Administrators can assign the "Manager" role to users who need visibility into team spending and responsibility for approvals or reviews.
This article covers how to assign the Manager role, how to set direct and team managers, and what to expect if your company uses an HRIS integration.
To learn what managers can see and do, see Manager Roles in Float: What They Can See and Do.
This feature is available to customers on Float's Professional or Enterprise Plans. View detailed plan information at floatfinancial.com/pricing and contact us via support@floatfinancial.com if you'd like to upgrade!
Guide Overview:
- What the "Manager" Role Does
- When the "Manager" Role is Required
- Assign the Manager Role to a New User
- Change an Existing User’s Role to Manager
- Permissions Hierarchy for Assigning Direct Managers
- Important Considerations
What the "Manager" Role Does
The Manager role gives users access to:
Their own and their team’s cards and transactions
Approve spend requests from their team
Pause and unpause cards
Review submitted transactions
To learn more about permissions, see User Roles
When the "Manager" Role is Required
Users must have the Manager role in order to:
Be assigned as another user's direct manager
Be assigned as the manager of a team
If a user doesn’t have this role, they won’t appear as a manager selection when setting up teams or users.
Assign the Manager Role to a New User
Log in to app.floatfinancial.com as an Administrator
Go to the Users page
Click + Add User
Fill out the user’s name, email, and title
Set their role to Manager
(Optional) Assign a direct manager — this person must also have the Manager role
Click Save
The user will receive an email to activate their Float account.
Change an Existing User’s Role to Manager
Go to the Users tab
Find the user and click Edit
Complete security verification if prompted
Change their role to Manager
Click Save
The user now has Manager permissions and can be assigned as a direct or team manager.
Set a Direct Manager for a User
Go to the Users tab
Click Edit next to the user’s name
In the Manager field, choose a user with the Manager role
Click Save
This allows Float to route approvals and reviews to the correct person.
To learn what direct managers can see, see Manager Roles in Float: What They Can See and Do
Remove the Direct Manager for a User
Only the Primary Administrator can remove a user’s direct manager.
Please note: this is only applicable for businesses that do not have an HRIS integration, as any manager changes would need to be completed in the connected HRIS platform.
Log in to app.floatfinancial.com as the Primary Administrator.
Go to "Users" and select the user.
Click "Edit", then complete the security code verification.
- In the "Manager" field, select the "x" beside the currently assigned manager.
Select "Save".
Once saved, the user’s direct manager will be removed, and they will no longer have a manager assigned.
Permissions Hierarchy for Assigning Direct Managers
When assigning a direct manager, you must respect the hierarchy of management permissions in Float. Users can only be assigned as the direct manager of another user with equal or lower permissions.
The hierarchy of management permissions, from highest to lowest, is:
Primary Administrator
Administrator
Manager
Who can manage whom:
Primary Administrators can be assigned as the direct manager of any user.
Administrators can be assigned as the direct manager of any user except for the Primary Administrator.
Managers can be assigned as the direct manager of other Managers and Spenders.
Bookkeepers, AP Clerks, and Spenders cannot be assigned as the direct manager of any user.
Bookkeepers cannot have a direct manager.
If you try to change the role of a direct manager to a role that would violate this hierarchy, you will see an error message: "Proposed manager cannot manage."
Set a Team Manager
Go to the Teams tab
Click into the team you want to update
In the team settings, choose a manager
The selected user must have the Manager role
Team managers gain visibility and control over cards and transactions associated with their team.
Important Considerations
Cyclical Reporting Structure
Users cannot manage each other, as this causes a cyclical reporting structure. A cyclical reporting structure occurs when reporting relationships form a closed loop rather than a traditional top-down hierarchy. This happens when the chain of command circles back on itself.
Example:
- Person A reports to Person B
- Person B reports to Person A
Instead of flowing upward to a final authority, the reporting chain creates a cycle with no clear endpoint.
Cyclical reporting structures prevent approval workflows from functioning properly:
- Infinite loops: Approval requests can't route correctly because there's no final approver
- System errors: Most financial systems detect and block cyclical structures to prevent workflow failures
- Stuck transactions: Expenses and requests may become trapped without resolution
If a name is missing from the direct manager drop-down, it may be because assigning them would create a reporting conflict.
Teams serve as a workaround by providing an alternative approval pathway that bypasses the direct manager reporting structure. Instead of approvals following the cyclical manager chain, you can assign users to a Team with a designated Team Lead/Approver - this means all approval requests route to that person regardless of the manager hierarchy. This allows you to maintain your collaborative/cyclical organizational structure while still enabling functional approval workflows, essentially separating "who you report to" from "who approves your transactions."
For more information, you can reference our guide: Create Teams & Track Spending
HRIS Integration
If your account uses an HRIS integration:
- Users must be given the Manager role in Float in order for management assignments to sync
If a user has the Manager role in Float, the HRIS sync will assign them as the manager of their direct reports
- If a user does not have the Manager role in Float, their direct reports will not automatically sync from the HRIS
You cannot manually assign or update a user’s direct manager or team in Float
To make changes, update the information in your HRIS and run a sync
Ensure the user’s email in your HRIS matches their Float email exactly
For more help, see Editing User Information in Float as an Administrator