Available for the following plans: Plus, Unlimited HR, Engage, Elite, Unlimited HR+Payroll,
Available for the following HR plans: Premium, Platinum
Available for the following User Access levels: Manager, Admin
In Employment Hero, you can now assign independent contractors as managers for other employees. This update allows you to maintain your organisational hierarchy while managing both employees and contractors within a single platform. By setting up contractors with the appropriate manager access, you can ensure they have the necessary visibility to oversee their team’s progress and records.
This article will show you how to manage the following:
Assign an independent contractor as a manager
You can assign an independent contractor to manage other staff members by updating the reporting lines within the HR platform.
- Log in to Employment Hero.
- Click the People icon on the left-hand menu.
- Select the People list option.
- Click on the Name of the employee who will report to the contractor.
- Click the Employment details tab. Click Edit Employment details.
- In the Manager field, type the name of the independent contractor.
- Select the contractor from the dropdown list.
- Click Save.
Helpful Hint
To ensure a contractor can effectively manage their team, verify that they have been granted Manager-level access under your Security Settings. This allows them to view relevant records and approve requests for their direct reports.
Manage contractor reporting lines
Contractors can be managed alongside your regular employees. For reporting and payment purposes, you may need to adjust how they appear in different views of the platform.
- Access the Contractor Management section to store HR records and control feature access for your contractors.
- To manage payments, you can set up contractors within the payroll platform.
- Ensure contractors are kept in separate entities within payroll if you need to avoid specific reporting requirements like Single Touch Payroll (STP) lodgements for these individuals.
Further information
While contractors may have been less visible in certain workforce views previously, they can now be fully integrated into your management hierarchy. This means they are no longer "invisible" when assigned as a manager, allowing for a clear and accurate organisational chart.
Yes. By using the platform's security settings, you can define exactly what information a contractor has access to. This ensures they can manage their direct reports effectively while maintaining the privacy of sensitive company data.
Contractors will appear alongside permanent employees in the manager selection list when admins are setting up or updating reporting relationships.
Once assigned, a contractor manager works exactly like any other manager: they receive approval requests, can approve or decline timesheets and leave, and appear correctly in the org chart.
Headcount reports remain unaffected — contractors are counted separately from permanent employees regardless of whether they manage a team.