Overview: This article provides a full breakdown of the permissions available to each role—Administrator (Admin), Manager, and Employee—so you can see what each role can access and manage within the system. It’s designed to help you assign roles appropriately based on the level of access your team members need.

Permissions:
User Management

Side-by-Side Comparison of Roles & Permissions

The table below highlights the key differences between Administrators, Managers, and Employees so you can easily decide who needs access to what.

Permissions	Admin	Manager	Employee	Notes
👤User Management
Add/Delete Employees	✅ Yes	❌ No	❌ No
Bulk Add/Upload Employees	❌ No*	❌ No	❌ No	*Please contact Buddy Punch Support and we'll be happy to bulk upload your employees.
Deactivate/Reactivate Employees	✅ Yes	❌ No	❌ No
Edit Employee Profile Details	✅ Yes	❌ No	❌ No
Change Username	✅ Yes	❌ No	❌ No
Change Password	✅ Yes	✅ Yes, Own	✅ Yes, Own
Set Manager/Employee Time Zone	✅ Yes	❌ No	❌ No
Assign Employee Rules and Permissions	✅ Yes	❌ No	❌ No
Add/Delete Hourly Pay Rates	✅ Yes	❌ No	❌ No
Edit Hourly Pay Rates	✅ Yes	❌ No	❌ No
Upgrade/Downgrade Employee to Manager	✅ Yes	❌ No	❌ No
Assign/Remove Manager Permissions	✅ Yes	❌ No	❌ No
Edit Manager Permissions	✅ Yes	❌ No	❌ No
Add/Remove Administrators	✅ Yes	❌ No	❌ No
Resend Welcome Emails	✅ Yes	❌ No	❌ No
⚙️ Account Settings
General Settings	Admin	Manager	Employee	Notes
Set Account/Company Name	✅ Yes	❌ No	❌ No
Set Account Time Zone	✅ Yes	❌ No	❌ No
Set Date Format	✅ Yes	❌ No	❌ No
Set Time Format	✅ Yes	❌ No	❌ No
Enable Automatic Punch Out (Based on Hours Worked)	✅ Yes	❌ No	❌ No
Set Employee Permissions to Edit Time	✅ Yes	❌ No	❌ No
Enable/Disable Shift and Time Off Delete Option	✅ Yes	❌ No	❌ No
Enable/Disable Split Shifts at Midnight	✅ Yes	❌ No	❌ No
Enable/Disable Employee Profile Pictures	✅ Yes	❌ No	❌ No
Enable/Disable Mobile Punches	✅ Yes	❌ No	❌ No
Alerts & Reminder Settings	Admin	Manager	Employee	Notes
Create/Delete Alerts & Reminders	✅ Yes	❌ No	❌ No
Edit Alert & Reminder Permissions	✅ Yes	❌ No	❌ No
Receive Alerts & Reminders	✅ Yes	✅ Assigned Employees and Own	✅ Yes, Own
Deactivate/Reactivate Alerts & Reminders	✅ Yes	❌ No	❌ No
Break Rule Settings	Admin	Manager	Employee	Notes
Create/Delete Break Rules	✅ Yes	❌ No	❌ No
Edit Break Rule Permissions	✅ Yes	❌ No	❌ No
Assign/Unassign Break Rules	✅ Yes	❌ No	❌ No
Deactivate/Reactivate Break Rules	✅ Yes	❌ No	❌ No
Device Lock Settings	Admin	Manager	Employee	Notes
Create/Delete Device Locks	✅ Yes	❌ No	❌ No
Edit Device Locks	✅ Yes	❌ No	❌ No
Assign/Unassign Device Locks	✅ Yes	❌ No	❌ No
Deactivate/Reactivate Device Locks	✅ Yes	❌ No	❌ No
Geofence Settings	Admin	Manager	Employee	Notes
Create/Delete Geofences	✅ Yes	❌ No	❌ No
Edit Geofences	✅ Yes	❌ No	❌ No
