Company
Company in Smooth HR represents a legal employer entity. Every Employee, payroll run, expense claim, and most HR transactions are scoped to a Company. Multi-company accounts use Company plus User Permissions to separate data.
Table of contents
- Overview
- Who uses Company
- Desk paths
- Creating a Company
- Key fields
- Company and accounting
- Multi-company setup
- Workflow: new account setup
- Common mistakes
- Troubleshooting
Overview
Company master data includes legal name, default currency, country, fiscal year link, and letterhead for PDFs (offer letters, payslips). HR Settings, holiday lists, leave policies, and payroll components are often company-specific.
| Related record | Relationship |
|---|---|
| Employee | Required company field |
| Department | Scoped to company |
| Payroll Entry | Per company pay run |
| Expense Claim | Company drives accounts |
| Job Opening | Published per company |
Smooth HR runs in the cloud. Module sidebars (People, Recruitment, Expenses, Performance, Tenure, NextAI) appear after login. Use the left sidebar or search (Ctrl+K / Cmd+K) to open lists and workspaces.
Who uses Company
| Role | Typical use |
|---|---|
| HR Manager | Full create/submit/cancel; setup masters; reports |
| HR User | Day-to-day transactions; may need approval rules |
| Employee | Self-service where enabled |
| System Manager | Site-wide configuration, integrations, NextAI keys |
| Role | Actions |
|---|---|
| System Manager | Create companies, chart of accounts (accounting) |
| HR Manager | Verify company on employees and job openings |
| Accounts | Fiscal year, cost centers, default accounts |
Desk paths
| Action | Path |
|---|---|
| Company list | /app/company |
| People workspace | /desk/people |
| HR Settings | /app/hr-settings |
Creating a Company
- People sidebar → Setup → Company → Add Company.
- Enter Company Name, Abbr, Default Currency, Country.
- Set Default Holiday List when ready.
- Save. Complete company setup (accounts) if payroll/expenses post to GL.
Key fields
| Field | Purpose |
|---|---|
| Company Name | Legal display name |
| Abbr | Short code in IDs |
| Default Currency | Payroll and expenses |
| Country | Tax and statutory reports |
| Parent Company | Group structure (optional) |
| Date of Establishment | Reporting |
| Default Letter Head | PDF headers for HR docs |
Company and accounting
Smooth HR shares Company with your accounting setup. Expense claims and payroll may create Journal Entry and Payment Entry documents. Ensure default HR accounts are configured in Company or HR Settings before go-live.
Multi-company setup
- Create each Company master.
- Set User Permissions so HR users see only their companies.
- Duplicate or share Department trees per company — do not mix.
- Job openings and applicants are company-specific.
Workflow: new account setup
flowchart TD
A[Create Company] --> B[Chart of Accounts]
B --> C[Departments]
C --> D[Designations]
D --> E[HR Settings]
E --> F[Employees]
Always create Company before Employee, Department, or Job Opening.
Common mistakes
| Mistake | Consequence |
|---|---|
| One shared department tree across companies | Wrong approvers and reports |
| Missing currency | Payroll and offer errors |
| No letterhead | Blank PDF headers on offers |
| User without company default | Empty HR lists |
Troubleshooting
| Issue | Fix |
|---|---|
| Company not in dropdown | User Permission or role |
| Payroll cannot submit | Company accounts incomplete |
| Wrong company on import | Fix CSV company column to exact name |
Letterhead and branding
Upload letterhead under Letter Head record and set Default Letter Head on Company so Job Offer, Appointment Letter, and payslip PDFs show your logo and address block.
For multi-brand employers, each Company can have distinct letterhead while sharing one Smooth HR site.
Frequently asked questions
Can I delete a Company?
Only if no transactions exist; usually mark inactive in instead.
Does Company affect Job Applicant?
Job Opening is company-scoped; applicants inherit context from opening.
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