Custom Access Levels: What this Access Level Can Do

This resource outlines the permissions associated with custom access levels in BambooHR. It details the actions users can perform, such as managing employee data, approving requests, and configuring settings. The guide includes a comprehensive table of contents that covers various sections, including Company Files, Employees, Hiring, Background Checks, Payroll, Reports, Security & Login, Time Off, Time & Attendance, and Settings. Each section specifies the permissions available, such as uploading files, managing job openings, and approving payroll. Understanding these permissions allows for tailored user access based on roles within the organization. This ensures appropriate access to sensitive information and functionalities within BambooHR.

  • May 4, 2026
  • Knowledge

Title
Custom Access Levels: What this Access Level Can Do
Article Text
This feature is included in the Core, Pro, and Elite packages.

What permissions can I grant in the What this Access Level Can Do section?

Purpose: This guide outlines the specific actions a user can perform within BambooHR after being granted access through a custom access level. Understanding these permissions helps you define what a user can do within your account.

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Table of Contents:

What this Access Level Can Do

The What this Access Level Can Do section is where you can designate the actions a user can take in BambooHR. These permissions allow users to perform tasks such as managing employee data, approving requests, or configuring settings for your account or other employees. Combining permissions helps you match access to each user’s role.

Company Files
This image shows the What this Access Level Can Do tab. It highlights the Company Files tab and its permissions. Number 1 aligns with the Upload Files permission. Number 2 aligns iwth the Request E-Signatures and Set Up Templates permission. And Number three aligns with the ability to grant access to specific folders in company files. The image shows the option to grant View Only or Edit access to each folder.

Here are the custom access level permissions you can grant for the Files section of BambooHR:

  1. Upload Files: Gives the user access to be able to upload files in BambooHR.
    • To complete this access, you must also grant the user Edit access to at least one specific folder. If a user does not have Edit access to any folders, they will not be able to upload any files.
  2. Request E-Signatures and Set Up Templates:Grants the user the ability to create signature templates, request e-signatures for employees they have access to, and access to the Signed Documents report. To use this feature, the user only needs View Only access to folders.
  3. Allow access to these Folders in Company Files:You can grant either View Only or Edit access to specific folders.
    • View Only access grants the user the ability to preview, download, and email a file within the folder.
    • Edit access grants the user the additional ability to share, rename, and delete a file within the folder.
Employees
This image shows the What this Access Level Can See tab and highlights the Employees tab. It highlights the following permissions: 1. Add New Employees. 2. Change Employee Photos 3. Download Employee Forms (I-9, W-4, etc.) 4. End Employments 5. Power Edit Employees

Here are the custom access level permissions you can grant for the Employees section of BambooHR:

  1. Add New Employees: Grants the ability to add new employees via the "+Add Employee" button. This permission also allows the user to rehire terminated employees they have access to. It's important to note that this permission does not automatically grant the ability to view the new employee's profile.
  2. Change Employee Photos: Gives the user the ability to upload photos for all employees they have access to. You can also grant employees permission to upload their own photo.
  3. Download Employee Forms: Allows the user to download W-4, I-9, and 1095-C forms via the action menu on the People tab (for employees they have access to). These forms will automatically include basic information for the selected employees.
  4. End Employments: Provides the user with the ability to terminate any employee they have permission to access. When an employee is terminated, they lose access to BambooHR.
  5. Power Edit Employees: Enables the the Power Edit Employees feature, allowing for bulk updates to employee information. The user can only make changes to fields and for employees they have access to.
Hiring
This image shows the What this Access Level Can Do and highlights the Hiring tab. It highlights the following permissions: 1. Manage Job Openings, Talent Pools, and Candidates 2. Send and Manage Offer Letters 3. Purchase Premium Job Ads

Here are the custom access level permissions you can grant for the Hiring section of BambooHR:

  1. Manage Job Openings, Talent Pools, and Candidates: Grants full access to all information in Applicant Tracking. This includes creating and editing job openings, managing candidates, exporting basic candidate information, selecting the calendar and video providers your organization uses, and managing users' connections to these calendar and video conferencing apps.
  2. Send and Manage Offer Letters: Allows the user to create offer letter templates and send offer letters to applicants. This permission requires both Manage Job Openings, Talent Pools, and Candidates and access to "Hiring" under Settings to create offer letter templates.
  3. Purchase Premium Job Ads: Provides the user with the ability to purchase and post paid job ads to various job boards. This permission also requires Manage Job Openings, Talent Pools, and Candidates.