Assign/Unassign Geofences	✅ Yes	❌ No	❌ No
Deactivate/Reactivate Geofences	✅ Yes	❌ No	❌ No
Basic GPS Tracking Settings	Admin	Manager	Employee	Notes
Enable/Disable Basic GPS Tracking	✅ Yes	❌ No	❌ No
Set Basic GPS Tracking Requirements	✅ Yes	❌ No	❌ No
Real-Time GPS Tracking Settings	Admin	Manager	Employee	Notes
Enable/Disable Real-Time GPS Tracking	✅ Yes	❌ No	❌ No
Turn GPS Tracking During Shifts On/Off for Employees	✅ Yes	❌ No	❌ No
Integration Settings	Admin	Manager	Employee	Notes
Enable/Disable Payroll Integrations	✅ Yes	❌ No	❌ No
Set/Edit Payroll Integration Settings	✅ Yes	❌ No	❌ No
IP Address Lock Settings	Admin	Manager	Employee	Notes
Create/Delete IP Address Locks	✅ Yes	❌ No	❌ No
Edit IP Address Locks	✅ Yes	❌ No	❌ No
Assign/Unassign IP Address Locks	✅ Yes	❌ No	❌ No
Deactivate/Reactivate IP Address Locks	✅ Yes	❌ No	❌ No
Kiosk Settings	Admin	Manager	Employee	Notes
Enable/Disable Kiosk Settings	✅ Yes	❌ No	❌ No
Set/Edit Kiosk Settings	✅ Yes	❌ No	❌ No
Set/Edit Kiosk PINs	✅ Yes	❌ No	❌ No
Email PINs to All Employees in Bulk	✅ Yes	❌ No	❌ No
Email PINs to Individual Employees	✅ Yes	❌ No	❌ No
Locations, Departments, Positions (Job Codes) Settings	Admin	Manager	Employee	Notes
Create/Delete Job Codes	✅ Yes	❌ No	❌ No
Assign/Unassign Job Codes	✅ Yes	✅ Limited to Assigned Employees	❌ No
Deactivate/Reactivate Job Codes	✅ Yes	❌ No	❌ No
Overtime Settings	Admin	Manager	Employee	Notes
Set/Edit Overtime First Day of the Work Week	✅ Yes	❌ No	❌ No
Set/Edit Overtime Type at Account Level	✅ Yes	❌ No	❌ No
Set/Edit Overtime Type at Employee Level	✅ Yes	❌ No	❌ No
Create/Delete Custom Overtime Rule	✅ Yes	❌ No	❌ No
Set/Edit Custom Overtime Rule	✅ Yes	❌ No	❌ No
Assign/Unassign Custom Overtime Rule	✅ Yes	❌ No	❌ No
Recalculate Overtime	❌ No*	❌ No	❌ No	*Must contact Buddy Punch Support for help with recalculating Overtime for past pay periods once an employee's Overtime rule has been changed.
Pay Period Settings	Admin	Manager	Employee	Notes
Set/Edit Pay Period Frequency	✅ Yes	❌ No	❌ No
Set/Edit Pay Period Start Date	✅ Yes	❌ No	❌ No
Close/Lock Pay Periods	✅ Yes	❌ No	❌ No
Pay Rate Settings	Admin	Manager	Employee	Notes
Enable Display Pay Rates on Time Cards	✅ Yes	❌ No	❌ No
Enable Display Pay Rates on Reports	✅ Yes	❌ No	❌ No
Enable Display Pay Rates on Schedule	✅ Yes	❌ No	❌ No
Enable Allow Employees to View Pay Amounts	✅ Yes	❌ No	❌ No
Enable Allow Managers to View Pay Rates for Assigned Employees	✅ Yes	❌ No	❌ No
Export Current Pay Rates	✅ Yes	❌ No	❌ No
Punch Limiting Settings	Admin	Manager	Employee	Notes
Create/Delete Punch Limiting Rule	✅ Yes	❌ No	❌ No
Edit Punch Limiting Rule	✅ Yes	❌ No	❌ No
Assign/Unassign Punch Limiting Rule	✅ Yes	❌ No	❌ No
Deactivate/Reactivate Punch Limiting Rule	✅ Yes	❌ No	❌ No
Punch Rounding Settings	Admin	Manager	Employee	Notes
