Files vs. Documents

What is the difference between a document and a file?

Purpose: To help you understand the purpose(s) of documents and files and how to make use of them in your account.


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Files and Documents

There are two locations within BambooHR where you can store documentation: Files and Documents. Each location serves a separate purpose and can help you organize and store important company and employee documentation.

Files

Files

You can store documentation that pertains to your company as a whole on the Files tab. Examples of company files include employee handbooks or policies.

You can share an individual document from the Files tab with an employee or a group. Also, you can set it to private, so only the Full Admin user(s) can view the document.

Documents

Charlotte Abbott - Employee Files

You can store employee-specific documentation on the Documents tab within an employee's profile. In the screenshot above, Charlotte's travel expenses have been added under her Documents tab.

You can also create additional folders and subfolders (click the folder with the plus button) for your employees to help you organize where you store employee-specific documentation.

If a user shares a file from the Documents tab with an employee, the Documents tab will be accessible for the employee. If a user does not share a file with an employee, the Documents tab will not be visible for the employee.

When adding a folder or subfolder to an employee's Documents tab, the folder adds to the Documents tab for all employees, which saves you time from having to go in and add it one by one for each employee.


Auto-upload

Inbox (6)

For specific features in BambooHR, uploaded files will automatically store in particular folders on an employee's Documents Tab. In the example shown above, Charlotte's manager asked her to attach a proof of address to prove her new address. Once Charlotte uploaded a proving document, the document was also automatically uploaded to the Workflow Attachments folder to have on hand for future reference.

Documentation automatically uploads to specific Documents folders when using the following features:

  • On/Offboarding - Tasklist Attachments folder (Advantage, Core, and Pro packages only.)
  • Information Updates - Workflow Attachments folder
  • E-Signature Files - Signed Documents folder (Advantage, Core, and Pro packages only.)
  • Hiring - Resumes and Applications folder (Advantage, Core, and Pro packages only.)
  • Employee Uploads - When an employee uploads a document, it will upload to the Employee Uploads folder.