1. Introduction
Effective pay equity analysis requires clear governance around who can access, modify, and review data in the platform. The role-based permission structure ensures that responsibilities are distributed appropriately, confidentiality is protected, and data integrity is maintained throughout the analysis process.
This article outlines the four primary user roles—Administrator, Operational Administrator, HR Business Partner (HRBP), and Read-Only—and describes the specific actions each role is allowed to perform within the Pay Equity Analysis (PEA) workflow.
2. Overview of User Roles
The permission model includes four distinct roles, each with different levels of access and responsibility:
Administrator – Full access across all functions and organizational lines
Operational Administrator – Handles operational tasks such as data import and employee management
HR Business Partner (HRBP) – Restricted access to employees within their assigned organizational line
Read-Only – Viewing rights only, without any ability to change data
The structure is designed to balance analytical needs with confidentiality requirements.
3. Permissions by Function
The table below summarizes the core activities within the PEA process and which roles are authorized to perform them.
General account settings
Administrator: ✓
All other roles: Not permitted
Administrators manage global settings that affect the entire account.
Import salary data and update employee management
Administrator: ✓
Operational Administrator: ✓
HRBP and Read-Only: Not permitted
These tasks involve handling sensitive employee data, therefore access is limited to roles with operational responsibility.
Initiate Pay Equity Analysis
Administrator: ✓
Other roles: Not permitted
Starting an analysis affects the platform’s configuration and triggers key workflows, requiring full administrative rights.
Create groupings and evaluations within the PEA
Operational Administrator: ✓
Other roles: Not permitted
Operational Administrators prepare structural elements such as job groupings and evaluation frameworks.
Conduct analysis by tagging and commenting on employees
Administrator: ✓
Operational Administrator: ✓
HRBP: ✓* (restricted)
Read-Only: Not permitted
HRBPs can analyze and comment on employees only within their assigned organizational line. All other employee data is anonymized.
View diagrams, analysis output, and comments
Administrator: ✓
Operational Administrator: ✓
HRBP: ✓* (restricted)
Read-Only: ✓** (restricted view)
HRBP and Read-Only roles can only see detailed information for employees in their permitted organizational line. All other data is anonymized.
Run reports
Administrator: ✓
Other roles: Not permitted
Reports may contain sensitive or aggregated data across multiple units, so access is restricted.
Conclude the pay equity analysis
Administrator: ✓
Other roles: Not permitted
Only users with full oversight can finalize the analysis, ensuring accuracy and compliance.
4. Notes on Restricted Access
Two clarifying notes govern the restricted roles:
HR Business Partner (HRBP)
Can view detailed employee information only within their assigned organizational line
All other data is anonymized
Can be granted access to multiple organizational lines if needed for the analysis
Read-Only
Can view detailed information only within their assigned line
All other data is anonymized
No ability to modify or add any information; strictly view-only
These restrictions ensure compliance with data privacy requirements while still enabling relevant staff to participate in the analysis.
5. Summary
The role-based access structure in Pay Equity Analysis provides a secure and effective way to manage sensitive compensation data. Administrators handle full-scope governance and reporting, Operational Administrators manage data and setup, HR Business Partners analyze data within their scope, and Read-Only users access information for reference without the ability to modify it. Together, these roles create a controlled, compliant, and efficient analytical environment.