VacationTrackers Privilege Scopes & Levels Explained:
VacationTracker’s user access control model is built on two core concepts:
- Privilege Scopes — define which users and resources an individual can access.
- Privilege Levels — define what actions an individual is permitted to perform.
Together, these concepts form the foundation of VacationTracker’s access control system, enabling secure and flexible management of different employee groups.
Employee Privilege Scopes
Privilege Scopes define the boundary of a user’s access within VacationTracker. They determine which employees and data a user is permitted to view.
An employee’s Privilege Level can only grant permissions within the limits of their assigned Privilege Scope. In other words, a user’s scope determines who they can access, while their privilege level determines what they can do.
The available privilege scopes are:
- Global – Access to all employees.
- By Department – Access only to employees within the same department.
- By Location – Access only to employees within the same location.
- By Location & Department – Access only to employees who share both the same location and department.
Departments and locations are assigned to each employee within VacationTracker. There is no limit to the number of departments or locations that can be defined.
Examples
An employee with a By Location scope can only view calendar events (such as time off) for themselves and other employees assigned to the same location.
Similarly, an employee with a By Department scope can only view calendar events for employees within the same department. For example, an employee in the Accounts department would not be able to see time off for employees in the HR department.
An employee with a By Location & Department scope has the most restrictive non-global access. They can only view calendar events for employees who share both the same department and the same location.
Employee Privilege Levels
Privilege Levels determine what actions a user is permitted to perform within VacationTracker.
There are five privilege levels:
- Restricted
- Standard
- Manager
- HR Administrator
- Administrator
Remember:
- Privilege Scope determines who a user can access.
- Privilege Level determines what a user can do.
Privilege Levels Explained
Restricted User
The Restricted user is the most limited privilege level available. It is intended for users who should only manage their own time off.
Restricted users can:
- Request time off for themselves.
- View only their own calendar events and time-off requests.
They cannot view or manage time-off requests for any other employee and have no access to administrative features.
In most cases, we recommend using Standard users instead. When combined with an appropriate Privilege Scope, Standard users can view the time-off of colleagues within their team, department, or location, providing better visibility into employee availability.
Standard User
The Standard user is the most common privilege level.
Standard users can:
- Request time off for themselves.
- View calendar events and time-off requests for employees within their assigned Privilege Scope.
Standard users cannot:
- Book time off for other employees.
- Approve or reject requests.
- Access VacationTracker administration or system settings.
Manager
Managers have all the capabilities of a Standard user and remain subject to their assigned Privilege Scope.
In addition, Managers can:
- Book time off for employees they manage.
- Approve or reject time-off requests for employees they manage.
Managers cannot access VacationTracker administration, configuration, or billing settings.
HR Administrator
HR Administrators can manage employees and time-off requests within their assigned Privilege Scope.
They can:
- Book time off for employees within their scope.
- Approve or reject time-off requests within their scope.
- Add and edit employee records within their scope.
HR Administrators cannot access global VacationTracker settings or billing information.
Administrator
Administrators have unrestricted access to the entire VacationTracker system.
Administrators:
- Always have a Global Privilege Scope.
- Can perform every administrative action.
- Have access to all employees, settings, configuration, and billing information.