In short
Since the evening of 12 November 2026, a Microsoft 365 outage has disrupted Outlook and Exchange Online email around the world. BrightPay sends its two-factor login codes by email unless you've chosen another method, so if your email is on Microsoft 365 your code may be late or may not arrive, and you may not be able to log in to approve payroll. Our replies to emails may also take longer than usual, so please phone us on 0161 823 8363 if anything is urgent.
Since Thursday evening, 12 November, Microsoft has had a major outage affecting Microsoft 365, including Outlook, Exchange Online email and Teams. It started at around 18:00 UK time, according to The Register, and was still affecting users on Friday, with Microsoft saying its fixes were not working as expected, according to Sky News. Microsoft has said the outage was not caused by a cyber attack, according to CNN.
How it may affect logging in to BrightPay
If two-factor authentication is switched on for your BrightPay login, you need a 6-digit code each time you sign in. Unless you've chosen a different method, that code is sent to your email address, according to BrightPay's two-factor authentication FAQs.
If your email runs on Microsoft 365 or Outlook, your code may arrive late or not at all while the outage continues. That could stop you logging in to approve payroll or view your reports. Employees who use the BrightPay employee portal to see their payslips may have the same problem if their codes go to an affected email address.
What you can do
- If a code does come through, it may be delayed. Check your junk folder and give it a few minutes before asking for another one.
- If you can still log in, you can change how you get your code under Manage my Bright ID, then Security, then 2FA Settings. BrightPay recommends an authenticator app, and text message is also an option, according to BrightPay's guide to enabling two-factor authentication. This means future codes won't depend on your email.
- If you can't log in and your payroll needs approving, please call us on 0161 823 8363 and we'll help you get your approval to us so your pay date isn't affected.
Email replies from us
While the outage continues, our replies to emails may take longer than usual, and some messages may reach us late. If something is urgent, especially anything that affects this month's pay run, please phone us on 0161 823 8363 rather than relying on email.
We'll update this note once Microsoft confirms its services are fully back to normal.
Payroll deadline coming up? Give us a call and we'll talk you through it. Our payroll deadlines guide has the key dates for the rest of the tax year.
This article is general information based on official sources at the date of publishing, not legal or tax advice. Rules can change, so check the linked guidance or talk to us about your payroll.