Bonus Approval Workflow

How is this workflow audited?

Every status change — submission, HR review, approval routing, rejection, and payroll instruction — is recorded within assess.one as the request moves through each step. This creates a time-stamped record of who reviewed, approved, or rejected a bonus and why, which can be referenced for compensation audits or internal governance reviews. Rejection reasons are captured alongside the record, supporting a defensible history for each decision.

Who has access to bonus request records and approval decisions?

Access is controlled by role within assess.one, so managers typically see only their own submissions, while HR, finance, and executive approvers see requests relevant to their review stage. Administrators can configure exactly which roles view, edit, or approve at each step, supporting segregation of duties across compensation review. This helps limit exposure of sensitive salary and bonus data to only those who need it.

How does this integrate with payroll and notification tools?

Notifications to managers on approval or rejection, and the payroll instruction step, are configured directly inside assess.one using its built-in email and integration options. There is no separate development project required — connections such as email or Slack notifications are set up within the platform itself. The payroll task is generated as part of the workflow once final approval is granted.

Can the approval thresholds and routing logic be customised?

Yes, the amount-based routing between finance and executive approval is a configurable step within the template, so organisations can adjust thresholds to match their own compensation policy. Additional approval tiers, reviewers, or conditional logic can also be added directly in assess.one without rebuilding the workflow from scratch. This allows the process to evolve as approval policies or organisational structure change.

Who needs access to this workflow within the organisation?

Typically, people managers who initiate bonus recommendations, HR reviewers who assess eligibility, finance approvers for smaller amounts, and executive leadership for larger amounts all require access. Payroll may need visibility into approved requests to action the resulting task. Access for each of these roles is assigned within assess.one, keeping participation limited to those directly involved in a given request.

What happens when HR determines a bonus is not eligible?

The request status is set to rejected for ineligibility, and the manager is automatically notified with the reason recorded by HR. The manager can then revise the request and resubmit it, which restarts the workflow from the beginning rather than requiring a new record to be created. This keeps the eligibility decision documented while still allowing a path forward for legitimate revisions.

How are finance and executive rejections handled differently from HR rejections?

Finance and executive rejections each set a distinct status and trigger a notification to the manager with the specific reason, separate from HR ineligibility rejections. Both rejection paths allow the manager to revise and resubmit the request, restarting it through the workflow. Keeping these outcomes distinct supports clearer reporting on where in the approval chain requests are most often declined.

How long does it take to implement this workflow?

The template is ready to use and can be published within assess.one in minutes, with no lengthy implementation project required. Once published, roles, notification settings, and approval thresholds can be adjusted directly in the platform, and the team can begin submitting and approving live bonus requests immediately after publishing.

What compliance considerations should be reviewed before going live?

Organisations should confirm that eligibility criteria, approval thresholds, and reviewer roles reflect current compensation policy before publishing the workflow. It is also worth reviewing who has access to salary-related data at each stage to align with internal data handling requirements. Because these settings are configurable within assess.one, adjustments can be made without disrupting requests already in progress.