Access Levels in BambooHR

The article provides a comprehensive overview of access levels in BambooHR. It explains the purpose of access levels, highlighting their role in managing user permissions and ensuring appropriate access for employees. The article outlines various features available within the access levels settings, including the ability to view, add, and manage access levels, as well as the option to track user activity. It also addresses how to generate reports on current access level assignments and the history of changes made to access levels. Additionally, it includes links to a learning course and resources for adding non-employee users. This information is crucial for users seeking to optimize their BambooHR experience.

  • Jul 8, 2026
  • Knowledge

Title
Access Levels in BambooHR
Article Text
This feature is included in the Core, Pro, and Elite packages.

How do access levels function in BambooHR®?

Purpose: To help you understand the basic capabilities and features within Access Levels in Settings, which includes how to add non-employee users to your account.

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Table of Contents

Did you know we have a BambooHR Learning course about Access Levels? Click here to learn more about what is included in this course.

Access levels in BambooHR help you create the access you need for each of your employees. We understand that not all employees will need the same type of access, so we have different types of access levels to help you meet your needs. Access levels allow you to preview access as a user to ensure that you set up everything how it needs to be. Additionally, it helps you keep track of the last time a user has logged in, and you will know if your employees are using BambooHR the way you want them to be.

Access Levels

You can view access levels by going to Settings and clicking Access Levels. The following features are available from the page:

  1. Levels: When you click Access Levels, it will take you to a page that shows all access levels in your BambooHR account. If you click on a specific access level, you will see which users are assigned to that access level. In the image above, you are viewing all users assigned to an employee access level.
  2. Post-Employment Access: This access level allows former employees to securely access their personal information and pay documents for a limited time after termination.
  3. No Access: This feature shows you all active employees who do not have access yet, including non-employee users who have had their access disabled.
  4. Add a new access level: Click on the add icon to create a new access level from the following options: Employee Access Level, Manager Access Level, or Custom Access Level.
  5. Search bar: Use the search to quickly find a specific user assigned to the access level.
  6. +Add Employee: Click +Add Employee to grant an employee access to the specific access level you are viewing.
  7. Action menu: This feature brings up several options for managing the selected access level:
    • Use the Access Level Settings option to edit the current settings for the specific access level you are viewing. This allows you to make any changes to access for users within the specified access level.
    • Add a non-employee user who is not an employee in your BambooHR account, such as a contractor or auditor.
    • Duplicate an access level if you need to create a similar access level but need to make a few minor changes without starting from scratch.
    • Delete an access level.
  8. User access: If you hover over a user's name within a specific access level, you will see three options to manage the user's access:
    • Preview: The eye icon will allow you to to preview BambooHR as the user will see it.
    • Manage access: Clicking on the lock icon will bring up a pop-up box, where you can move the user to a new access level or remove their access.
    • Dropdown menu: This three-dot icon includes the additional option of sending the user a password reset email. If you have BambooHR® Payroll, the Manage Payroll Access option will also show for payroll admins.
  9. Page navigation: When an access level has more than 25 assigned users, pagination appears so you can click through the list.
Can I get a report of who is currently in each access level?

To ensure access level assignments remain confidential, only the Account Owner and Full Admin users will be able to export this information. To do so, navigate to Settings > Access Levels. Under the All view, click Export.

Here, you will be able to export a report for access level assignments or access level permissions.

Is there a report that documents the history of access level changes?

To see changes to an employee's access level, navigate to Settings > Access Levels. On the All view, click History.

This report will allow the Account Owner and Full Admin users to see all changes filtered by timeline, access level, author (who performed the change), and the following actions:

  • Access Level Created
  • Access Level Deleted
  • Access Level Edited
  • Person Added
  • Person Removed

Need to add non-employee users? Click here to learn more!

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