⚡ What Are Work Permits?
Work Permits let you track an employee's worker status directly in their employee profile, so their permit or visa details are stored alongside the rest of their employee information.
Once a Work Permit is added, PUSH uses that information to help you stay compliant. It can notify you before a permit expires (e.g., an email notification through the Work Permit Expiration Alarm) or warn you in the Scheduler if you add a shift after the permit has expired. This way, you can stay on top of upcoming expiry dates without having to check each employee’s permit yourself.
🔎 Why Track Work Permits?
Here are some common reasons teams track Work Permits in PUSH:
- Save time on manual tracking: Keep every employee’s permit details in one place instead of juggling spreadsheets, paper files, or separate reminders.
- Reduce compliance risk: Have each employee’s permit details, including how many hours their permit allows them to work, on hand whenever you need to reference them.
- Avoid costly mistakes: Get flagged in the Scheduler when you add a shift after an employee’s Work Permit has expired, so small oversights don’t turn into bigger problems.
- Never miss a renewal: Get an email notification in advance so you’re not caught off guard when a permit expires.
🔐 Access required
Work Permit tracking is available to all Canadian customers with the HR Add-On.
📌 | Note: Work Permit tracking is not available to US customers at this time. If you'd like to track work permit information for US employees, we recommend setting up an Employee Attribute instead.
Who can view and update an employee's Work Permit?
- Super Administrators: Full access to view and update Work Permit information for any employee.
- Team Administrators: Can access Work Permit information if they have permission to view and/or update Employee SIN under Employee Setup. And must have permissions to the relevant Employee Groups under Update Employee Information, View Employee Information, and View Employee List. If you are unable to access, please confirm your permissions with a Super Administrator.
📋 Topics covered in this article:
📚 Related articles:
- Managing Employee Attributes
- Setting Up an Alarm for When an Employee's Work Permit Expires
- Check out our dedicated Employee Management section to find how-to guides, FAQs, and more.
Adding or Updating an Employee's Work Permit
Work Permit fields only appear for employees whose SIN is associated with a permit. Once that’s the case, you’ll see this section appear automatically, whether the employee was added manually by an Administrator or completed it themselves during digital onboarding.
- Click the Employees tab.
- Select the appropriate Employee List on the left-hand navigation bar: Active, Pending, Inactive, or On Leave List.
- Search for the employee, and under Edit, click the pencil icon next to their name.
- Navigate to the Basic Information (or Personal) section and, under the SIN field, enter the employee's details. |
📌 | Note: The Work Permit section will only appear for employees whose SIN is linked to a permit. If you don't see these fields, the employee's SIN isn't currently flagged as permit-associated. -
Once the SIN details are linked to a permit, the following fields will appear to complete:
💡 | Tip: All Work Permit fields are optional; you only need to fill in what's relevant to the employee's specific permit or visa.Field How to Fill Out Notes Worker Status Click the drop-down menu and select the option that matches the employee's permit: Active Study Permit, Active Work Permit/Visa Holder, Maintained Study Permit, or Maintained Work Permit. Select the option that best matches the employee's current permit or visa type. Program Click the drop-down menu and select the option that matches the employee's permit: Provincial Nominee Program (e.g., BC PNP, AINP), International Mobility Program, Study Permit, or Temporary Foreign Worker Program (LMIA). The Provincial Nominee Program option is based on your account's province (e.g., BC PNP in British Columbia, AINP in Alberta) — you'll only see the option relevant to your location. Work Permit Number Enter the identification number as it appears on the employee's permit. Max. Allowable Working Hours Enter the maximum number of hours the employee is legally permitted to work. There is no limit on the value entered in the field. This is based on what the employee’s permit allows. We recommend keeping it on record so that if the employee submits a Weekly Availability change, you can check it against this field. That way, both your business and the employee stay within what the permit allows. Work Permit Issue Date Use the calendar picker and select the date, or enter it manually (e.g. 1990-01-01). Marks the date the permit was issued and went into effect. Work Permit Expiry Date Use the calendar picker and select the date, or enter it manually (e.g. 1990-01-01). This is the date the employee’s permit expires, as listed on their permit.
