Overview
This article explains how to configure role settings in Shiftlab. These settings define access levels, map your internal security roles to Shiftlab roles, and ensure the correct visibility and permissions for each user type in your organization.
Properly setting up roles ensures that users only see information they're authorized to access, such as employee schedules or managerial controls, improving both security and usability.
View the six part video series for the Administrator Setup, and video 2 of 6 is found below.
When to Use This
Use role configuration when:
You are setting up Shiftlab for the first time.
You need to align your internal job roles with Shiftlab’s permission structure.
You want to control who can view schedules, edit schedules, approve schedules, or manage system settings.
You need to define the HR contact used across employee-facing features.
Step-by-Step Instructions
Video Instruction
1. Add the Human Resources Email
Select Edit in the Human Resources Email section.
Enter the primary HR email address used by your organization.
Select Save Changes.
2. Complete Role Mapping
Select Edit in the Role Mapping section.
For each of your internal security roles, choose a corresponding Shiftlab role from the dropdown list.
Review the available Shiftlab roles:
Employee: Can view personal schedules, view personal timecards, and clock in/out.
Store Manager (View Only): Includes all Employee access plus visibility of the full store schedule and team timecards; cannot edit schedules or timecards.
Store Manager: Full access to the store schedule and timecard editing for that store.
District Manager: Same permissions as Store Manager but across all stores in the district.
Area Manager: Same permissions as District Manager but across all assigned areas.
Global Manager: Access to all stores system-wide with district/area-level capabilities.
Company Administrator: Full system access, including all settings.
Map each internal role to the correct Shiftlab role based on the permissions needed.
Select Save Changes.
Note:
Managers or Admin roles also have permissions to view whole team schedules and staff overviews, while Employees are limited to their personal schedules. Default or restricted roles might show limited or no schedules due to the set configurations.
Key Details & Definitions
Role Mapping: The process of linking your internal job titles or security roles to Shiftlab’s predefined permission levels.
Employee Role: The minimum-access role used for frontline staff.
View Only Roles: Roles that allow visibility without editing privileges.
Company Administrator: The highest-level role with unrestricted access to all settings and data.
HR Email: An email address used in employee-facing workflows such as break consent forms or escalations surfaced from Shiftlab support.
Troubleshooting & FAQs
I cannot view my schedule.
If you cannot see schedules, try using the Favorites (heart) icon to view scheduled workers at a glance.
Confirm with your administrator that schedules have been created and published for your team and the correct permissions are configured for your account.
Contact your administrator to request a role change (e.g., Employee to Manager).
Verify that the updated role allows the permissions you need for schedule visibility.
Users cannot see the correct schedules.
Verify that the internal role is mapped to the correct Shiftlab role with appropriate visibility.
Additional reasons include the possibility that schedules have not been created yet for a specific store/team or restrictions imposed by default role configurations.
Managers cannot edit schedules or timecards.
Confirm that the role is not mapped to a View Only access level.
Employees report missing HR contact information.
Ensure the HR email has been entered and saved correctly.
A role needs broader access across multiple stores.
Check whether the role should be mapped to District Manager, Area Manager, or Global Manager.