Before codes can be automatically generated, you need to enable the feature in your People Controls settings and configure your code format.

Enable the feature

1. On the main menu, click Settings.
2. On the submenu, click People Controls.
   
3. For employees: Locate Auto-generate employee codes and toggle it ON. For contractors: Locate Auto-generate independent contractor codes and toggle it ON.
4. When you enable this setting, additional configuration fields will appear below it.

Configure prefix (optional)

1. Find the code prefix field (e.g., "Employee code prefix" or "Independent contractor code prefix").
   
2. Enter an optional prefix like "EMP-" or "IC-". This will appear at the start of all auto-generated codes.
3. Prefixes can only contain letters, hyphens, and underscores, with a maximum of 6 characters. Leave blank if you don't want a prefix.

Configure starting number (required)

1. Find the starting number field (e.g., "Employee starting number" or "Independent contractor starting number").
2. Enter the number where you want auto-generation to begin (e.g., 0001 or 0501). The next employee or contractor you create will receive this number.
3. Subsequent hires will automatically receive incrementally higher numbers.

Save your settings

1. After configuring your prefix and starting number, click Save at the bottom of the People Controls page.
2. Your settings are now active. The next time you add an employee or contractor via onboarding or quick add, codes will automatically be generated.

Example

If you set Employee code prefix to "EMP-" and Employee starting number to "0501", your auto-generated codes will be: EMP-0501, EMP-0502, EMP-0503, and so on.

Adding an employee via quick add

1. On the main menu, click Employees.
2. Click Add employee and select Quick Add.
3. Complete the required fields (name, email, etc.).
4. Locate the Employee code field. You will see two radio button options:
   • Auto-generate (selected by default) — the system assigns the next sequential code automatically
   • Custom code — you can enter a code manually instead
     
5. Leave "Auto-generate" selected and click Save. The system will automatically assign the code.

Adding an employee via onboarding

1. On the main menu, click Employees.
2. Click Add employee and select Onboard.
3. Progress through the onboarding steps until you reach the Employment Details section.
4. Locate the Employee code field with the same radio button options (Auto-generate or Custom code).
5. Leave "Auto-generate" selected and complete the onboarding. The code will be assigned automatically.

Adding a contractor via quick add

1. On the main menu, click Independent Contractors.
2. Click Add Independent Contractor.
3. Complete the required fields (trading name, name, email, etc.).
4. Locate the Independent contractor code field with the radio button options (Auto-generate or Custom code).
   
5. Leave "Auto-generate" selected and click Create. The code will be assigned automatically.

Adding a contractor via onboarding

1. On the main menu, click Independent Contractors.
2. Click Add Independent Contractor and select Onboard.
3. In the Basic Information section, locate the Independent contractor code field.
4. Leave "Auto-generate" selected and complete the onboarding. The code will be assigned automatically.

After creating an employee or contractor with an auto-generated code, you can view it in their profile.

Viewing an employee code

1. Navigate to the employee's profile.
2. Click Employment records and select the Employment details tab.
3. The Employee code field displays the auto-generated code (e.g., EMP-0501).

Viewing a contractor code

1. Navigate to the contractor's profile.
2. Click the Job Details tab.
3. The Independent contractor code field displays the auto-generated code (e.g., IC-0001).

The code will also sync to Employment Hero Payroll and appear as the External ID in the employee or contractor's Employment Hero Payroll profile.

The system records all code assignments when they are created during onboarding or quick add.

Viewing employee code changes

For employees, you can view code assignments in two ways:

1. On the employee profile: Navigate to the employee's profile, click Employment records, select the Employment details tab, and locate the Audit Trail section. Look for entries labeled Create – Employment Details.
2. Via the Audit Trail Report: Go to Reports and select Audit Trail to view code assignments across all employees.

Viewing contractor code changes

For contractors, view code assignments via the Audit Trail Report in the Reports section. Look for entries labeled Job Details.

What you'll see in the audit trail

In either location, when you click on an entry, you will see under Updates:

• Employee Code Type / Independent Contractor Code Type — shows "Auto-generate" or "Custom code"
• Employee Code / Independent Contractor Code — shows the actual code assigned

You can manually edit codes directly on employee or contractor profiles at any time. Manual edits do not affect future auto-generation.

1. Navigate to the employee or contractor's profile.
2. For employees: Click Employment records and select Employment details. For contractors: Click the Job Details tab.
3. Click Edit.
4. Update the code field and click Save.

If you enter a code that already exists on another employee or contractor profile, a warning will appear. This is informational only and does not prevent you from saving.

The warning reads: "This code is already in use. This warning will not prevent you from progressing."

The warning appears when:

• Adding an employee or contractor during onboarding
• Adding an employee or contractor via quick add
• Editing a profile directly

You can choose to proceed with the duplicate code or change it. Although duplicates are technically allowed, they are not recommended as they can cause confusion during reporting and analysis.

You can disable auto-generation at any time. Previously assigned codes will remain on all records, but new codes will no longer be automatically generated.

1. Go to Settings > People Controls.
2. Toggle Auto-generate employee codes or Auto-generate independent contractor codes to OFF.
3. Click Save.

The code field will now be optional, and codes will no longer be automatically generated during onboarding or quick add. All existing codes remain unchanged.

When a terminated employee or contractor is rehired, they automatically retain their original code. If you want to assign a new code upon rehire, you can manually edit the code field.

When a record is deleted, the associated code is cleared. However, this deletion does not affect future auto-generated codes.

Example: If you have codes EMP-0001, EMP-0002, and EMP-0003, and you delete the employee with EMP-0002, the next auto-generated code will be EMP-0004 (not EMP-0002). The system continues sequentially and does not reuse deleted codes.

No. Automatic code generation only applies when employees or contractors are added via onboarding or quick add. CSV imports do not trigger auto-generation.

If you import records without codes and want them to have codes, you must manually add them to each record or use onboarding or quick add for new additions after the import.

No. Automatic code generation only occurs when a record is first created via onboarding or quick add. Editing an existing profile does not trigger auto-generation.

You must manually enter or update codes by editing the code field on the profile.