If you add a shift for the employee on any day after this date, the Scheduler will show a pop-up indicating the permit has expired (e.g., if the permit expires on 2026-10-30, a shift on October 30 won’t show a pop-up, but a shift on October 31 will).
📌 | Note: Click the image below for an example of what the pop-up looks like on the Scheduler. Press 'Esc' on your keyboard to exit the enlarged view.
We recommend pairing this with the Work Permit Expiration Alarm, so your team is notified by email in advance
Upload Work Permit Click the plus icon and select a PDF from your device. Keep a copy of the permit for your records. Once uploaded, a link to it will appear in blue above this field or under Employee Files for you to view or download. - Once done, click Update Employee, and the page will refresh and display "Update Successful"!
Frequently Asked Questions About Work Permits
Have questions about tracking Work Permits? Whether you're wondering who can access this feature, why you're not seeing it for a specific employee, or how to get notified before a permit expires, this section provides quick answers to help you manage Work Permits with confidence.
Q: Why don't I see Work Permit fields for one of my employees?
A: Work Permit fields only appear for employees whose SIN is associated with a permit. If an employee's SIN isn't flagged this way, the fields won't show up on their profile.
Q: Is there a maximum value I can set for Max. Allowable Working Hours?
A: No, there's no limit on this field. Since work-hour regulations can vary by location, we recommend checking the relevant regulations for your employee's Work Permit before entering a value. For more details, refer to the Adding or Updating an Employee's Work Permit section of this article.
Q: Will the Scheduler warn me if a shift puts an employee over their Max. Allowable Working Hours?
A: No. Max. Allowable Working Hours is stored in the employee’s profile for reference only, and the Scheduler doesn’t display a pop-up when their shifts exceed it. We recommend checking that this value matches the employee’s Weekly Availability, so their shifts stay within what their permit allows when you build the schedule.
Q: What happens if I schedule an employee whose Work Permit has expired?
A: If you add a shift on any day after the employee's Work Permit Expiry Date, PUSH will show a pop-up warning after the shift has been assigned, letting you know the employee's Work Permit is not valid. Shifts on the expiry date itself won't trigger the pop-up, since the permit is still valid.
📌 | Note: Click the image below for an example of what the pop-up looks like on the Scheduler. Press 'Esc' on your keyboard to exit the enlarged view.
We recommend setting up the Work Permit Expiration Alarm to receive an email reminder ahead of the expiry date. Check out our dedicated article for step-by-step instructions.
Q: Can employees fill out their own Work Permit information?
A: Employees can only complete their Work Permit information during digital onboarding. Once onboarding is complete, employees won't be able to update this information themselves. From that point on, any changes to their Work Permit details must be made by an Administrator.
Q: How do employees get prompted to fill in their Work Permit details during digital onboarding?
A: It works the same way as the Administrator experience: once the employee enters their SIN during onboarding, the platform checks whether it's associated with a Work Permit. If it is, the additional Work Permit fields will appear for them to complete. If their SIN isn't associated with a Work Permit, these fields won't appear.
Q: How do I get notified before an employee's Work Permit expires?
A: Set up the Work Permit Expiration Alarm to receive an email reminder ahead of the expiry date. Customize the number of notice days you want to be notified, from 10 days prior to 30 days, to whatever meets your business's needs! Check out our dedicated article for step-by-step instructions.
Q: Which plans include Work Permit tracking?
A: Work Permit tracking is available to all Canadian customers with the HR Add-On.
For US customers, if you'd like to track this information, we recommend setting up an Employee Attribute instead.
Additional Information
Need further help? Refer to our Getting Help & Contacting Support article for the latest support options and ways to connect with our team.
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