Create/Delete Punch Rounding Rule	✅ Yes	❌ No	❌ No
Edit Punch Rounding Rule	✅ Yes	❌ No	❌ No
Assign/Unassign Punch Rounding Rule	✅ Yes	❌ No	❌ No
Deactivate/Reactivate Punch Rounding Rule	✅ Yes	❌ No	❌ No
QR Code Settings	Admin	Manager	Employee	Notes
Enable/Disable QR Code Setting	✅ Yes	❌ No	❌ No
Set/Edit QR Code Setting	✅ Yes	❌ No	❌ No
View/Download Employee QR Codes	✅ Yes	❌ No	❌ No
Scheduling Settings	Admin	Manager	Employee	Notes
Enable/Disable Scheduling	✅ Yes	❌ No	❌ No
Enable/Disable No Shift	✅ Yes	❌ No	❌ No
Enable/Disable Automatic Punch Out (Based on Scheduled Shift)	✅ Yes	❌ No	❌ No
Set Multiple Shift Overlap Option	✅ Yes	❌ No	❌ No
Set Time Off & Shift Overlap Option	✅ Yes	❌ No	❌ No
Set Schedule View Permissions	✅ Yes	❌ No	❌ No
Set Early/Late Settings	✅ Yes	❌ No	❌ No
Enable/Disable Account Availability	✅ Yes	❌ No	❌ No
Enable/Disable Employee Availability	✅ Yes	❌ No	❌ No
Set/Edit Employee Availability Permissions	✅ Yes	❌ No	❌ No
Set Availability View Permissions	✅ Yes	❌ No	❌ No
Enable/Disable Trades	✅ Yes	❌ No	❌ No
Set/Edit Employee Trade Permissions	✅ Yes	❌ No	❌ No
Enable/Disable Covers	✅ Yes	❌ No	❌ No
Set/Edit Employee Cover Permissions	✅ Yes	❌ No	❌ No
Submit Trade/Cover Requests	✅ Yes	✅ Assigned Employees and Own	✅ Yes
Approve Trade/Cover Requests	✅ Yes	✅ Limited to Assigned Employees	❌ No
Time Off Settings	Admin	Manager	Employee	Notes
Enable/Disable Time Off Tracking	✅ Yes	❌ No	❌ No
Enable/Disable Employees Viewing Time Off for All Employees	✅ Yes	❌ No	❌ No
Enable/Disable Time Off Accruals	✅ Yes	❌ No	❌ No
Add/Delete Time Off Earning Codes	✅ Yes	❌ No	❌ No
Assign Time Off Accrual Rules	✅ Yes	❌ No	❌ No
Edit Time Off Earning Code Settings	✅ Yes	❌ No	❌ No
Deactivate/Reactivate Time Off Earning Codes	✅ Yes	❌ No	❌ No
Add/Delete Time Off Accrual Rules	✅ Yes	❌ No	❌ No
Assign Time Off Accrual Rules	✅ Yes	❌ No	❌ No
Edit Time Off Accrual Rules	✅ Yes	❌ No	❌ No
Deactivate/Reactivate Accrual Rules	✅ Yes	❌ No	❌ No
Create/Delete Company Calendar	✅ Yes	❌ No	❌ No
Create/Assign Black Out Dates	✅ Yes	❌ No	❌ No
Time Card Approval Settings	Admin	Manager	Employee	Notes
Enable/Disable Time Card Approvals	✅ Yes	❌ No	❌ No
Enable/Disable "Agree To" Text Option	✅ Yes	❌ No	❌ No
Bulk Approve Closed Time Cards	✅ Yes	❌ No	❌ No
Webcam on Punches Settings	Admin	Manager	Employee	Notes
Enable/Disable Webcam on Punches	✅ Yes	❌ No	❌ No
Assign/Unassign Webcam on Punches Requirements	✅ Yes	❌ No	❌ No
🕒 Time Management
Work Hours	Admin	Manager	Employee	Notes
Punch In/Out	❌ No*	✅ Yes	✅ Yes	*Admins are free accounts and don't count towards billing. As a result, they can't punch in/out or track time off.
Add Time (Start/End Time)	✅ Yes	✅ Assigned Employees and Own	✅ Yes*	*If edits are enabled.
