Getting Started
This page covers everything you need to go from zero to running: logging in, navigating the platform, understanding your role, and orienting yourself on the dashboard.
Logging In
Navigate to your Hibiscus HR application URL. You see the login screen.
[Screenshot: Login screen with email and password fields]
To log in:
- Enter your Work Email in the first field (e.g.
sarah.chen@acmecpa.ca) - Enter your Password
- Click Sign In
Forgotten password? Click Forgot password? above the password field.
First-time login
If your account was just created by your firm's admin, you receive a welcome email titled "You're all set — choose a password for Hibiscus HR". Click Choose Password to open the Set Password page, enter a password that meets the complexity requirements (min 8 characters, one uppercase, one lowercase, one number, one special), then sign in normally. The setup link is valid for 7 days.
Email verification banner
If you haven't verified your email address, an amber banner appears at the top of every page: "Please verify your email address." Click Resend email to get a fresh verification link. The banner disappears once verified. You can keep using Hibiscus HR while unverified, but verifying secures your account and enables password recovery.
Login errors
| Message | Cause | Fix |
|---|---|---|
| Invalid credentials | Wrong email or password | Double-check both |
| Account not found | Email not registered | Contact your firm's admin |
| Session expired | Timed out after inactivity | Log in again |
Navigating the Platform
Once logged in, you land on the Dashboard. The layout has three areas.
Left sidebar — Navigation
The left sidebar contains links to every module. Each icon represents one:
| Icon | Module | Who sees it |
|---|---|---|
| Dashboard grid | Dashboard | Admin, Manager |
| User check | My Team | Admin, Manager |
| People | Employees | Admin, Manager |
| Dollar sign | Payroll | Admin |
| File text | T4 Filing | Admin (indented under Payroll) |
| Wallet | Partner Draws | Admin only |
| Clock | Time & Attendance | Admin, Manager |
| Calendar | Leave Management | Admin, Manager |
| Heart | Benefits | Admin |
| Award | Credentials | Admin, Manager |
| Receipt | Professional Dues | Admin |
| User plus | Onboarding | Admin, Manager |
| Shield check | Compliance | Admin, Manager |
| Bar chart | Reports | Admin |
| Gear | Settings | Super Admin |
The active module is highlighted. Items you don't have access to (by role or plan) show a lock icon and an upgrade prompt when clicked.
At the bottom of the sidebar is your avatar. Click it for your profile or to log out.
Top bar — Page title and actions
Each module page has a header showing the module name and its primary action buttons (e.g. Add Employee, Run Payroll).
Main content area
The main area is where module content lives: tables, charts, forms, and detail drawers.
Understanding Drawers and Modals
Hibiscus HR uses two overlays:
- Side drawers — slide in from the right. Used for adding and editing records (new employee, new leave request, run payroll wizard).
- Modals — centred pop-ups. Used for rich cross-module detail views.
Close a drawer with the X in the top-right or by pressing Escape. Drawers do not close on backdrop click (prevents accidental data loss). Modals close the same way.
Your User Profile
Your profile is at the bottom of the left sidebar. From there you can:
- View your name, email, and role
- Change your password
- Log out
Employee Login Experience
Employees interact with Hibiscus HR through the Employee Portal — a self-service area separate from the admin dashboard. High-level path:
- Admin clicks Add Employee — the 4-step wizard provisions the employee's login and emails them a "Choose your password" link
- Employee sets a password — they click the link, pick a password on Set Password, and are redirected to the standard sign-in page
- Employee signs in — on first sign-in, incomplete onboarding routes straight into the 7-step self-service onboarding wizard. Otherwise, they go to the portal home
- Onboarding wizard (new hires only) — Welcome, Personal Info, Work Eligibility (SIN), Banking (direct deposit), TD1 Tax Forms, Documents, All Done. Each step auto-saves
- Ongoing portal — pay stubs, T4s, leave requests, benefits, profile, documents
For the full walkthrough, see the Employee Portal page.
Note: Adding a new employee is restricted to Admin. Managers can view and edit existing employees but cannot create new ones.
Broker Login Experience
Benefits brokers interact with Hibiscus HR through a limited, read-only portal:
- Broker invite — an admin sends an invite from Settings → Benefits Admin → Invite Broker
- Account activation — the invite link creates the broker's account
- Limited access — brokers see only Benefits (read-only): plan configurations, enrollment data, and CSV download for handoff to the carrier. Personal information is redacted
- Session security — same policies as every other user (session timeout, password complexity)
Brokers cannot modify data. Plan and enrollment changes go through an admin.
Your First Week of Compliance Monitoring
Hibiscus HR watches your compliance posture from day one.
Day 1 — the Dashboard widget. Once you've added staff, the Compliance Health widget on the Dashboard shows a live score against nine ESA checks (minimum wage, SINs on file, emergency contacts, vacation entitlement, termination pay, document expiry, and more). The top 3 action items are clickable straight to the fix.
Day 2+ — the trend line. Daily scans build a snapshot history. Within a couple of days the widget sparkline and the Compliance → Trend tab start showing history.
Your first Monday — the weekly digest. Every Monday morning, admins get an emailed compliance digest: current score, 7-day trend, what broke this week, link back to the Dashboard.
Any day — instant alerts. If a new action-required item appears (SIN removed, key document expired), admins get an email the same day.
Both email types are opt-in at the firm level and toggleable at Settings → Notifications. They're on by default.
Tip: If you're tired of compliance emails, turn off the toggle. The Dashboard widget and Trend tab keep working regardless.
Partner Health widget
If your firm has partners on file (employment type = Partner), the Dashboard also carries a Partner Health three-column hero:
- Column 1 — Partner draws — how many partners are over-drawn or over policy
- Column 2 — Utilization — rolling firm-average utilization %
- Column 3 — Credentials expiring — count of credentials expiring within 60 days (14 / 30 / 60 day bands)
Each column links to its module. The widget auto-hides when there are zero partners on file.
Admins also get a weekly Partner Health email digest surfacing flagged draws and expiring credentials. Skipped when there's nothing to report.
Security and PCI Compliance
Hibiscus HR uses encrypted connections (TLS) for all data in transit and AES-256 encryption at rest. Sensitive fields (SINs, banking) carry additional field-level encryption.
Payment processing runs through Helcim (PCI-DSS Level 1). Card numbers are tokenized by HelcimPay.js in the browser and never touch Hibiscus HR servers.
Logging Out
Click your avatar at the bottom of the left sidebar, then Log Out. The session is securely ended and you land back at the login screen.
Tip: always log out on a shared computer.