OCTOBER 2026

Release notes

A roundup of October 2026 Ciphr software updates, including features and functionality

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Ciphr's October 2026 release brings updates to Ciphr HR, Ciphr Payroll Cloud and Ciphr LMS. Highlights include more further information fields in Personal Details, the ability to update leavers in bulk through Payroll Cloud data imports, a fix to statutory paternity leave start dates, and an LMS service pack focused on keeping reporting and waiting lists accurate.

What’s new – October 2026 

Ciphr HR

This release included several improvements:

  • Personal details – more further information fields: we’ve increased the number of further information fields available in the Personal Details area, giving you greater flexibility to capture and store the non-standard personal data your organisation needs. This has been one of our most requested improvements

  • Talent management – data retention: unsubmitted sections are now retained for 90 days from when data is first entered or last changed

  • Scheduled reports – interface improvements: the reporting scheduler interface has been updated to make scheduling reports easier and more intuitive

  • Accessibility: the profile menu now opens using the Enter or Space key with both the NVDA and JAWS screen readers

Cloud Payroll

  • Update leavers through data imports: you can now update leavers in bulk, using the same CSV imports you already use for current employees
     
    • Include leavers option: when creating an employee import or a payment (pay run) import, tick Include leavers and any rows that match a leaver will be applied rather than skipped. The option is off by default, so imports behave exactly as before unless the box is ticked

    • Pay ID changes for leavers: the most common use is changing a leaver’s Pay ID. Payroll Cloud keeps the previous Pay ID and the Pay ID changed indicator on the record until the employee next appears on an FPS, so if they’re paid again after leaving, HMRC receives the old Pay ID and can link the two records

    • Full visibility of changes: imports that include leavers are flagged. Includes leavers in the import jobs list, and every change made to a leaver is recorded in the audit trail. The import summary doesn’t show a separate count of leavers updated, so use the audit trail to check what’s changed

    • Consistent matching rules: all import types now use the same rules to decide which record to update when a Pay ID or Employee Code is shared. A current employee is always updated in preference to a leaver; if only leavers match and Include leavers is ticked, the leaver with the most recent leaving date is updated; and if two or more current employees share the same Pay ID or Employee Code, the row is rejected with an error. If you have duplicate references among current employees, correct the duplicates and re-import. Only leavers who have been issued a P45 are treated as leavers for matching

    • Import reliability: import jobs now always reach a finished state, and rows that can’t be processed are reported as errors rather than information messages, so you may notice clearer error messages on problem rows

 

  • Statutory paternity leave start date: paternity leave can now start on the child’s date of birth (birth, SPPFB) or the date of placement (adoption, SPPFA), in line with the Paternity and Adoption Leave Regulations 2002

  • Working pattern API: working patterns now have their own API endpoints and can be created without a salary, with company defaults applying where no employee pattern exists. Working pattern changes trigger pay recalculation through their own event, and the salary API remains fully backwards compatible, so existing integrations are unaffected. This lays the foundations for further working pattern and rate card enhancements

 

Ciphr LMS

  • This service pack tidies up waiting lists, reporting and work folders so the LMS reflects what’s really happening. Key fixes include:

    • Activity Status List Report: the chart now follows the Assignment filter, so it matches the table and the export

    • Answer Summary and Detailed Answer reports: both reports now run for every activity, including SCORM activities that previously returned an error

    • Waiting lists: people who have already attended no longer appear on waiting lists or the Activity Waiting Report

    • Work folders and widgets: fixes to team work folders and widget dropdowns

Why it matters  

October’s releases are about flexibility, accuracy and less manual effort. Additional further information fields let you record the data that matters to your organisation in Ciphr HR, while bulk leaver updates in Payroll Cloud remove the need to amend records one at a time and help keep HMRC submissions joined up when former employees are paid again.

The paternity leave fix ensures leave can be recorded exactly as the legislation allows, and the new working pattern API gives integration teams a cleaner foundation to build on. In Ciphr LMS, reports, charts and waiting lists now give a truer picture of learning activity, so you can make decisions with confidence.