Background Checks

This image shows the What this Access Level Can Do page and highlights the Background Checks tab. It highlights the following permissions: Hiring & Candidates 1. Request Checks 2. View Status 3. View Reports & Manage Adverse Action (Employees and Onboarding Section] 4. Request Checks 5. View Status 6. View Reports & Manage Adverse Action

Hiring & Candidates

1. Request Checks: Grants access to request background checks for candidates

2. View Status: Grants access to view the background check status on the candidate profile

3. View Reports & Manage Adverse Action: Grants access to view reports when a background check is complete for a candidate; also grants access to initiate the adverse action flow for candidate background checks

Employees & Onboarding

4. Request Checks: Grants access to request background checks for existing employees

5. View Status: Grants access to view the background check status on the employee profile

6. View Reports & Manage Adverse Action: Grants access to view reports when a background check is complete for an employee; also grants access to initiate the adverse action flow for employee background checks

Payroll
This image shows the What this Access Level Can Do page and highlights the Payroll tab. It shows the following permissions: 1. Run Payroll 2. Approve Payroll

Here are the custom access level permissions you can grant for the Payroll section of BambooHR:

  1. Run Payroll: Grants the user the ability to start, edit, or delete a payroll run.
  2. Approve Payroll: Allows the user to approve a payroll run. This permission requires the user to also have the Run Payroll permission.
Reports
This image shows the What this Access Level Can Do section and highlights the Reports section. It highlights the following permissions 1. Create new reports 2. V iew Payroll reports 3. Dashboard Access (no access & view only)

Here are the custom access level permissions you can grant for the Reports section of BambooHR:

  1. Create New Reports: Allows the user to create a new custom reports. Users will only be able to include fields and employees in their reports that they have permission to access.
  2. View Payroll Reports: Grants access to BambooHR Payroll reports on the Reports tab. This permission does not include the ability to run or approve payroll.
  3. Dashboard Access: Grants access to view BambooHR Dashboards (Elite Package only).
Security & Login
This image shows the What this Access Level Can Do tab and highlights the Security & Login tab. It calls out the following permissions: 1. Manage Employee Access Levels 2. Reset User Passwords and Remove Passkeys 3. Rest User 2-Step Login

Here are the custom access level permissions you can grant to for the Security & Login section of BambooHR:

  1. Manage Employee Access Levels: Allows the user to grant, change, or disable an employee's access. The user can move employees between existing access levels but cannot give them additional permissions.
  2. Reset User Passwords and Remove Passkeys: Grants the user the ability to reset passwords and remove passkeys for employees they have access to. (The user resetting the password cannot choose the new password.)
  3. Reset User 2-Step Login: Provides the user the ability to reset an employee's 2-Step Login through Settings 2-Step Login or the employee profile.
Time Off
This images the What this Access Level Can do tab and highlights the Time Off tab. It shows the following permissions: 1. Manage Time Off Policy Assignments 2. Edit Past Time Off Requests

Here are the custom access level permissions you can grant to for the Time Off section of BambooHR:

  1. Manage Time Off Policy Assignments: This permission requires the user to also have View or Edit access to the specific time off categories they will be managing. With this access, the user can perform three key actions:
    • Record Time Off: Manually add and automatically approve time off requests for employees.
    • Manual Adjustment: Manually add or subtract an employee's time off balance.
    • Assign Policy: Assign a new time off policy for accruals or remove an existing one.
  2. Edit Past Time Off Requests: Allows the user to edit time off requests that have a start date in the past. This permission is only available if Manage Time Off Policy Assignments is enabled and the user has Edit access to the relevant time off category.
    • Please keep in mind for manual balance adjustments, edit access is limited to Account Owners and Full Admin users. Custom Access Level users can create adjustments, but they can’t edit them afterward.

