Compliance setup — this guide covers statutory, payroll, and regulatory requirements. Octal HR is configurable for different countries, regions, and organizational policies.

Octal HR's document management module stores digitised employee documents directly against each profile, eliminating physical filing and making compliance audits a matter of seconds. Each document can carry an expiry date and be verified by HR.

Overview

Each employee profile includes a Documents tab where HR can upload, categorise, and manage all employee-related files. Uploaded files are stored in cloud storage (S3) or on the local filesystem, depending on your deployment, and access is controlled by role.

Storage: Employee documents are saved to cloud storage (S3) or the local filesystem, depending on how your deployment is configured. Accepted formats: PDF, JPG, JPEG, PNG, DOC, DOCX.

Document Categories

Documents can be grouped into common categories such as:

Identity Documents

National ID card, Passport, Residence Permit, Work Authorization, or other government-issued identification documents.

Educational Certificates

Matric, Intermediate, Degree, HEC attestation, Professional certifications

Employment Documents

Signed contract, appointment letter, NDA, non-compete, offer acceptance

Compliance & Statutory

EOBI registration, PESSI card, medical fitness certificate, work permit

Additional document types commonly used by organizations for employee records, compliance, onboarding, and workforce management:

  • Previous employer experience letters and relieving letters
  • Police character certificate (required for security-sensitive roles)
  • FBR tax registration (for directors and senior managers)
  • Professional license (PEC, PMDC, ICAP, ICMA, PBA)
  • Bank account verification letter
  • Domicile certificate

Uploading Documents

1
Open the employee's profile → Documents tab.
2
Click + Add Document.
3
Select the Document Type from the dropdown and add a Title or note if needed.
4
Set an Expiry Date if applicable. Leave it blank for documents that do not expire (educational certificates, contracts).
5
Upload the file (drag-and-drop or browse).
6
Click Save. The document status is set to Pending Verification.

Employee Self-Upload

Enable employees to upload their own documents via the Employee App or web portal under Settings → Employee → Self-Service → Allow Document Upload. HR still reviews and verifies each upload before it is marked as verified.

Verification Status

Each document has a verification status that HR manages:

StatusMeaningAction
Pending Verification Document uploaded but not yet reviewed by HR Open document → click Verify after review
Verified HR has confirmed the document is authentic and correct No action needed

Access Control

Document visibility is role-controlled:

RoleCan ViewCan UploadCan VerifyCan Delete
HR AdminAll employeesYesYesYes (admin only)
HR ManagerAll employeesYesYesNo
Department ManagerDirect reports onlyNoNoNo
EmployeeOwn documents onlyIf enabled in settingsNoNo

Deleting Documents

Deleting a document is an irreversible action logged in the audit trail. Only HR Admins can delete documents.