UKG Pro Security and Workflows: Best Practices for Alignment

As a UKG consulting firm, we often see organizations struggling to balance security with efficiency in UKG Pro. While the system offers powerful workflow automation and robust security controls, the key to success is aligning these elements to streamline processes without exposing sensitive data. In this article, we’ll explore the best approach to configuring UKG Pro security and workflows to enhance compliance, reduce risk, and improve operational efficiency.

Understanding UKG Pro Security & