Release Notes

Learn what's new in the latest release of HR Blizz

Latest Release

5. May, 2026

Compliance Country-Specific Employee self service HR Blizz Payroll admin console

Tax Declarations and Proofs – Now Fully Inside HR Blizz for India Payroll

New Module
Compliance
Country-Specific (India)
HR Manager
Payroll Admin
Employees

The problem it solves: Every year, India payroll teams run the same exhausting cycle. Employees declare investments through emails, spreadsheets, or offline forms. Proofs arrive as scanned attachments or physical documents. Payroll admins reconcile the two manually before TDS finalisation – chasing missing data, decoding inconsistent formats, and answering the same employee queries again and again.

The result is predictable: errors in TDS calculation, audit trails that are hard to defend, and avoidable workload across HR, payroll, and finance.

What we built: A complete, end-to-end India Tax Declaration and Proof Submission Module – built directly into HR Blizz Employee Self-Service and the Payroll Admin Console. Employees declare, upload, and track their tax submissions in one place. Admins configure, audit, and approve from a single dashboard. Every action is logged, transparent, and tied to TDS calculations automatically.

What this means for your team:

  • Tax declarations and proof submissions are no longer collected over email, spreadsheets, or paper
  • TDS calculations are based on admin-approved amounts – not unverified declarations
  • Employees self-serve from declaration through to status tracking, removing repeat queries to HR and payroll
  • The entire process leaves a clean, auditable trail – useful at year-end, during audits, and for compliance reviews

How it works – a clear two-phase process: The module replaces the legacy declaration-and-collection cycle with a structured, time-bound workflow that admins control.

Phase 1 – Declaration (typically April): At the start of the financial year, employees declare their planned investments through the ESS portal. No documents are required at this stage – this phase is for planning. Submissions are auto-approved and feed directly into monthly TDS calculations.

Phase 2 – Proof Submission (typically Q4): Later in the year, employees upload supporting documents against each declared investment. Admins review every proof, validate amounts, and approve, reject, or partially approve. The approved figures replace the planned figures and become the basis for final TDS adjustment.

Timing note: Both phases are governed by submission windows that admins configure to align with the organisation’s payroll calendar. Employees can only submit or edit when the relevant window is open.

What employees can do

Capability Detail
Tax Regime Selection Choose Old or New Regime once per financial year. The system displays a confirmation warning before locking the choice.
Structured Declaration Form Tab-organised form covering HRA, 80C/80CCC/80CCD, 80D, Chapter VI-A, House Property, and Other Income & TDS
HRA Copy Data Enter rent and landlord details forApril and auto-populate all 12 months in one click – no repetitive entry.
Document Upload Upload proofs (PDF, JPG, PNG, up to 50 MB) against individual line itemsduring the proof submission phase.
Real-Time Status Tracking Track every submitted item live – Under Review, Approved, Rejected – with admin remarks visible inside the portal.
Save as Draft Save progress at any point and resume later before final submission
Resubmit on Rejection View the admin’s reason for rejection, correct the document or amount, and resubmit – all without leaving the portal.

What payroll admins can do

Capability Detail
Centralised Dashboard View every employee’s tax regime, declared amount, and submission status in a single screen.
Configurable Submission Windows Set start and end dates for the Declaration Phase and Proof Submission Phase via Settings → Entity Fields.
Proof Audit Workflow Open submissions in Review Mode. Navigate section by section. View uploaded proofs in a side panel and adjust approved amounts where needed.
Approve, Reject, or Partially Approve Each proof has three possible outcomes. Partial approvals require a written reason – visible to the employee.
Mandatory Comments on Decisions Comments accompany every approval and rejection – employees see them instantly inside ESS, reducing back-and-forth.
Final Audit Summary The Final Audit tab consolidates declared vs. approved amounts across all sections – a one-click final approval or rejection.
Tax Regime Monitoring See Old vs. New regime distribution across the workforce. Mid-year regime changes are system-restricted to protect TDS accuracy.