Edit Time (Start/End Time)	✅ Yes	✅ Assigned Employees and Own	✅ Yes*	*If edits are enabled.
Delete Time (Start/End Time)	✅ Yes	✅ Assigned Employees Only	❌ No
Approve Time (Start/End Time)	✅ Yes	✅ Assigned Employees Only	❌ No
Add Time Entry Duration (Total Hours Worked)	✅ Yes	✅ Assigned Employees and Own	✅ Yes
Edit Time Entry Duration (Total Hours Worked)	✅ Yes	✅ Assigned Employees and Own	✅ Yes
Delete Time Entry Duration (Total Hours Worked)	✅ Yes	✅ Assigned Employees and Own	✅ Yes
Add Notes to Time	✅ Yes	✅ Assigned Employees and Own	✅ Yes
Breaks	Admin	Manager	Employee	Notes
Start/End Break	❌ No*	✅ Yes	✅ Yes	*Admins are free accounts and don't count towards billing. As a result, they can't punch in/out or track breaks.
Add Breaks (Start/End Time)	✅ Yes	✅ Assigned Employees and Own	✅ Yes*	*If edits are enabled.
Edit Breaks (Start/End Time)	✅ Yes	✅ Assigned Employees and Own	✅ Yes*	*If edits are enabled.
Delete Breaks (Start/End Time)	✅ Yes	✅ Assigned Employees Only	❌ No
Add Break (Total Break Time)	✅ Yes	✅ Assigned Employees and Own	✅ Yes*	*If edits are enabled.
Edit Breaks (Total Break Time)	✅ Yes	✅ Assigned Employees and Own	✅ Yes*	*If edits are enabled.
Delete Breaks (Total Break Time)	✅ Yes	✅ Assigned Employees Only	❌ No
Approve/Deny Breaks	✅ Yes	✅ Assigned Employees Only	❌ No
Time Cards	Admin	Manager	Employee	Notes
View Time Cards	✅ Yes	✅ Assigned Employees and Own	✅ Yes, Own
Submit Time Cards for Approval	✅ Yes	✅ Assigned Employees and Own	✅ Yes, Own
Approve/Deny Time Cards	✅ Yes	✅ Assigned Employees Only	❌ No
Bulk Approve Time Cards	✅ Yes	✅ Assigned Employees Only	❌ No
Delete Time Cards	❌ No*	❌ No	❌ No	*Must contact customer support for help with deleting time cards.
View Job Codes on Time Cards	✅ Yes	✅ Assigned Employees and Own	✅ Yes
View IP Address Details on Time Cards	✅ Yes	✅ Assigned Employees Only	❌ No
View Device Used Details on Time Cards	✅ Yes	✅ Assigned Employees Only	❌ No
View Webcam Images on Time Cards	✅ Yes	✅ Assigned Employees Only	❌ No
View Basic GPS Details on Time Cards	✅ Yes	✅ Assigned Employees Only	❌ No
Time Off	Admin	Manager	Employee	Notes
View Time Off Calendar	✅ Yes	✅ Assigned Employees and Own	✅ Yes*	*Employees can only view their own time off by default, but can be configured to allow them to see other employees' time off.
Add Time Off	✅ Yes	✅ Assigned Employees and Own	✅ Yes
Edit Time Off	✅ Yes	✅ Assigned Employees and Own	✅ Yes*	*If edits are enabled.
Delete Time Off	✅ Yes	✅ Assigned Employees and Own	✅ Yes*	*Employees can only delete unapproved time off in future pay periods.
View PTO Balances	✅ Yes	✅ Assigned Employees and Own	✅ Yes, Own
Review Time Off History	✅ Yes	✅ Assigned Employees and Own	✅ Yes, Own
Approve/Deny Time Off Requests	✅ Yes	✅ Assigned Employees Only	❌ No
