Employee Portal

The Employee Portal is a dedicated, simplified interface designed specifically for your employees. It gives them a single place to view and acknowledge policies, complete training, sign off on risk assessments, request leave, and manage documents - all without needing access to the full business dashboard. This page covers what the portal offers and how your employees will use it, so you can confidently introduce it to your team.

#How Employees Access the Portal

The portal uses passwordless authentication, which means your employees never need to create or remember a password. When you invite an employee to the portal from the Employees section of your dashboard, they receive an email containing a secure login link. Clicking that link signs them straight in - no passwords, no forgotten credentials, no reset requests.

Each time an employee needs to access the portal, they simply request a new login link by entering their email address on the portal login page. A fresh link is sent to their inbox, and clicking it starts a new session. Sessions remain active for a generous period, but will eventually time out for security. If a session is about to expire, the portal displays a helpful warning banner giving the employee a chance to extend it before being signed out.

The portal is accessed via your business's own subdomain, keeping it clearly separate from the main business dashboard. Employees only ever see their own information and tasks - they cannot access business-wide settings, other employees' data, or management features.

#The Portal Dashboard

Once signed in, employees land on their personal dashboard. It opens with a friendly greeting using their first name and provides a clear overview of everything that needs their attention.

At the top of the dashboard, task count cards show how many outstanding items the employee has across four categories: Policies, Training, Risk Assessments, and Documents. Each card is colour-coded and clickable, taking the employee directly to the relevant section. At a glance, they can see exactly what needs doing.

If your business has leave management configured, a leave overview section appears beneath the task cards. This shows the number of pending leave requests, the date of their next upcoming leave, and their remaining annual leave entitlement. It's a quick way for employees to stay on top of their time off without navigating away from the dashboard.

Below these summaries, the dashboard lists all outstanding tasks in detail. Each item shows what type of task it is (policy acknowledgement, training, risk assessment, or document), the title, any due date, and a clear status indicator. Items that are overdue appear prominently, followed by those due soon, then general pending tasks. Clicking any item takes the employee straight to it.

A recently completed section sits beneath, showing items the employee has finished along with when they completed them. And when everything is done, the dashboard displays a celebratory "all caught up" message - a satisfying reward for staying on top of things.

#Policies in the Portal

When you assign policies to employees, those policies appear in the portal's Policies section. The page is divided into two tabs: Pending and Completed.

The pending tab lists every policy that needs the employee's attention. Each policy card shows the title and when it was last updated. If a policy has been revised since the employee last acknowledged it, a Re-acknowledge badge makes this clear.

When an employee opens a policy, they can read the full content at their own pace. At the bottom of the page, an acknowledgement statement reads "I acknowledge that I have read and understood this policy." Clicking the acknowledge button records their confirmation, along with the date and time, in the system. Once acknowledged, the policy moves to the completed tab.

If you later update a policy, employees who previously acknowledged it will see it reappear in their pending tab with a banner explaining that the policy has been updated and needs re-acknowledgement. This ensures your team is always working from the latest version of every policy.

#Training in the Portal

The Training section shows employees their assigned training checklists, split across In Progress and Completed tabs.

Each training assignment appears as a card showing the title, a progress bar indicating how many checklist items have been completed, and any due date. Colour-coded indicators flag training that is overdue in red or due soon in amber, helping employees prioritise their workload.

Opening a training assignment reveals the full checklist. Each item presents a statement beginning with "I confirm:" followed by the item description. Employees work through the list at their own pace, ticking items as they go. Progress is saved automatically, so they can return later and pick up where they left off.

Some training assignments require manager sign-off after all items are confirmed. In these cases, the employee sees a banner once they've completed every item, letting them know their manager has been notified and will review their progress.

When a training assignment is complete, employees may also be able to upload a certificate or evidence of completion - useful for external courses, first aid qualifications, or similar credentials. The upload accepts PDF and image files.

Employees can track their progress across multiple training assignments from the main training page, making it easy to see what's done and what still needs attention. For more on how training works from a management perspective, see Training.

#Risk Assessments in the Portal

The Risk Assessments section follows a similar pattern to policies, with Pending and Completed tabs.

When an employee opens a risk assessment, they see it presented in a structured format. Each section of the assessment lists the identified hazards along with who is at risk, the assessed risk level (shown as a colour-coded badge - red for high, amber for medium, green for low), existing control measures, any additional controls, and the residual risk level after those controls are applied.

This structured presentation ensures employees properly understand the risks relevant to their role and workplace. At the bottom of the assessment, a sign-off statement confirms that the employee has read and understood the content. Once signed, the assessment moves to the completed tab with the sign-off date recorded.

