In HRnest, every user gets an account type. Think of it as the foundation of their permissions — it determines what they can see, access, and do in the system. Some users only need access to their own information, while others may manage employees, approve requests, or oversee company-wide settings. Choosing the right account types is the easiest way to build a permissions setup that fits how your organization works.
You can also assign users additional roles. Roles do not change the user’s account type, but they can give them access to specific features — such as creating work schedules, approving schedules, or settling business trips.
In this article, we’ll walk you through the available account types and roles, and explain how they differ.
1️⃣ Account types
An account type defines a user’s basic permissions in the system. HRnest includes the following account types: HR Department, Additional HR accounts, Employee accounts, and Supervisor accounts.
HR Department
You can find the main administrator account in Configuration → Account data → Main account.
The HR Department account is the main system administrator account in HRnest.
Users with this account type can access all data in the system and manage the settings available in the system configuration. They can also manage the purchased HRnest package and create Employee and Supervisor accounts.
Only one main administrator account can exist in HRnest. In addition to standard administrator permissions, the main administrator can create Additional HR accounts and permanently delete Employee and Supervisor accounts.
💡 Need to change the main administrator? See how to do it ➡️
ℹ️ HR Department accounts are limited in the following packages: Basic, Solo HR, and HR Team.
Additional HR account
You can find Additional HR accounts in Configuration → Account data → Additional admin accounts / HR.
An Additional HR account is an extra administrator account in HRnest.
It can only be created by the main HR Department account. Users with this account type have full access to system data and can manage both the system configuration and your HRnest package.
Unlike the main administrator, Additional HR accounts cannot create other Additional HR accounts or permanently delete Employee and Supervisor accounts.
💡 Need to create an Additional HR account? See how to do it ➡️
ℹ️ Additional HR accounts are included in the administrator account limit available in the following packages: Basic, Solo HR, and HR Team.
Employee
You can check a user’s account type in their profile.
An Employee account is the standard user account in HRnest. It gives users access to their own profile, requests, and day-to-day HR matters.
Depending on how your HRnest account is configured, Employees can:
request time off,
log their working hours,
submit employee requests, such as benefit requests
By default, Employees only have access to information and actions related to themselves. If needed, an administrator can grant additional permissions.
If someone works with your company under a contract other than an employment contract, they'll appear in HRnest as a Coworker.
You can manage Employee and Coworker accounts in the Organization tab.
💡 Need to add a new Employee? See how to do it ➡️
ℹ️ Employee accounts are unlimited in the following packages: Basic, Solo HR, and HR Team.
Supervisor
You can check a user’s account type in their profile.
A Supervisor account is similar to an Employee account, but it can also be assigned subordinates.
In many cases, Supervisors are involved in approving absence requests, but this is not required. You can decide whether a Supervisor should approve requests for specific Employees.
💡 Want a Supervisor to approve requests for a selected Employee? See how to set it up ➡️
By default, a Supervisor can access their own data and the data of their direct subordinates. This may include:
absence limit usage,
registered working time,
business trip orders,
business trip settlements.
You can also expand a Supervisor’s access in their profile. For example, they can be granted access to second-level Employees (employees who report to their direct subordinates) or even to all Employees across the organization.
A Supervisor can also submit requests on behalf of their subordinates if this option is enabled in their profile.
You can manage Supervisor accounts in the Organization tab.
💡 Need to add a Supervisor? See how to do it ➡️
ℹ️ Supervisor accounts are limited in the following packages: Basic, Solo HR, and HR Team.
2️⃣ Roles in HRnest
Apart from account types, HRnest also lets you assign roles.
A role does not change the user’s account type. Instead, it gives the user additional permissions for specific actions in the system.
For example, a Supervisor will still be a Supervisor, but they can also be given permission to create or approve work schedules.
Work Schedule Creator
A Work Schedule Creator is a user who can prepare work schedules for selected Employees or entire Departments.
By default, the main HR Department account has this role and can create schedules for all Employees.
You can also assign the Work Schedule Creator role to Supervisors and Additional HR accounts. Without this role, these users will not be able to create schedules.
❗The Work Schedule Creator role cannot be assigned to Employee accounts.
💡 Want to assign a Work Schedule Creator? See how to do it ➡️
Work Schedule Acceptor
A Work Schedule Acceptor is a user who can review and approve schedules created by an assigned Work Schedule Creator.
Schedule approval works on a creator–acceptor basis. For each Work Schedule Creator, you assign a person responsible for reviewing and approving the schedules they create.
A user can be assigned both roles at the same time. This allows them to approve their own schedules when needed.
You can assign the Work Schedule Acceptor role to Supervisors and Additional HR accounts.
❗The Work Schedule Acceptor role cannot be assigned to Employee accounts.
💡 Want to assign a Work Schedule Acceptor? See how to do it ➡️
Business Trip Supervisor
A Business Trip Supervisor is responsible for settling other users’ business trips in HRnest.
A user with this role can access all business trip settlements added in the system. They can view, edit, and approve them. They can also create business trip settlements on behalf of all Employees and Supervisors.
💡 Want to assign a Business Trip Supervisor? See how to do it ➡️
Director
Director is an optional role used in the absence request approval flow.
When this role is assigned, the Director becomes an additional approval step between Supervisor II and the HR Department.
The Director role can be used in the following approval flows:
Employee → Supervisor → Supervisor II → Director (optional) → HR
Employee → Supervisor → Supervisor II (selected) → Director (optional) → HR
You can assign the Director role to any Supervisor. Only one person can have this role in the system.
Once assigned, the Director takes part in the approval flow for all Employees and Contractors. This means you cannot set different Directors for different user groups, Departments, or individual Employees.
💡 Need to assign a Director? See how to change the approval flow ➡️
💡 Not sure what to choose? We’ll help you figure it out. 😊
Tell us how it works in your company, and we’ll help you choose the right settings.
💬 Reach out via chat or 📩 email us at support@hrnest.io 🧡