Documents on an employee profile
The Documents tab is where an employee's contracts, IDs, tax forms, disciplinary letters and certificates are kept. Use it to upload a file to someone's profile, see what is waiting for their consent or for approval, find a document by type or status, and decide who can see each one.
Where: the employee's profile › Documents
You need:
- The Document Access (Public) right to open the tab on other people's profiles
- The Add Document right to upload to someone else's profile
- The Private, Confidential or Restricted right to see documents at those levels
- The Document Templates right as well, to see Generate document
Everyone can open their own Documents tab and upload to it.
Which way to add a document
| You want to | Use |
|---|---|
| File a document you already have, such as a scanned ID or a signed contract | Upload file (this article) |
| Write a letter or certificate from a template, with their details filled in | Generate document. See Generating a document for an employee |
| Have them sign a PDF | Upload file with Require execution. See Sending a document for signature |
| Upload files for many employees at once | Bulk Documents |
| A certificate of employment for yourself | Generate my documents. See Generating your own certificates and forms |
Without the Document Templates right the button reads Add Doc and opens the same upload window.
How to upload a document to an employee's profile
- Open the employee's profile and select Documents.
- Select Upload file (or Add Doc).
- Under Document details, enter the Name. Add a Description if it helps.
- Choose the Type, such as Employment or Government ID.
- Choose the Access level. See the table below.
- Set the Start Date. Leave End Date empty unless the document really stops being valid, such as a passport or a fixed-term contract.
- Under File, select Click to upload or drag the file in. PDF, DOCX, JPG and PNG files up to 30MB are accepted.
- Under Approvals, tick Require Employee consent if the employee must accept the document before it counts.
- To fill the fields from a template instead, choose one under Document Templates and select Apply Template.
- Select Submit.
How to find a document
- On the Documents tab, type part of its name in Search.
- Select Filters to narrow by Type or Status. Select Clear to remove them.
- Select Pending employee consent or Pending manager approval at the top to list only those. The status chip above the list shows the filter; select its cross to remove it.
- Select a row to open the document.
How to approve, consent to or delete a document
- As the approver: open the document from the list. When it is waiting on you, the approval window opens so you can approve or decline it. The same item is in My Team › Approvals.
- As the employee: a document someone else uploaded with consent required shows To Consent. Open it and accept or reject it.
- To change its details: open the document and select Edit beside Details.
- To delete: open the document and select Delete. On your own pending upload, the button reads Cancel request.
You can always delete a document on your own profile until it is approved. To delete anyone else's, you need the Delete Document and Document Access (Public) rights at edit level.
What Happens Next
- Approval. A new document goes to the employee's My Team approvers from their approval matrix. With consent required, the employee is the first step. Until everyone has approved, the status is Pending Approval.
- No approver, or Auto-approve. If the employee has no My Team approver, or you hold the Auto-approve right, the document is approved at once. Auto-approve never skips the employee's consent.
- Editing restarts approval. Changing the name, type, access, dates, consent or file of an approved document sends it back to its first approver, unless you hold Auto-approve. Each edit is recorded in the Audit Trail report.
- Lifecycle. A disciplinary letter appears against its record on the Lifecycle tab, and any document can be linked to a Lifecycle record.
Access levels
| Level | Who can see it |
|---|---|
| Public | Anyone who can see the employee's profile and has Document Access (Public), including the employee |
| Private | People with the Private right. The employee does not see it on their own profile unless they uploaded it or must sign it |
| Confidential | People with the Confidential right. Same rule for the employee as Private |
| Restricted | People with the Restricted right, and always the employee it belongs to. Payroll reports are stored here |
A custom document type can also be limited to certain roles. Only those roles see documents of that type, whatever the access level.
⚠️ An employee cannot see a Private or Confidential document on their own profile. If they need to read it, choose Public, or Restricted for something sensitive.
What's on the tab
| Item | What it shows |
|---|---|
| Pending employee consent | Documents waiting for this employee to accept them |
| Pending manager approval | Documents waiting for an approver |
| Need a certificate or a form? | On your own profile only: Generate my documents and up to three popular certificates |
| Your own documents | On someone else's profile: a shortcut to your own certificates and forms |
| Requested documents card | On your own profile only, when HR has asked you for documents |
| Document | Name, type, Created by you or Created by employee, access level and a short ID. Select the ID to copy it, for example to link a document in a Disciplinary Actions import |
| Valid Period | Start and end date, or No expiry |
| Status | Pending Approval, Completed, Declined by Approver, To Execute, Pending Execute, To Consent or Rejected by Signatory |
Edit Doc appears in the upload window after you apply a Word template. It downloads the document so you can change it, then you upload it again as a PDF.
Tips
- Choose the access level for the employee as well as for HR. Private is right for HR notes. It is wrong for a contract the employee should keep.
- Name documents the way people search. "Employment contract 2026" beats "Scan_0042".
- Use consent for anything the employee must acknowledge but does not need to sign, such as a policy update or a role description.
- Give each employee a My Team approver before you ask them to upload. Without one, their uploads are approved unchecked.
- Set an End Date only when it matters. It shows in Valid Period and helps you spot what needs renewing.
Troubleshooting / FAQ
Q: The employee says they can't see a document I uploaded. Check its access level. Private and Confidential documents are hidden from the employee. Edit it to Public or Restricted.
Q: Why is my upload still Pending Approval? It is waiting on an approver. Open it to see who. Uploads by people with Auto-approve are approved straight away.
Q: I don't see Upload file on someone's profile. You need the Add Document right.
Q: I edited an approved document and it went back to Pending Approval. Expected. Any change to its details or file sends it through its approvers again, unless you hold Auto-approve.