Risk assessment sign-offs are important because they demonstrate that each employee has been informed about workplace hazards and the measures in place to protect them. This is a key part of meeting your obligations under health and safety legislation. For more detail on creating and managing risk assessments, see Risk Assessments.

#Documents in the Portal

The Documents section gives employees access to documents that have been assigned to them. It's divided into two tabs: Awaiting Signature and All Documents.

The awaiting signature tab highlights any documents that need the employee's electronic signature. Opening one of these documents shows the full content along with a signing section. Employees provide their signature using an on-screen drawing area, then preview it before confirming. Both employer and employee signature statuses are displayed clearly, so the employee can see whether their manager has already signed.

The all documents tab provides a complete view of everything assigned to the employee. This includes generated documents (such as contracts, offer letters, or policy acceptance forms) and uploaded documents. Generated documents can be downloaded as PDFs where available. Uploaded documents show the file name and size, with a download button.

Documents that don't require a signature are available for reading and downloading straight away, whilst those needing a signature display their current status - whether that's awaiting the employee's signature, awaiting the employer's signature, or fully signed. For more on document management, see Documents.

#Leave in the Portal

When your business has leave management configured, the Leave section becomes available in the portal navigation. This is where employees manage their time off.

#Viewing Leave Balances

The leave page opens with a summary of the employee's entitlement for the current leave year. Each leave type (annual leave, sick leave, and any others you've configured) shows the total entitlement, days used, days pending approval, and the remaining balance. If an entitlement is pro-rated for the employee, this is indicated clearly.

#Submitting Leave Requests

Clicking Request Leave opens a form that guides the employee through the process. They select a leave type (with their remaining balance shown alongside each option), choose their start and end dates, and select whether they want full days or half days. For single-day requests, employees can choose a full day, morning only, or afternoon only. For requests spanning multiple days, they can specify whether the first and last days are full or half days.

The form automatically calculates the number of working days, excluding weekends and public holidays. If the request would take the employee's balance below zero, a clear warning appears. Employees can add an optional note explaining the reason for their request, and some leave types require supporting evidence (such as a fit note or jury summons) to be uploaded with the request.

Before submitting, a confirmation screen summarises all the details - the dates, working days, and the effect on their balance - giving the employee a final chance to review before confirming.

#Tracking Requests

Once submitted, requests appear in the leave list with a clear status badge: Pending (awaiting approval), Approved, Rejected, or Cancelled. Opening a request shows the full details, including any response from the approving manager and their notes.

Employees can cancel their own pending or approved requests if plans change, with an option to provide a reason for the cancellation. If supporting evidence was required but not yet uploaded, the request displays a reminder with an upload option.

Filter tabs help employees view their requests by status - all requests, just pending ones, upcoming approved leave, or past leave. For the full picture on leave configuration and approval, see Leave.

#Employee Profile

The Profile section lets employees view their personal information as held in the system. This includes their name, job title, department, email address, phone number, employee number, employment type, and start date. Their assigned groups and roles are also displayed.

Employees can view their profile photo, which helps personalise their portal experience.

#Tips for Introducing the Portal to Your Team

Rolling out the Employee Portal works best when your team knows what to expect. A little communication upfront goes a long way towards a smooth adoption.

Explain what it is and why you're using it. Before sending portal invitations, let your team know that you're introducing a new tool to help manage policies, training, risk assessments, documents, and leave. Frame it as something that benefits them - easy access to important information, a clear view of what's expected, and a simple way to request leave.

Reassure your team that it's straightforward. The portal is designed to be intuitive, with no passwords to manage and a clean, simple layout. Employees don't need any technical skills to use it - if they can check their email and click a link, they're ready.

Highlight the benefits for employees. The portal isn't just an administrative tool. It gives employees a personal space to see their policies, track their training progress, review risk assessments, manage their leave, and access their documents. Everything they need is in one place, accessible from any device.

Consider sending invitations in batches. If you have a larger team, sending all invitations at once might generate a wave of questions. Sending them in smaller groups gives you time to support each batch and address any questions before moving on to the next.

Be available in the first few days. Even with a simple system, some employees may have questions or need a quick reassurance. Being available to help in the first few days builds confidence and encourages everyone to engage with the portal from the start.

The Employee Portal brings together everything your employees need in a single, accessible place. Once your team is comfortable using it, you'll find that policy acknowledgements, training completions, and leave requests happen more smoothly - freeing up your time to focus on running your business. For guidance on managing your business settings and portal configuration, see Business Settings.