Login Troubleshooting

This guide provides troubleshooting tips that will help employees and administrators experiencing login issues with BambooHR, including password resets and access level management.

Table of Contents

Common questions

What should I do if I cannot log in to BambooHR?

If you are experiencing login issues, please refer to this section of this guide as it provides comprehensive solutions to help you regain access.

Why am I receiving a new browser login notification?

When you attempt to log in from a new browser, you will receive an email notification asking you to confirm that you trust the browser. This is a security feature designed to protect your account. The email includes details such as the time zone and country of origin for the login attempt. If you have any security concerns, you can reset your password. Only you, the account user, will receive this notification.

By clicking Yes, Trust This Browser, you can successfully log in and will not see this modal or receive email notifications for future logins from this browser. However, if you block or clear your cookies, you will receive the notification again the next time you log in. Note that you will not receive this notification if you log in through a third-party authentication app or the BambooHR mobile app.

Troubleshooting tips

For employees

  1. Verify your login details: Ensure that you are using the correct login URL and that your email address is entered correctly. Contact your administrator if you are unsure of the login URL.
  2. Reset your password: If you have not created a password or if you have forgotten current password, go to your company's BambooHR login page and click on the "Forgot Password?" link. To receive the password reset email, make sure the email address you enter matches the one listed in your employee profile.
  3. Check your email: If you have not received the welcome or password reset email, check your spam or junk folder, as it may have been filtered there by your email provider.
  4. Verify 2-Step Login: If you are unable to log in due to issues with your 2-Step Login verification method, you will need assistance from an administrator to reset your login settings. To prevent future login issues, regularly verify that your 2-Step Login settings, such as your phone number or preferred verification method, are up to date. 

For administrators

  1. Manage access for employees
    • Future hire dates
      • If access is granted and the new hire packet is complete, the employee can access BambooHR before their hire date.
      • If access is granted but the new hire packet is incomplete, the employee will not receive a password setup email until their hire date. However, they can manually reset their password by clicking Forgot Password? on the login page, allowing early access. This is uncommon and requires manual effort from the new hire.
      • If no access is granted through the new employee form or access level settings, the employee cannot access BambooHR until they are added to an access level, regardless of new hire packet completion.
    • Current or past hire dates:
      • Employees will receive an email to log in as soon as they are added to an access level.
      • Employees not added to an access level (assigned to "No Access") will not receive an email to log in to BambooHR until you add them to another access level.
    • No hire dates:
      • If you enable access for an employee without setting a hire date, they will not receive a password setup email. Always include the hire date to trigger this email. If you need to make the hire date a required field during the new hire setup, please contact contact a support hero.
  2. Verify email addresses: Ensure employees have valid email addresses listed on their employee profiles. If you grant an employee access to BambooHR without adding their email address, any emails will bounce, causing email suppression. The Account Owner will be notified to resolve the email suppression by either correcting the employee's email address or confirming their current email address.
  3. Configure access for rehires: If an employee was previously terminated and then rehired, ensure they have access granted so they can log in to BambooHR.
  4. Send a password reset email: You can send a password reset email to an employee if needed, or they can request one themselves on the login page.
  5. Reset a user's 2-Step Login: If an employee or non-employee user is having 2-Step Login issues, you can assist them by resetting their login settings. Click here to learn more about the reset process.
  6. Enable Google SSO: If your company uses Google Mail, consider enabling single sign-on integration with Google. Employees can sign in to BambooHR without a password if they are logged into their Gmail account.

Important notes & limitations

  • Users are locked out after five incorrect password attempts for 30 minutes. After the 30 minutes, you can click Forgot Password? on the login page to resend a password reset email to yourself. There is no restriction on using a previously used password when updating it.
  • BambooHR completely logs you out of your account after 30 minutes of inactivity. After 10 minutes of inactivity, the screen will be grayed out, and you will be required to enter your password to return to the same page you were on. These logout time frames are in line with security best practices. To keep the session active, click on a link or refresh the page every 30 minutes or less. Moving your mouse around does not count as activity on the page.