---
title: "For HR Admins: Employee Access"
slug: "employee-access"
updated: 2026-08-18T00:15:49Z
published: 2026-08-18T00:15:49Z
canonical: "docs.visualvault.com/employee-access"
stale: true
---

> ## Documentation Index
> Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://docs.visualvault.com/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.

# For HR Admins: Employee Access

Roles and Permissions is where administrators manage roles, grant or remove permissions, assign users to roles, configure resource access, and organize departments.

---

## Key capabilities

- HR Admins use **Employee Access** settings to configure how managers can view employee records outside their own. ​
- It governs multiple visibility settings: **Departmental Access**, **Direct Report Visibility**, and **Access Exceptions.** ​
- Employee Access settings reduces the risk of managers seeing records they shouldn't, while ensuring they can see the records they need.

---

## Before You Begin

Before beginning, confirm the following:

| Requirement | Details |
| --- | --- |
| Supervisor Link Field populated | Required for Direct Report Visibility. Employee records must have the `Supervisor Link Field` populated on the Employee Details page for the system to resolve manager relationships. |
| Manager Identity Field populated | Required for Direct Report Visibility. Employee records must have the `Manager Identity Field` populated on the Employee Details page so the system can match managers to their direct reports. |

---

## Navigating to Employee Access

The **Employee Access** page is located within ERM Settings, under the **Roles and Permissions** area.

1. Log in and select **Settings** from the left navigation menu.
2. Click the **Roles and Permissions** card.
3. Click the **Employee Access** tab.

> [!NOTE]
> 🔍 **Troubleshooting Note:** If the **Settings** menu item, **Roles and Permissions** card, or **Employee Access** tab is not visible, this may indicate a permissions issue. Ask your organization's administrator to confirm your access level.

---

## Using Employee Access

![](https://cdn.document360.io/10763bcf-f13e-488f-9c3e-d6737c42ab5e/Images/Documentation/2026-07-20 ERM_Settings_Roles-and-permissions_Employee Access.png?sv=2026-02-06&spr=https&st=2026-10-13T13%3A03%3A29Z&se=2026-10-13T14%3A03%3A29Z&sr=c&sp=r&sig=RSXwTB18oA8t0wby4rbReUkKjeB8lfk4CUylG%2BH4JdA%3D)

### Departmental Access

You can configure whether managers can view employee records for departments they are assigned to.

1. Set the **Departmental Access** toggle to enabled or disabled.
2. From the **Department Link Field** dropdown list, choose the field on the employee record used to match the manager's assigned department list.
3. Click **Save**.

---

### Direct Report Visibility

You can configure whether managers can view the files of employees who list them as their manager and define which fields the system uses to resolve that relationship.

1. Set the **Direct Report Visibility** toggle to enabled or disabled.
2. From the **Supervisor Link Field** dropdown list, choose the field on the employee record that stores the supervisor's identifier — the lookup key used to find a match.
3. From the **Manager Identity Field** dropdown list, choose the field on the employee record that holds the manager's own identifier, matched against the **Supervisor Link Field** selected above.
4. Click **Save**.

---

### Access Exceptions

You can grant an employee's permissions to another employee outside of standard Departmental Access or Direct Report Visibility rules, for a defined or open-ended time period. Such access exceptions are typically utilized when delegating responsibilities to a colleague during an extended leave of absence.

1. Click **Add Exception**.
2. From the employee dropdown list, select the employee the exception applies to.
3. From the second dropdown list, select the employee to mirror permissions from.
4. Optionally, set a **Start Date**.
5. Optionally, set an **End Date**.
6. Optionally, enter a note.
7. Click **Save**.

---

## Frequently Asked Questions

Coming soon.

### What should I do if I have a problem with ERM?

If you are unable to log in to ERM or if you encounter a problem with one of the modules in ERM, please submit a ticket in our [Support Portal](https://visualvault.freshdesk.com/).