Tax sections covered
The module supports all major investment and income categories under the Indian Income Tax Act:

  • House Rent Allowance (HRA): Month-wise rent, landlord PAN, city type
  • Section 80C, 80CCC, 80CCD: Life Insurance, PF, ELSS, NPS, LIC Annuity (combined limit ₹1,50,000; additional ₹50,000 via 80CCD(1B) for NPS)
  • Section 80D: Health insurance premiums for self, family, and parents (including preventive health check-up)
  • Chapter VI-A (Others): Education loan interest (80E), donations, disability deductions (80DD/80U), EV loan interest (80EEB), first-home buyer interest (80EEA)
  • House Property: Home loan interest and rental income (self-occupied and let-out)
  • Other Income & TDS: Interest income, TCS paid, and previous employment income (Form 12B)

Important to know before activation

Tax regime is locked once selected: Each employee selects Old or New Regime once per financial year. Once confirmed, it cannot be changed through ESS. Mid-year backend changes are strongly discouraged and should only be considered with your Account Director.
Storage prerequisite (commercial consideration): Document storage requires an S3 bucket. Two options are available – Mercans-managed storage (billed via Mercans) or
customer-purchased storage (configured in the system). Discuss the right option with your Account Director before activation.
Pro Tip: Communicate the submission window dates to employees well in advance. Once a window closes, declarations and uploads are locked until the next phase opens – late submissions can directly affect TDS accuracy for that employee.
Works well with: Embedded Employee Change History – every tax declaration action is captured in the employee record alongside other payroll changes.

Audience at a glance

Role Primary action
Employee Declare investments, upload proofs, track status, resubmit on rejection
Payroll Admin Configure windows, audit submissions, approve/reject proofs, finalise audit
HR Manager Monitor regime distribution and submission progress across the workforce
Finance / Compliance Review final approved amounts before TDS finalisation; verify audit trail

May 2026

5. May, 2026

HR Blizz Payroll admin console Improvements Update

Employee History Source Now Shows the Integration That Triggered the Change

Improved
Audit & Controls
Payroll Admin
Auditor / Compliance Officer

The problem it solves: When a record changed via an integration, Employee History showed the source as a generic EIF – Employee Integration File. With multiple integrations potentially feeding the same record, that single label gave no indication of which integration was actually responsible. Audit trails became harder to follow. Root-cause investigations took longer. Discrepancy reviews relied on guesswork or external logs.

What we built: The Source column in Employee History now displays the actual integration file name – not the generic token. You can see at a glance exactly which integration drove a change, whether it was an EIF or an MSS file.

What this means for your team:

  • Identify the exact integration responsible for any record change without leaving Employee History
  • Resolve audit queries and discrepancy investigations faster – the source is named, not abstract
  • Strengthens data governance for organisations running multiple concurrent integrations into the same employee records

What you’ll see

Before After
EIF EIF – [File Name]
EIF MSS – [File Name]
Pro Tip: When investigating a discrepancy across multiple integrations, sort or filter Employee History by the new Source field to quickly group changes by their originating file
Works well with: Embedded Employee Change History – together, these enhancements give you a complete, traceable record of every change made to an employee profile, including its exact source.

April 2026

24. April, 2026

HR Blizz Payroll admin console Employee self service Improvements New Feature

Leave Balance Adjustments That Actually Explain Themselves

New Feature
Leave & Absence
HR Manager
Payroll Admin
Auditor

The problem it solves: Adjusting a leave balance used to mean changing one number. It worked – but it left no trace of why. Was that +5 days a correction to an entitlement? A reversed taken day? A carry-forward update? The record gave no answer. For HR teams handling audits, disputes, or staff handovers, that opacity created real risk.

On top of that, bulk leave operations – year-end corrections, back-dated approvals, legacy migrations – required separate processes or manual workarounds. There was no single, structured path to load both adjustments and taken leave in one go.

What we built: HR Blizz now lets you adjust leave balances at the component level – not as a single opaque figure. Every change captures a reason, a timestamp, and a source. And a single bulk upload can now carry both balance adjustments and leave taken records in the same file.

What this means for your team:

  • Audits move faster – every adjustment is traceable to a specific component, a reason, and a user, with no reconstruction needed
  • Disputes are easier to resolve – instead of “the balance changed sometime last month,” you see exactly what changed, when, and why
  • Handovers become cleaner – incoming HR or payroll staff inherit a complete, selfexplaining leave history rather than a set of unexplained figures
  • Year-end corrections, back-dated approvals, and legacy migrations can all be executed in a single coordinated batch upload

What you can now adjust: Leave balance adjustments are made at the component level. The Total Balance is always calculated automatically – you never edit it directly.

Component What it represents
Entitlement Total days granted for the current period
Entitlement Taken Days already consumed from the entitlement
Carried Forward Days brought in from a previous period
Carried Forward Taken Days consumed from the carry-forward balance
Pro Tip: Because Total Balance is now auto-calculated from these four components, you will never need to reverse-engineer where a number came from. The system does the maths – your job is to record what actually happened and why.

Bulk leave records – one upload, two types of data: The bulk upload screen now accepts both balance adjustments and leave taken records in a single file. You no longer need separate uploads or separate processes for each.

Ideal for:

  • Year-end balance corrections across large employee populations
  • Back-dated leave approvals that need to be reflected in the system quickly
  • Migrating leave data from a legacy system or outgoing payroll provider
  • Applying a one-off policy change across your entire workforce in a single batch
Best for: Organisations managing leave across large or distributed teams, particularly during year-end cycles, system transitions, or following policy changes that affect historical balances.

Important: How this feature works – read before first use

These are deliberate design decisions, not limitations. Please share these with your HR and payroll teams before using the feature for the first time.

1. Current-period and Draft status only

Adjustments are permitted only for the current payroll period, and only while it is in Draft status. Once a period moves to Review, Approved, or Closed, no further adjustments are accepted for that period. Future-dated adjustments are not supported.

Why this matters: This is intentional. It prevents reopening closed payroll runs and preserves the financial integrity of past periods. Plan your adjustments before the period moves out of Draft.

2. Total Balance editing has been removed

Direct editing of the Total Balance field is no longer available. All changes must be made through the underlying components. The Total is calculated automatically from those components.

What changed: If your team previously edited Total Balance directly, they will need to identify which component the change belongs to going forward. This is a one-time transition – the new process is faster and far more auditable.

3. Formula-driven leave types are excluded

Leave types calculated by a formula – such as maternity leave tied to gender, or childcare leave tied to dependents – cannot be adjusted through this feature. To change these balances, update the relevant employee attribute. The leave balance will recalculate automatically on the next cycle.

4. Bulk uploads are all-or-nothing

If any row in an uploaded file fails validation, the entire file is rejected. There are no partial commits. The preview screen shows exactly which rows have issues before you confirm – giving you the chance to fix errors and re-upload cleanly.

Pro Tip: Always use the preview screen to review your file before committing. For large uploads, prepare your file carefully and validate a small batch first to confirm your format is correct.

5. Duplicate prevention is built in

The system will not allow you to create a second adjustment for the same employee and leave type (or the same employee, leave type, and dates for Leave Taken rows). If a record already exists, you will be directed to edit it rather than create a duplicate.

Audience at a glance
Role Primary action
HR Manager Make component-level adjustments for individual employees; review adjustment history
Payroll Admin Manage bulk uploads; validate files before committing; oversee periodstatus rules
Auditor / Compliance Review full adjustment trail – reason, timestamp, source – per employee per leave type
Implementation Consultant Use bulk upload for leave data migrations and legacy system transitions
Works well with: Embedded Employee Change History – adjustment records are visible in the employee profile alongside other payroll changes, giving a complete picture in one place.
Timing note: Plan all leave balance adjustments before your current payroll period moves to Review status. Once it does, the window for that period closes.

Learn more:

  • Questions about your configuration? Contact your Mercans Account Manager

User Guide

20. April, 2026

Update Back Office HR Blizz Payroll admin console Improvements

Pay Group Now Visible in Every Report Header

Improved
Reporting
Payroll Admin
Payroll Manager
Finance Teams

The problem it solves: When running payroll reports across multiple pay groups — weekly, monthly, bi-weekly — there was no immediate way to confirm which pay group a report belonged to without reading through the data itself. For teams managing several concurrent payroll cycles, this added unnecessary verification steps, especially when reviewing or sharing exported reports.

What we built: HR Blizz now includes a Pay Group field in the headers of all system default reports and GLType reports. The field dynamically reflects the pay group — or groups — associated with the payroll run it was generated from, and appears consistently across every output format.

What this means for your team:

  • Identify the pay group tied to any report instantly — at the top of the page, before reading a single line of data
  • Multi-pay-group runs display all associated groups clearly, listed together (e.g., Monthly Payroll, Weekly Payroll) — no ambiguity when a report spans more than one cycle
  • The pay group header appears identically whether you are viewing on-screen or exporting to Excel or PDF — your exported reports carry the same clarity as what you see in the system
Auto-enabled: No configuration or setup required. The Pay Group field is now visible in all impacted reports for all HR Blizz users.
Pro Tip: When sharing payroll reports with Finance or external auditors, the Pay Group header now makes it immediately clear which payroll cycle the data belongs to — reducing the need for cover notes or verbal context when distributing exports.
Works well with: Mandatory Pay Group Assignment Controls — ensuring employees are correctly mapped to pay groups means your report headers will always reflect accurate, complete pay group information.

Reports updated:

Report Report Code Type
Gross to Net gross-to-net-new System Default
Variance Report variance-new System Default
Payment Report payments System Default
Compare Different Run in Period System Default
Detailed Headcount Report System Default
Starters and Leavers Report System Default
GL Type Reports GL Type

Supported output formats: On-screen · Excel export · PDF export

6. April, 2026

HR Blizz Employee self service Accessibility Improvements

Log In Once. Go Straight to Work

Improved
User Experience
All HR Blizz Users

The problem it solves: Every extra screen between login and your actual workspace adds friction – especially for payroll teams logging in multiple times a day during busy processing periods.

What we built: HR Blizz now takes users directly to their role-based landing page after login. Intermediate screens for app and entity selection have been removed. Switching between apps or entities remains available within the platform when needed.

What this means for your team:

  • Faster access from the moment you log in – no extra clicks to reach your workspace
  • Role-based routing means each user lands exactly where they need to be
  • No loss of flexibility – switching context within the app remains simple
Pro Tip: If you manage multiple entities, you can still switch between them from within the app – the removal of the selection screen only affects the initial login flow.

Best for: All HR Blizz users, with the most noticeable impact for those logging in frequently across payroll processing days.

March 2026

11. March, 2026

Back Office HR Blizz Payroll admin console Improvements Update

Review Statutory Data in a Format That’s Actually Readable – Form 24Q (Q4)

Improved
Compliance
Payroll Managers
Statutory / Tax Teams

The problem it solves: Before submitting statutory payroll files, errors are hard to spot when all you have is a raw TXT file. By the time a problem is found, resubmission means delays and potential penalties.

What we built: HR Blizz now provides an Excel download of Form 24Q (Q4) data, organized across multiple sheets – covering employee details, challans, deductions, salary information, and statutory sections. Review everything clearly before generating the final submission file.

What this means for your team:

  • Catch errors before submission, not after – structured Excel format makes review straightforward
  • Any team member can validate the data, not just those familiar with TXT file formats
  • Reduces the risk of rejected filings, resubmissions, and compliance penalties
Region-Specific: Applies to India payroll only – Form 24Q is a quarterly TDS return filed with the Indian Income Tax Department.
Pro Tip: Use the Excel download as your internal sign-off document before generating the TXT file – it’s easier to share with Finance or Legal for a final review.

Best for: India payroll teams managing TDS compliance, particularly during Q4 when year-end salary and deduction data requires thorough verification.

Learn more

11. March, 2026

Settings Update Improvements HR Blizz Secure file transfer Payroll admin console

Payslip Filenames That Match Local Compliance Requirements

Improved
Compliance
Payroll Admins
IT
Document Management Teams

The problem it solves: In many countries, payslip files need to follow specific naming conventions – often including employee tax numbers or other identifiers. Renaming files manually after generation is tedious and creates inconsistency.

What we built: Payslip filenames in HR Blizz can now be configured to dynamically include HR field values – such as employee tax IDs – based on your required format. Files are named correctly at the point of generation.

What this means for your team:

  • No manual renaming after payslip generation – files come out correctly named every time
  • Reduces compliance risk from inconsistent or incorrectly named payslip files
  • Supports regional documentation standards without adding manual steps to your process
Region-Specific: Particularly relevant in markets where statutory documentation requires employee tax numbers or national IDs in payslip filenames (e.g. South Africa, India, Middle East).
Pro Tip: Configure filename variables once per entity or region – the format then applies automatically to every subsequent payslip run.

Best for: Multi-country payroll operations where local compliance standards dictate specific file naming formats.

2. March, 2026

Back Office HR Blizz Payroll admin console Improvements Update

Run Reports Before Payroll is Closed

Improved
Reporting
Payroll Managers
Finance Teams

The problem it solves: Payroll teams often need to validate data, answer leadership queries, or share figures before the payroll run is fully finalized – but most systems lock reporting until the close is complete.

What we built: HR Blizz now allows reports to be generated as soon as a payroll run reaches the Result Review stage – for main runs, off-cycle runs, and correction runs alike. Where multiple runs exist in the same period, values are automatically combined into one consolidated view.

What this means for your team:

  • Review and validate payroll figures earlier, without waiting for full closure
  • No manual reconciliation when multiple runs exist in the same period – the system consolidates automatically
  • Respond faster to finance queries, pre-close reviews, or leadership requests
Pro Tip: Use early reports to run a variance check against the previous period before payroll closes – catching anomalies early means fewer corrections after the fact.
Important: Reports generated at the Result Review stage reflect data as it stands at that point. Final closed-payroll reports remain available and are recommended for official submissions.

Best for: Organizations with tight reporting deadlines, multi-run payroll periods, or finance teams that need payroll visibility before the close is confirmed.

February 2026

19. February, 2026

Back Office HR Blizz Payroll admin console New Feature Settings

No Employee Left Behind in Payroll Processing

New Feature
Compliance
Payroll Admins
Payroll Managers

The problem it solves: Employees who aren’t assigned to a pay group can slip through payroll processing unnoticed – resulting in missed payments, reporting gaps, and exceptions that surface at the worst possible time.

What we built: HR Blizz now validates pay group assignments before payroll progresses. If an employee isn’t properly mapped, the system flags it before it becomes a downstream problem.

What this means for your team:

  • Missed payments due to incomplete setup are caught before processing begins
  • Payroll reports stay accurate – unassigned employees don’t create ghost exceptions
  • Adds a clear governance checkpoint into your standard payroll workflow
Important: This validation runs automatically during payroll progression. Employees flagged as unassigned must be mapped to a pay group before the run can continue.
Pro Tip: Run a pay group assignment check after any large onboarding event or org restructure to catch unmapped employees before your next payroll cycle.

Best for: Organizations with high employee turnover, frequent onboarding cycles, or complex workforce structures where assignment gaps are a recurring risk.

Learn more

9. February, 2026

New Feature HR Blizz Payroll admin console Settings

Manage Pay Groups Without Raising a Support Ticket

New Feature
Admin Control
Payroll Admins
HR Operations

The problem it solves: Creating a pay group or moving employees between groups has historically required a change request to Mercans – adding wait time and operational friction for routine workforce changes.

