Adding a Benefits Broker

The article provides a guide for granting a benefits broker secure access to a BambooHR account. It outlines two main steps: creating a custom access level and adding the broker as a non-employee user. The first step involves defining the access level by entering its name and description, and selecting specific permissions related to benefits administration. Users can control what the broker can see and do, including access to reports and employee information. The second step details how to add the broker's information and send an invitation for access. The article emphasizes the ability to edit or revoke access as needed, ensuring flexibility in managing the broker's permissions.

Jul 8, 2026
Knowledge

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Article Text

You can give your benefits broker secure, limited access to your BambooHR account so they can view and manage employee benefit information. This guide walks you through setting up a custom access level with specific permissions and adding your broker to the access level as a non-employee user.

Table of Contents

Step 1: Create a custom access level
Step 2: Add the broker as an non-employee user

Step 1: Create a custom access level

In Settings > Access Levels, click on the + icon next to “Levels” and then select Custom Access Level.

Basic Info

In Step 1: Basic Info, enter a name (e.g., “Benefits Broker”) and description. Then, click Next Step.

What this Access Level Can Do

In Step 2: What this Access Level Can Do, click Settings, and then select the checkbox next to “Benefits.” This permission gives your benefits broker access to Benefits Administration, including plan years, benefit plans, enrollment windows, and carriers.

Note: The Benefits area does not include access to employee elections and the PDF Form Builder. However, you can configure separate permissions for the broker to download enrollment forms using the PDF Form Builder.

In the same step, click Reports and mark the boxes next to "Benefits Administration Reports" and "Create New Reports." Both permissions will allow your benefits broker to view standard Benefits Administration reports and create custom benefits reports. To load these reports, the broker must also have either View Only or Edit access to the Personal, Job, and Benefits tabs in Step 3: What this Access Level Can See (see below). Click Next Step to continue.

What this Access Level Can See

See About other Employees

In Step 3: What this Access Level Can See, go to the See About other Employees section. Configure which employee information the broker can view or edit, depending on what access they need. The following fields are commonly used for or related to benefit information.

Note: Access to the following fields is not required but help ensure that Benefits Administration reports and carrier PDFs display complete employee information. While the minimum recommended access is View Only, you can grant your broker Edit access to those fields if needed.

Tab	Field	Access Type
Personal Tab	Basic Info Employee # Status First Name Middle Name Last Name Preferred Name Birth Date Gender Martial Status SSN	View Only
	Address Address Line 1 Address Line 2 City State Zip Code Country	View Only
	Contact Work Phone Work Ext. Mobile Phone Home Phone Work Email Home Email	View Only
Job Tab	Hire Date	View Only
	Original Hire Date	View Only
	Employment Status Termination Type Termination Reason Employment Status: Date Employment status comments Employment Status: ACA Full-Time Employment Status	View Only
	Job Information Job Information: Date Job Title Department Division Location	View Only
	Compensation Compensation: Date Pay Schedule Pay type Pay rate	View Only
	Ethnicity	View Only
	Veteran Status	View Only
	Hours Per Pay Cycle (if using BambooHR® Payroll)	View Only
Benefits Tab	All Fields	View Only

Carrier PDFs: If a broker downloads enrollment forms from Settings > Benefits > Carrier PDFs, they will need visibility into all of the employee fields above. Without access to certain personal or job details, the PDFs may not be downloadable.

See About Themselves

Since the broker will be a non-employee user, they will not have an employee profile. You can click No on the See About Themselves tab.

See on Home

All of the widgets on the See on Home tab are optional and not required for broker access. Once everything is configured, click Save & Finish to create the custom access level. After saving, you can add your broker to the access level as a non-employee user.

Step 2: Add the broker as an non-employee user

In Settings > Access Levels, click the gear icon in the new custom access level you have created and then select Add a New Non-Employee User.

Enter the broker's first name, last name, and email address. Click Save and Grant Access. The broker will receive an email invitation to log in. Once they accept, they will have access according to the permissions you defined in the custom access level.

You can edit or remove access if needed by updating the broker’s custom access level settings or removing them as a non-employee user.

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