Automation

Automate routine paperwork actions to reduce admin and keep compliance up to date.

Employee paperwork doesn’t stop being important once it’s been collected — it needs to stay current and correctly managed.

Paperwork automations in Worknice help you remove manual steps by automatically handling common actions at the paperwork type level. This ensures paperwork is processed or renewed at the right time, without relying on manual follow-ups.

The following automations are available:

• Auto process submitted paperwork

• Auto renew expiring paperwork

• Auto set expiry date

• Auto set due date

• Auto-assign missing paperwork

All five are configured from the Settings area of a paperwork type.

Four of them act on paperwork that already exists. Auto-assign missing paperwork is different in kind: it creates paperwork for people who are required to complete it and have none.

Getting Started

To configure paperwork automations:

1. Go to Settings > Paperwork Types

2. Select the paperwork type you want to manage

3. Open the Settings tab

Available Automations

Auto Process Submitted Paperwork

Some paperwork does not require manual review once it has been completed — for example, policy acknowledgements or informational documents.

When Auto Process is enabled, Worknice automatically marks submitted paperwork as Processed, removing the need for an admin to manually review or action it.

Best suited for:

• Policy acknowledgements

• SOP acknowledgements

• Low-risk paperwork that does not require validation

Benefits:

• Eliminates manual processing

• Keeps paperwork moving without delays

• Reduces admin workload

Auto Renew Expiring Paperwork

Important paperwork such as licences, certifications, and training documents often expire and need to be kept current.

With Auto Renew, Worknice automatically issues a new paperwork request as an existing item approaches its expiry date. Employees are notified and prompted to provide updated paperwork on time. You also choose what it covers: Auto reassign both required and optional paperwork, Only auto reassign required paperwork, or Only auto reassign optional paperwork. Picking one of the last two is a fourth reason a renewal may not appear.

Benefits:

• Prevents compliance gaps

• Removes the need to track expiry dates manually

• Ensures paperwork stays valid and up to date

Auto Set Due Date

Some paperwork should be completed within a set timeframe after it is assigned. For example, you may want employees to complete assigned paperwork within 15 days.

With Auto Set Due Date, Worknice automatically applies a due date to paperwork created from that paperwork type.

Best suited for:

• All paperwork

Benefits:

• Sets clear expectations for completion

• Reduces manual due date updates

• Helps employees understand when action is required

• Ensures reminder and follow-up emails are sent to employees

Auto Set Expiry Date

Some paperwork should expire after a consistent period of time. For example, you may want an emergency contact form to expire every 12 months so employees are prompted to confirm their details regularly.

With Auto Set Expiry Date, Worknice automatically applies an expiry date to paperwork created from that paperwork type.

Best suited for:

• Emergency contact forms

• Annual policy acknowledgements

• Recurring compliance or training requirements

• Certificates or forms that need regular renewal

Benefits:

• Ensures paperwork has a consistent expiry period

• Reduces manual date entry

• Supports automatic renewal workflows

• Keeps records current over time

Auto-assign missing paperwork

Compliance groups set out what each person is required to complete, and there is usually a gap between that list and what people have actually been assigned. This setting closes the gap without anyone going looking for it.

Turn it on and Worknice assigns this paperwork to anyone who is required to complete it but has no active assignment. Turning it on backfills the gaps that already exist. After that, gaps created by compliance group changes are filled as they appear, and a nightly sweep at 5am picks up anything else.

Requirements come from compliance groups, so the setting only does anything for a paperwork type that a compliance group requires.

Best suited for:

• Certificates and licences a compliance group requires

• Policy acknowledgements everyone in a group must complete

• Requirements that change as people move between roles or sites

Benefits:

• Closes compliance gaps without anyone finding them first

• Keeps new starters and people who change roles up to date

• Removes a recurring manual job rather than speeding it up

Why You’ll Love Paperwork Automations

• Automations are enabled per paperwork type

• Auto process applies to paperwork as it is submitted, including items already in flight. The date settings apply to new paperwork only: default due date and default expiry are read when paperwork is created, so changing them does not move dates on paperwork that already exists.

• Employees are automatically notified by email when action is required

• Admin effort is significantly reduced

Configuring Paperwork Automations

To enable any of them:

1. Go to Settings > Paperwork Types

2. Select the paperwork type you want to configure

3. Open the Settings tab

4. Click Edit

5. Enable:

   • Auto process submitted paperwork (if no manual review is required)

   • Auto renew expiring paperwork (for auto renewal of expiring items)

   • Auto-assign missing paperwork (to assign this paperwork to anyone a compliance group requires it from who does not already have it)

6. Click Save

Once enabled, these automations will run automatically for all paperwork associated with that type.

You’re All Done!

Paperwork automations help you stay compliant with less effort by automatically processing low-risk paperwork and renewing expiring items before they become an issue.

If you have any questions, please reach out to our support team at help@worknice.com or through the help section within Worknice.