How do I set up, change or rename Employee IDs?
The Employee ID is the name of the Employee record, for example HR-EMP-00001. You choose how the system makes it in HR Settings. You can change the series, reset its counter, and rename an ID that already exists.
How the Employee ID is made
Go to HR Settings → Employee Naming By. This field has three options:
| Option | The Employee ID is | Use it when |
|---|---|---|
| Naming Series | A prefix and a running number, for example HR-EMP-00001 |
You want the system to number employees |
| Employee Number | The value you type in the Employee Number field | Your company already has its own ID numbers |
| Full Name | The employee's full name | You have few employees and all names are different |
The system makes the ID once, when you save a new Employee. If you change Employee Naming By later, old employees keep their IDs. Only new employees use the new method.
Set up the naming method
- Go to HR Settings.
- In Employee Naming By, select the option you need.
- Click Save.
Before you select Employee Number, read these rules:
- You must fill Employee Number on every new Employee. If it is empty, the system cannot make an ID and does not save the record.
- The system does not check that Employee Number is unique in the field itself. Two employees with the same number get the same ID, and the second one is not saved.
Before you select Full Name, know that two employees with the same name get the same ID. The second one is not saved.
Change the series prefix
The default series is HR-EMP-. To use your own prefix, such as BT-:
- Search for Document Naming Settings in the search bar and open it.
- In Select Transaction, select Employee.
- In Series List for this Transaction, write each series on its own line. For example,
BT-.####. Each#is one digit of the number. - Click Update.
- Open a new Employee and check that Series shows the new prefix.
The first employee in the new series gets number 1, for example BT-0001.
Fix "already exists" and set the counter
The series keeps a counter for each prefix. The next ID is the counter plus one. If the counter is lower than the highest number in use, the system makes an ID that already exists. The new Employee is not saved, and you see an error that the ID is a duplicate.
(To check) the exact error text from a new Employee that uses a number that already exists
This happens most often after you import employees with their own IDs (for example HR-EMP-00150) and the counter is still at 20.
- Open the Employee list. Sort by ID, descending. Note the highest number for the prefix. In the example, this is 150.
- Go to Document Naming Settings.
- Open the Update Series Counter section.
- In Prefix, enter the prefix without the number, for example
HR-EMP-. - In Current Value, enter the highest number in use. In the example, enter 150.
- Click Update Series Number.
The next employee gets HR-EMP-00151. You need the System Manager role for this.
Rename an Employee ID
You can rename an ID that already exists. For example, a company changes its numbering and wants BT-0001 instead of HR-EMP-00001.
- Open the Employee.
- Click Menu → Rename.
- Enter the new ID.
- Click Rename. The system changes the ID in the Employee and in every document that links to it. This includes Attendance, Leave Application, Salary Slip, and Employee Check-in.
Rename takes longer for employees with many linked documents. Do it when no one is working on that employee's records, and take a backup before you rename many employees.
You cannot reuse an ID that belongs to another Employee. The system stops you.
Renaming the ID does not change the Employee Number field. If you use Employee Number as the naming method, change the Employee Number by hand as well, so the two stay the same.