Manually Adjust PTO Balances	✅ Yes	❌ No	❌ No
Sync Time Off to Google Calendar, iCal, or Outlook	✅ Yes	✅ Assigned Employees and Own	✅ Yes*	*Employees can only sync their own time off by default, but can be configured to allow them to sync other employees' time off.
Scheduling	Admin	Manager	Employee	Notes
View Schedules	✅ Yes	✅ Assigned Employees and Own	✅ Yes*	*Employees can only view their schedule by default, but can be configured to allow them to see other employees' schedules.
Create/Delete Individual Shifts	✅ Yes	✅ Assigned Employees and Own	❌ No
Edit Individual Shifts	✅ Yes	✅ Assigned Employees and Own	❌ No
Create/Delete Repeating Shifts	✅ Yes	✅ Assigned Employees and Own	❌ No
Edit Repeating Shifts	✅ Yes	✅ Assigned Employees and Own	❌ No
Assign a Color to a Shift	✅ Yes	✅ Assigned Employees and Own	❌ No
Publish/Unpublish Schedules	✅ Yes	✅ Assigned Employees and Own	❌ No
Create/Delete Open Shifts	✅ Yes	✅ Yes	❌ No
Edit Open Shifts	✅ Yes	✅ Yes	❌ No
View Open Shifts	✅ Yes	✅ Yes	❌ No
View Labor Costs	✅ Yes	✅ Yes*	✅ Yes*	*Employees and Managers can only see labor costs if allowed.
Send Notifications About Schedules	✅ Yes	✅ Assigned Employees and Own	❌ No
View Availability	✅ Yes	✅ Assigned Employees and Own	✅ Yes*	*Employees can only view their availability by default, but can be configured to allow them to see other employees' availability.
Create Availability	✅ Yes	✅ Assigned Employees and Own	✅ Yes
Edit/Delete Availability	✅ Yes	✅ Assigned Employees and Own	✅ Yes, Own*	*If edits are enabled.
Navigate Time on the Schedule	✅ Yes	✅ Assigned Employees and Own	✅ Yes
Use the Schedule Log	✅ Yes	✅ Yes	✅ Yes*	*What the employee can see is based on the account Schedule View permissions located on the Settings --> Scheduling page.
Initiate Trades & Covers	✅ Yes	✅ Assigned Employees and Own	✅ Yes
Review Trades & Covers	✅ Yes	✅ Assigned Employees and Own	✅ Yes
Approve Trades & Covers	✅ Yes	✅ Assigned Employees Only	❌ No
Withdraw Trades & Covers	✅ Yes	✅ Assigned Employees and Own	✅ Yes
Sync The Schedule to Google Calendar, iCal, or Outlook	✅ Yes	✅ Assigned Employees and Own	✅ Yes*	*Employees can only sync their own schedules by default, but can be configured to allow them to sync other employees' schedules as well.
💳 Billing	Admin	Manager	Employee	Notes
View Billing Page	✅ Yes	❌ No	❌ No
View Billing Discounts	✅ Yes	❌ No	❌ No
Change Plan/Plan Frequency	✅ Yes	❌ No	❌ No
View/Print Invoices & Receipts	✅ Yes	❌ No	❌ No
Update Billing/Card Information	✅ Yes	❌ No	❌ No
Update Billing Contact	✅ Yes	❌ No	❌ No
Set up ACH Payment	✅ Yes	❌ No	❌ No
Pause Account	✅ Yes	❌ No	❌ No
Cancel Account	✅ Yes	❌ No	❌ No
💰 Buddy Punch Payroll	Admin	Manager	Employee	Notes
Initiate Payroll Onboarding	✅ Yes	❌ No	❌ No
Complete Company Onboarding	✅ Yes	❌ No	❌ No
