Rules & Compliance4 min read

Audit Trail

Track every change to schedules, approvals, and team settings for compliance and accountability.

What Gets Tracked

SimpleStaff automatically logs all significant actions for compliance and troubleshooting:

Schedule Changes

  • • Shift created, edited, deleted
  • • Schedule published/unpublished
  • • Employee assigned/removed
  • • Shift times modified

Approvals

  • • Shift swap approvals/denials
  • • Time-off request decisions
  • • Overtime approvals
  • • Compliance overrides

Team Changes

  • • Member invited/removed
  • • Role/permission changes
  • • Availability updates
  • • Profile modifications

Settings & Security

  • • Rules configuration changes
  • • Integration enabled/disabled
  • • Login attempts
  • • Password changes

Viewing the Audit Log

1

Access the Audit Log

Go to Settings → Audit Log (Owners and Co-Owners only).

2

Filter by Type

Use the dropdown to filter by action type: All, Schedules, Approvals, Team, Settings.

3

Filter by Date Range

Select a date range to narrow down results. Logs are retained for 2 years (Pro) or 7 years (Enterprise).

4

Search by User

Search for actions by a specific user to see all their activity.

Understanding Audit Entries

Each audit entry contains:

TimestampExact date and time of the action (in your time zone)
UserWho performed the action (name and email)
ActionWhat was done (e.g., "Shift Created", "Time-Off Approved")
TargetWhat was affected (employee name, shift date, etc.)
DetailsSpecific changes made (before → after values)
IP AddressWhere the action originated from (Enterprise only)

Example Audit Entry

Shift ModifiedJan 15, 2024 at 2:34 PM

Sarah Manager modified a shift for John Smith

Date: January 20, 2024

Time: 9:00 AM - 5:00 PM → 10:00 AM - 6:00 PM

Reason: "Employee requested later start"

Exporting Audit Logs

Export audit logs for external review or compliance documentation:

  1. 1.Go to Settings → Audit Log
  2. 2.Apply any filters (date range, action type, user)
  3. 3.Click "Export" in the top right
  4. 4.Choose format: CSV or PDF

Tip: Schedule automatic weekly exports for compliance records. Go to Settings → Audit Log → Scheduled Exports.

Data Retention

PlanAudit Log Retention
Free30 days
Team1 year
Pro2 years
Enterprise7 years (customizable)

Need longer retention? Enterprise plans can extend retention up to 10 years for regulatory compliance.

Who Can Access the Audit Log

Owner — Full access to all audit logs
Co-Owner — Full access to all audit logs
Manager — Limited access (their actions and team changes only)
Staff — No access to audit logs

Need help with compliance reporting?

Contact Support