optional	The country the employee both works and resides in. If an employee works in one country and lives in another, Tilt cannot support their leave at this time. Note: Canada support is limited — confirm with your Implementation Guide or Account Manager first.	United States or Canada only
H	State of Residence	Optional	The employee's state of residence (US employees).	Two-letter state code, uppercase
I	Physical Work Location	Optional	The state where the employee physically works (US employees). Province codes accepted for Canada. Note: Canada support is limited — confirm first.	Two-letter state/province code, uppercase
J	Working City	Optional	The city where the employee physically works (US employees).	Text
K	Job Title	Optional	Employee's job title.	Text
L	Hire Date	Optional	The date the employee began work at the company.	YYYY-MM-DD
M	Salary	Conditional — required if Salary Period is sent	Employee's salary for the period in the Salary Period column. Used in pay calculations. Send hourly rates for hourly employees with a salary period of HOURLY.	Numeric with decimal, no $ signs or commas. Example: 99999999.99
N	Salary Period	Conditional — required if Salary is sent	The salary period for the Salary value. Used in pay calculations.	ANNUALLY, QUARTERLY, MONTHLY, WEEKLY, DAILY, or HOURLY
O	Salary Effective Date	Optional — requires Salary and Salary Period if sent	The date the listed salary goes into effect.	YYYY-MM-DD
P	Enrolled in Health Benefits?	Optional	Whether the employee is enrolled in health benefits.	Y or N
Q	Enrolled in Long Term Disability?	Optional	Whether the employee is enrolled in long-term disability.	Y or N
R	Enrolled in Short Term Disability?	Optional	Whether the employee is enrolled in short-term disability.	Y or N
S	Contract Type	Optional	The employee's contract type.	FULL_TIME, PART_TIME, TEMPORARY, or SEASONAL
T	Exempt?	Optional	Whether the employee's FLSA status is exempt.	Y or N
U	Hourly?	Optional	Whether the employee is hourly. N means salaried.	Y or N
V	Hourly Rate	Conditional — send only for hourly employees	Employee's hourly pay rate. Send only when Hourly? is Y; omit for all others.	Numeric with decimal, no $ signs or commas. Example: 99.99
W	Hours Worked (12 Months)	Optional	Hours the employee has worked in the past twelve months. Use "Hours Worked" as an alternate header if your system can't accept parentheses.	Numeric only, no commas
X	Pay Schedule ID	Optional	The ID of the pay schedule the employee is on. Set this in Tilt under Org Settings > Pay Periods: click Edit, then add your chosen ID to the Pay schedule ID field.	Must match a Pay schedule ID saved in your Tilt Org Settings
Y	Manager First Name	Optional	The first name of the employee's manager.	Text
Z	Manager Last Name	Optional	The last name of the employee's manager.	Text
AA	Manager Email	Optional (required to update manager details)	The manager's email. Key data point for updating manager details and granting the manager access to a leave — always include it when importing manager info.	Valid email address
AB	Manager Phone Number	Optional	The manager's phone number.	10–12 digits, with or without dashes

Step 3: Import your file

Once your file is built and formatted, test it, upload it, or send it via SFTP. See How do I test my import file before uploading it in Tilt?, How do I upload my import file in Tilt?, and How do I send import files to Tilt via SFTP instead of uploading them?

What if it doesn't work

Rows failed with header errors: Your column headers don't match Tilt's template exactly. Compare against the template (including asterisks) and correct any differences.
Rows failed with date errors: All dates (Hire Date, Salary Effective Date) must be YYYY-MM-DD.
Duplicate Employee ID errors: Every Employee ID must be unique. If your employees don't have unique IDs, don't send the Employee ID column at all.
Salary or Salary Period errors: These two columns must be sent together. Salary Effective Date also requires both to be present.
Hourly pay not populating as expected: For hourly employees, Tilt reads Hourly Rate first. If it has a value, Salary and Salary Period are ignored. If Hourly Rate is empty and Salary Period is HOURLY, Tilt uses the Salary value as the hourly rate. If Hourly Rate is empty and Salary Period is anything else, the field is ignored so pay data isn't overwritten. For salaried employees, Hourly Rate is ignored.
The file won't upload at all: The file is not a .csv. Re-save it as .csv.

Limits and exceptions

Only .csv files are accepted. Excel (.xlsx) and other formats will not import.
You must be an HR user to build and upload profile files.
Column headers must match Tilt's template exactly, or the file will not import.
Country is limited to the United States and Canada. If an employee works in one country and lives in another, Tilt cannot support their leave at this time.
Canada support is limited. Confirm with your Implementation Guide or Account Manager before entering a leave for a Canada-based employee.
All dates must be YYYY-MM-DD.
Salary and Salary Period must always be sent together; Salary Effective Date requires both.
Salary, Hourly Rate, and Hours Worked must be numeric only — no $ signs, commas, or other characters.
Phone numbers must be 10–12 digits, with or without dashes.
Employee IDs, if sent, must be unique.

How do I build my employee profile data file for Tilt?

Column by column — build a properly formatted employee profile file, ready to test, upload, or send via SFTP.

Step 1: Choose how to populate the file

Step 2: Format the file

Step 3: Import your file