How to check if an employee has left before acting on a Zendesk ticket

By Jake Marsh · Updated

To check an employee's status before you act on a Zendesk ticket, install Staffwell and connect HiBob, Deel or BambooHR. When you open the ticket, Staffwell matches the requester by email and shows a warning at the top of the sidebar if they've left the company (with the date when the HR system has one), are leaving (with the last day), are on leave, haven't started yet (with the start date) or are out today (with the day they're back).

Steps

  1. Connect your HR system with a read-only credential (HiBob service user, Deel organization token or BambooHR API key). For HiBob, remove "Lifecycle status equals Employed" from the service user's access so leavers can be found.
  2. Make sure status is in Fields every agent sees. It's there by default.
  3. Open the ticket. The warning, if any, sits above everything else in the panel.
  4. No match? If the request came from a personal address, type their work email into Employee email and press Find. Lookup is by exact email only.
  5. Record what you checked. Click Add to ticket as internal note, tick the fields to include, read the confirmation and click Add note.

The warnings

WarningWhen it showsWhat it helps you avoid
Left the company, with the dateThe HR system records that they've leftRestoring access or sharing information with a former employee
Leaving, with the last dayThe HR system has a last day on recordOrdering equipment or long-lived access for someone on their way out
On leaveThe HR system has them on leave, with the date they're back when it's knownChasing someone who isn't working. The reason is never shown
Has not started yet, with the start dateThe start date is in the futureSetting up access too early, or too late
Out today, with the day they're backTime off todayExpecting a quick reply

Who should see what

SettingDefault
Who can see the panelagent. Admins always see it; everyone else sees a short notice
Fields every agent seesstatus, title, department, manager, location, time_off
Extra fields for HR rolesstart_date, employment_type, work_phone, timezone, equipment
Who sees the HR fieldsadmin, for example admin, group:360001234 for your People team
Show the type of time offOff
Allow internal notesOn

Staffwell asks the HR system only for the fields the agent in front of it may see, so hidden fields never reach that agent's browser. If you want only IT and HR to see the panel at all, set Who can see the panel to their roles or groups.

What's never shown

Pay and compensation, bank details, national ID, tax, SSN and passport numbers, birth dates, gender, ethnicity, marital status, home addresses and personal contact details, dependents, benefits and health data. There's no setting that turns them on.

What it costs

Staffwell is $499 a month per Zendesk account on the Standard plan, any number of agents, with HiBob, Deel and BambooHR included, billed monthly by Zendesk. It has a 14-day free trial; Zendesk asks for a card at install. Setup for each HR system is in the Staffwell documentation.

Staffwell

Employee profiles from HiBob, Deel or BambooHR on the ticket. You pick the HR fields agents see. $499 a month per Zendesk account.

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Questions

Can I check the manager before approving a request?

Yes. manager is in the default list every agent sees, next to title, department and location.

Does the status update if HR changes it today?

Yes. Staffwell reads the HR system live each time the panel opens, and Refresh reads it again. Nothing is cached.

Can agents see why someone is on leave?

No. Leave reads "On leave" (or "On garden leave"). Sick, medical, parental and personal leave are never named, even with Show the type of time off turned on.

Can I restrict the panel to IT and HR agents only?

Yes. Set Who can see the panel to admin plus the role ids or group:<id> entries for those teams.

More Staffwell guides

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