A person’s roles and permissions control what they can see and do in Gusto, as well as the emails they'll get. You can manage access for paid team members, and outside collaborators (accountants, brokers, etc).
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You can add all of your contributors to Gusto. In general, we'll refer to types of users as:
The people you add to Gusto can have different types of access:
Additional detail about Global, Limited, and Basic access can be found below.
Give Global access to company owners and administrators. This level of access is usually given to very few people because they'll have access to all of your company information.
If you do not want to give this level of access, choose Limited admin instead.
Global admins have access to:
Global admins cannot add, remove, or edit other user’s roles and permissions. Only the account owner (aka Primary admin) can do that.
Account owners (aka Primary admins) can choose access levels for various functions. Limited admin roles restrict access and can be applied to specific people or groups.
Basic individual permissions are available for all US employees. You can also customize roles (with fixed permissions) and assign them to groups.
Users with Basic roles will never see sensitive information like social security numbers (SSNs), bank account info, or tax elections.
Account owners (aka Primary admins) can choose Basic access levels for less-sensitive functions:
Account owners (aka Primary admins) can assign individual permissions by going to the team member's profile, or by adding a new custom role and assigning it to them.
Users with individual basic roles will never see sensitive information like social security numbers (SSNs), bank account info, or tax elections.
Account owners (aka Primary admins) can choose Basic access levels for less-sensitive functions:
Only the Account owner (Primary admin) can add collaborators to Gusto.
We’ll email collaborators about their new access and roles—if they do not see the email, have them:
Only the Account owner (Primary admin) can manage other collaborators in Gusto.
How you update personal details for admins depends on how they were set up in Gusto:
The Account owner (aka Primary admin) is the only Global admin with the ability to add, remove, or edit permissions for other users. If you’re not the Account owner, reach out to them for help.
We’ll email users about their new access and roles—if they do not see the email, have them:
Users will only be able to view the parts of Gusto that correspond to their permissions.
Only the current Account owner can assign a new Account owner.
Important reminders
Only the current Account owner can make this change.
The Account owner (aka Primary admin) is the only Global admin with the ability to add, remove, or edit permissions for other users. If you’re not the Account owner, reach out to them for help.
If the owner is no longer with the company, contact us through the section of your profile to let us know. If you do not have a Gusto account, email [email protected] with proof (documentation) you have authority to “transact on behalf of the business".
Users will get an email letting them know they're access or roles changed.
Q: Does Gusto send notifications about permission or role changes?
A: We email the impacted party when a role is added, or removed. We do not send notifications about changes to existing access.
Q: Can individuals see what access they have in their Gusto account?
A: No.
Q: Can a Basic role be assigned to someone who is "not a team member"?
A: No. For now, Basic roles must be assigned to existing team members in Gusto.
Q: Can I change a Limited or Global admin to have a Basic role?
A: To limit an admins acccess more, you can edit their individual types of access at the Limited or Global level, or remove the existing role entirely and set up a new Basic role for them.
Q: Can I see who changed permissions or roles (e.g., audit log, change log, or similar)?
A: At this time, no.
Q: Can I assign managers and direct reports like I always have?
A: Yes, assign managers the same way you always have. Custom Basic roles are offered in addition to the preexisting functionality.
Q: If I add a Gusto Pro accounting firm to my account, will they have full access?
A: Yes. The firm-admin has full access in Gusto (and the ability to grant it). They're responsible for assigning other firm members' permissions.
Q: (From accountants) We have multiple accountants working for one client—what does that set up look like?
A: An Accountant can have a full, or limited view of their client's account, based on the access their firm-admin gave them.