Getting Started
First-time login, navigation, and profile setup in Z8
First Time Login
When you first log in, you'll see:
- Your personal dashboard with relevant widgets
- Navigation menu to access different features
- Your profile information in the top-right corner
Customizing Your Dashboard
Your dashboard displays widgets that provide quick access to important information. You can personalize the layout by rearranging widgets:
Reordering Widgets
Click and hold any widget card on your dashboard
Drag the widget to your preferred position
Release to drop the widget in its new location
Your widget arrangement is automatically saved and will persist across sessions.
Available Widgets
Depending on your role, you may see these widgets:
- Managed Employees - Quick access to your team (managers)
- Pending Approvals - Requests awaiting your review (managers)
- Team Overview - Team status and activity
- Quick Stats - Your work hours summary
- Who's Out Today - Colleagues on leave today
- Upcoming Time Off - Scheduled absences
- Recently Approved - Latest approved requests
- Birthday Reminders - Upcoming team celebrations
- Hydration Tracker - Water intake tracking (when enabled)
Widget availability depends on your role and enabled features. Enable Hydration Tracker in Settings → Wellness.
Navigation
Key sections you can access:
- Dashboard - Overview of your work and pending tasks
- Time Tracking - Log your work hours
- Absences - Request time off
- Approvals - Review team requests (if you're a manager)
- Settings - Manage your profile and preferences
Mobile App
Z8 also includes a focused mobile employee app for day-to-day attendance actions.
Current mobile support includes:
- Clock in and clock out
- View your current attendance status and today's summary
- Request your own absences
- View upcoming, pending, and past absences
- Cancel pending absence requests
How Mobile Sign-In Works
The mobile app opens the normal Z8 sign-in flow in your browser, then returns you to the app after authentication. If you belong to more than one organization, use Profile in the mobile app to switch organizations.
The current mobile release is employee-focused. Manager approvals, team views, and offline clocking still belong to the web and desktop experiences.
Managing Your Profile
Personal Information
Click on your avatar in the top-right corner
Select "Settings" → "Profile"
Update your information:
- First Name - Your given name
- Last Name - Your family name
- Gender - Optional (Male, Female, Other)
- Birthday - Optional, used for birthday celebrations
Click "Save Changes"
Your name and email are visible to your managers and team members.
Profile Picture
Go to Settings → Profile
Click on your current avatar
Upload a new image (recommended: square image, at least 200x200 pixels)
Click "Save"
Email Notifications
Go to Settings → Profile
Scroll to "Email Notifications" section
Toggle the notifications you want to receive:
- Approval requests
- Time entry reminders
- Team announcements
- Birthday notifications
Click "Save Changes"
Understanding Managers
What are Managers?
Managers are employees who have approval authority for your:
- Vacation and time-off requests
- Time entry corrections
- Schedule changes
Multiple Managers
You can have more than one manager! This is useful if you report to multiple people or work across teams.
Primary Manager: One of your managers is designated as "primary." They are:
- Your default approver for requests
- Listed first in your profile
- Your main point of contact for work-related matters
Secondary Managers: Additional managers who can also:
- Approve your requests
- View your work information
- Provide guidance and support
Viewing Your Managers
Go to Settings → Profile
Scroll to the "Managers" section
You'll see all your managers listed, with the primary manager clearly marked
Only administrators can assign or change managers. If you need to update your managers, contact your admin.
Team Membership
Your Team
Teams help organize employees by department, project, or function. You may belong to one team.
Viewing Your Team
Go to Settings → Teams
Find your team in the list
Click on it to see:
- Team name and description
- All team members
- Team lead or manager
Team Benefits
Being part of a team gives you:
- Shared vacation calendar visibility
- Team-specific announcements
- Easier collaboration with teammates
- Team-based reporting and analytics
Work Schedules
What is a Work Schedule?
Your work schedule defines your expected working hours. It's used to:
- Calculate vacation allowances
- Track time off accurately
- Ensure proper workload distribution
Types of Work Schedules
Simple Schedule
- Description: One number representing total weekly hours
- Example: 40 hours per week
- Best for: Standard full-time or part-time schedules
Detailed Schedule
- Description: Specific hours for each day of the week
- Example: Monday-Friday 8 hours each, weekends off
- Best for: Irregular schedules or specific work patterns
Viewing Your Schedule
Go to Settings → Profile or Settings → Employees → (Your Name)
Look for the "Work Schedule" section
You'll see:
- Total weekly hours
- Work classification (daily, weekly, or monthly)
- Effective date of the schedule
Only administrators and managers can modify work schedules. If your schedule needs updating, contact your admin.
Dark Mode & Themes
Switching Themes
Z8 supports both light and dark themes for comfortable viewing:
Click on your avatar in the top-right corner
Click the theme toggle button (sun/moon icon)
Choose your preference:
- Light: Bright theme for well-lit environments
- Dark: Dark theme for reduced eye strain
- System: Automatically match your device settings
Benefits of Dark Mode
- Reduced eye strain in low-light environments
- Lower battery consumption on OLED screens
- Better focus with less visual distraction
- Accessibility-friendly contrast options