For more information about the Time Off feature permissions, check out this video and refer to the "View vs. Edit Access to Time off" section below.

Time & Attendance
This image shows the What this Access Level Can Do tab and highlights the time Tracking tab. It highlights the following permissions: 1. Approve Timesheets 2. Enable/Disable time Tracking for all employees 3. Mange Hour Imports 4. Manage Project Tracking 5. Manage Shift Differentials 6. Manage Meal and Rest Break Tracking

Here are the custom access level permissions you can grant to for the Time & Attendance section of BambooHR:

  1. Approve Timesheets: Grants the ability to approve any timesheets that the user has permission to view.
  2. Enable/Disable Time & Attendance for Employees: Allows the user to add or remove employees from the Time & Attendance feature. Users with this permission can also manage any BambooHR Time Clock or Time Clock Plus devices tied to your account, and set up the BambooHR Time Kiosk app.
  3. Manage Hours Imports: Provides the user the ability to add, edit, or delete hours via the Hours Importer or Hours API.
  4. Manage Project Tracking: Gives the user access to create projects and tasks and to assign or remove employees from them.
  5. Manage Shift Differentials: Allows the user to create and assign shift differentials within time tracking settings.
  6. Manage Meal and Rest Break Tracking: Grants the user full access to add, edit, and delete meal and rest breaks.

For more information about View vs. Edit access to Time Off, click here!

Settings

Here are the custom access level permissions you can grant for BambooHR Settings:

  1. Approvals: Grants administrative access to set up and manage the workflow for approvals. This includes defining who approves employee information updates, time off requests, and custom approvals.
  2. Benefits: Allows for the administration and adjustment of benefit plans and their settings, including access to the bulk enrollment tool.
  3. Company Field Settings: Provides the ability to add, edit, or remove values for standard list fields (e.g., Job Titles, Departments) and custom employee fields.
  4. Company Holidays: Grants administrative control to set and modify company holidays, which are displayed on the company calendar and the Who's Out widget.
  5. Email Alerts: Enables the user to set up and modify automated email alerts that are triggered by specific dates and events within BambooHR.
  6. Hiring: Allows the user to manage and customize settings for Applicant Tracking, such as Candidate Status list options and email templates, select the calendaring and video systems your organization uses, and manage users' connections to calendars and video systems.
  7. Logo Color: Grants administrative control to change the accent color and logo for the company account.
  8. Offboarding: Provides the ability to make changes to the offboarding template and its associated settings.
  9. Onboarding: Provides the ability to make changes to the onboarding template and its associated settings.
  10. Performance: Grants the ability to create, edit, and delete performance review cycles.
  11. Payroll: Gives the user access to the Payroll tab within Settings, where they can add and manage General Ledger codes in the Journal Entry section. Full access to all Payroll settings is automatically granted to the Account Owner, Full Admins, and Payroll Admins.
  12. Time & Attendance: Grants full administrative access to all settings and configurations for Time & Attendance.
  13. Time Off: Allows the user to set up and manage all administrative aspects of time off, including creating categories and defining policies.
  14. Training: Provides administrative control to set up and manage training requirements found on the employee's Training tab and the My Stuff widget.
  15. Translations of Custom Fields: Gives the user the ability to manage and update translations for custom tabs and fields.
  16. Webhooks: Grants the ability to create and remove webhooks for integration purposes.
  17. Compensation - Levels and Bands Admin: Allows the user to access the Levels and Bands tool, to create, modify, and delete levels, and assign them to job titles.
  18. Compensation - Total Rewards Admin: Allows the user to access the Total Rewards tool to add and remove users from Total Rewards.
  19. (Elite only) Compensation - Planning Admin: Allows the user to access the compensation planning tool to create, edit, close compensation benchmarks, make changes to worksheets, and view employee compensation data.
  20. (Elite only) Compensation - Benchmarking Admin: Allow the user to access the compensation benchmarking tool to view, create, and edit compensation benchmarks.
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