Update Company Filing Authorization	✅ Yes	❌ No	❌ No
Update Company Tax Setup	✅ Yes	❌ No	❌ No
Update Company Details	✅ Yes	❌ No	❌ No
Add/Update Company Bank Information	✅ Yes	❌ No	❌ No
Add/Deactivate Workplaces	✅ Yes	❌ No	❌ No
Edit Workplaces	✅ Yes	❌ No	❌ No
Add/Delete Company Benefits	✅ Yes	❌ No	❌ No
Edit Company Benefits	✅ Yes	❌ No	❌ No
Create W-2 Hourly Payroll Profile	✅ Yes	❌ No	❌ No
Create W-2 Salary Payroll Profile	✅ Yes	❌ No	❌ No
Complete Employee Onboarding	✅ Yes	❌ No	✅ Yes
Send Payroll Onboarding Email	✅ Yes	❌ No	❌ No
Add/Delete Employee Benefits	✅ Yes	❌ No	❌ No
Edit Employee Benefits	✅ Yes	❌ No	❌ No
Add/Update Worker Bank Information	✅ Yes	❌ No	✅ Yes*	*Employer will need to re-send onboarding email to allow worker to update bank details.
Add/Delete Post Tax Deductions	✅ Yes	❌ No	❌ No
Edit Post Tax Deductions	✅ Yes	❌ No	❌ No
Edit Payroll Profile	✅ Yes	❌ No	✅ Yes*	*Employer will need to re-send onboarding email to allow worker to update bank details.
Run Payroll	✅ Yes	❌ No	❌ No
Run Off-Cycle Payroll	✅ Yes	❌ No	❌ No
View Previous Payrolls	✅ Yes	❌ No	❌ No
View Payroll Tax Deposits	✅ Yes	❌ No	❌ No
View/Download Filing Authorization Documents	✅ Yes	❌ No	❌ No
View/Download Company Tax Documents	✅ Yes	❌ No	❌ No
Request Accelerated Payroll Processing	✅ Yes	❌ No	❌ No
Run/Download Payroll Reports	✅ Yes	❌ No	❌ No
View/Download Employee Paystubs	✅ Yes	❌ No	✅ Yes, Own
View/Download Employee Tax Documents (W2)	✅ Yes	❌ No	✅ Yes, Own
Create Contractor Hourly Payroll Profile	✅ Yes	❌ No	❌ No
Create Contractor Salary Payroll Profile	✅ Yes	❌ No	❌ No
Complete Contractor Onboarding	✅ Yes	❌ No	✅ Yes, Own
View/Download Contractor Payment Information	✅ Yes	❌ No	✅ Yes, Own
View/Download Contractor Tax Documents (1099)	✅ Yes	❌ No	✅ Yes, Own
📊 Reports	Admin	Manager	Employee	Notes
View/Run Reports	✅ Full Access	✅ Assigned Employees and Own	✅ Yes*	*Employees can export the Time Card report for their own hours.
Export Data (CSV, Excel, PDF, etc.)	✅ Yes	✅ Assigned Employees and Own	❌ No
🔷 Other	Admin	Manager	Employee	Notes
Send Mass Announcements to Employees	✅ Yes	✅ Assigned Employees Only	❌ No
Reach out to Buddy Punch Support for Help	✅ Yes	✅ Yes	✅ Yes
Mobile App Access	✅ Yes	✅ Yes	✅ Yes
Submit a Feature Request	✅ Yes	✅ Yes	✅ Yes
Request Password Reset	✅ Yes	✅ Yes	✅ Yes
Recover Username	✅ Yes	✅ Yes	✅ Yes

Managers: What are they and how do they work?

Punch In Reminder

How to Introduce Your Staff to Buddy Punch

Administrators: What are they and how do they work?

What's the Difference Between Managers and Administrators?

Buddy Punch Roles & Permissions Overview

Side-by-Side Comparison of Roles & Permissions

👤User Management

⚙️ Account Settings

🕒 Time Management

💳 Billing

💰 Buddy Punch Payroll

📊 Reports

🔷 Other