What we built: Pay group creation and employee movement are now fully self-service within HR Blizz. Payroll administrators can manage these directly, without raising a request.

What this means for your team:

  • Move employees between pay cycles or pay dates immediately when business needs change
  • No change requests, no waiting – routine payroll admin stays in your hands
  • Reduces operational overhead and support dependency for organizations running multiple payroll calendars
Pro Tip: Use this when onboarding new business units or adjusting payroll cycles after an acquisition – set up the new pay group and move employees in one session.
Works well with: Mandatory Pay Group Assignment Controls – create groups and ensure all employees are correctly assigned before your next payroll run.

Best for: Organizations managing multiple payroll calendars, growing headcounts, or frequent workforce restructuring where pay cycle changes are routine.

Learn more

9. February, 2026

HR Blizz Payroll admin console Improvements New Feature Back Office

Rounding Differences No Longer Delay Month-End Close

New Feature
Automation
Finance & Payroll Teams

The problem it solves: When payroll involves split calculations, repayments, or multi-currency conversions, minor rounding differences appear in payroll journals – causing Finance teams to manually chase down small discrepancies at month-end.

What we built: HR Blizz now automatically allocates rounding variances to a designated General Ledger account. Journals stay balanced without anyone touching them.

What this means for your team:

  • Month-end close moves faster – no manual journal corrections for rounding
  • Finance and Payroll stop chasing cents across reconciliation reports
  • Works across all payroll scenarios: split pay, repayments, and currency conversions
Pro Tip: Set up your GL rounding account once during configuration and it applies automatically to every future payroll run – no repeat setup needed.
Important: A predefined General Ledger account must be configured before this feature activates. Ask your Mercans consultant to assist with the initial setup.

Best for: Organizations running multi-currency payroll or managing complex pay structures with frequent split calculations.

9. February, 2026

HR Blizz Payroll admin console Improvements Update

Employee Change History, Right Where You Need It

Improved
Statutory Compliance
Payroll Admins
HR Teams
Auditors

The problem it solves: When a payroll discrepancy surfaces, tracking what changed and when means running separate audit reports, scrolling through pages of records, and losing time during investigations or compliance reviews.

What we built: Change history is now embedded directly inside the employee profile and listing view. One click shows exactly what was updated, when it changed, and who made the change – no separate report, no extra navigation.

What this means for your team:

  • Discrepancy investigations that used to take hours now take minutes
  • Audit queries can be answered on the spot, not after a report run
  • Compliance teams get a clear, timestamped trail exactly where payroll decisions are made
Pro Tip: Use this during payroll review cycles to quickly verify if a change in net pay is tied to a recent employee update = without leaving the employee record.
Works well with: Mandatory Pay Group Assignment Controls (see below) = together they give you a complete picture of employee data integrity before processing.

Best for: Teams that handle frequent compliance queries, internal audits, or multi-country payroll where change tracking is a regulatory requirement.

January 2026

7. January, 2026

HR Blizz Payroll admin console Improvements New Feature

Load Loans, Advances & Recurring Balances for Your Entire Workforce at Once

Improved
Automation
Payroll Admins
Implementation Teams

The problem it solves: Manually entering opening balances for employee loans, advances, or recurring benefit deductions one by one is time-consuming and error-prone – especially when managing hundreds or thousands of employees.

What we built: The HR Blizz import template now supports multiple pay elements per employee with opening balances in a single structured upload. Load an entire population’s recurring deductions or loan balances in one go.

What this means for your team:

  • Eliminates repetitive data entry when onboarding large employee groups
  • Reduces the risk of errors from manual entry across high-volume populations
  • Cuts implementation and go-live timelines for organizations with complex benefit structures
Pro Tip: This is especially powerful during system migrations or annual benefits enrollment – prepare your file once and load balances for all employees simultaneously.
Important: The updated import template is required. Download the latest version from HR Blizz before preparing your data file.

Best for: Organizations managing employee loans, recurring advances, or multi-tier benefit deductions at scale – particularly during implementations or workforce restructuring.

Learn more