Permissions: Administrative Access by Role
Roles in Beyond let you assign specific parts, or all, of the payroll process to different administrators in your organization without giving everyone unrestricted access to your company account. Each role has a defined set of permissions that determines what the user can view and do.
Available Administrative Roles
- Owner
- HR Manager
- Approver
- Controller
- Outside Collaborator
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This guide outlines the capabilities and limitations of each role in Beyond.
When you add a new company user in Beyond, they immediately gain access to all permissions tied to their assigned role. This allows you to control critical areas, such as who can view salary details, approve PTO, or run payroll. It also makes it easy to bring in outside accountants or consultants to collaborate on payroll.
Company Menu
The Company menu is where you can add users, update company settings, configure pay items, set up work locations, manage accruals, and connect to accounting or time-tracking tools.
The Company menu is where you can add users, update company settings, configure pay items, set up work locations, manage accruals, and connect to accounting or time-tracking tools.
Summary of Company Permissions by Role
Owner – Full view and edit rights to the company profile, including bank account details, test transaction verification, payroll processing, and support requests.
HR Manager – No access to the Company section. They can enter payroll for employees they oversee but cannot finalize it.
Approver – Can perform nearly all Owner functions except:
- Adding or removing users
- Viewing the company bank account
- Verifying test transactions
Controller – Broad access to enter payroll but cannot:
- Add or remove users
- Modify company preferences
- Finalize payroll
Outside Collaborator – An administrative role for non-employees (e.g., accountants). Access levels vary depending on how they’re added. If the company was enrolled by the Outside Collaborator:
- Can add/remove other Outside Collaborators
- Can run payroll
- Cannot add/remove company-level users
HR Menu
Within the HR menu, you can approve PTO requests, view the employee directory, create file checklists, and more.
Summary of HR Permissions by Role
Owner – Full view and edit rights in HR.
HR Manager – No access to HR menu.
Approver, Controller, Outside Collaborator – Full view and edit access.
Reports
Reports in Beyond let you analyze costs, track trends, and make informed business decisions. You can build custom reports or use ready-made ones.
Summary of Reports Permissions by Role
Owner – Access to all reports.
HR Manager – Limited reporting for assigned employees only; no access to summaries, accrual listings, or retirement exports.
Approver, Controller, Outside Collaborator – Access to all reports.
Notifications
Notifications keep team members informed about important updates, deadlines, and actions taken by other users. The notifications a user receives depend on their role and relevance to their responsibilities.
Summary of Notifications Permissions by Role
Owner – Receives all notifications.
HR Manager – Receives paycheck confirmation only.
Approver – Receives all notifications except paycheck confirmation.
Controller – Receives paycheck confirmation only.
Outside Collaborator – Receives most notifications.
Employee – Receives paycheck notifications only.
Employee Portal Permissions
Employees have their own portal to update personal info, view pay history, complete HR tasks, and print W-2s. Some actions, such as changing an address, require approval to ensure accurate tax and year-end reporting. Employees maintain lifetime access to their portal for historical records.
Partner Dashboard
The Partner Dashboard allows accounting firms to manage multiple client payroll accounts in one place.
Members – Can only access assigned accounts; cannot add or change user permissions.
Administrators – Can view all accounts and manage user access. Multiple administrators can exist on one dashboard.
Employee Information Access
Employee profiles in Beyond store sensitive information like addresses, SSNs, and pay rates. Access is restricted based on role and connection to the employee.
Summary of Employee Information Permissions by Role
Owner – Full access.
HR Manager – Can enter hours/earnings (Legacy pay run only) for assigned employees, update HR info, send portal invitations, manage checklists, upload documents, add notes, and start conversations. Cannot finalize payroll or view reports.
Approver – Full access.
Controller – Full access except for bank account details.
Outside Collaborator – Full access except for bank account details; can run/approve payroll if granted permission by the Owner.
Key Permissions by Role
Action | Owner | HR Manager | Approver | Controller | Outside Collaborator |
Home Address | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ |
Run Payroll | ✓ | Hours only | ✓ | Cannot finalize | ✱ |
Add Compensation | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ |
Add Deductions | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ |
Withholding | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ |
Bank Account | ✓ | ✗ | ✓ | ✗ | ✗ |
Emergency Info | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ |
Create Employee Task | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ |
Assign PTO Policies | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ |
Hire Worker / Send Offer | ✓ | ✗ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ |
Add Employee | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ |
Add Contractor | ✓ | Invite only | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ |
View Checks / W-2 | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ |
Audit Log | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ |
Need Help?
If you still have any questions, please don’t hesitate to reach out. Our team will be happy to provide answers and assist you in any way we can.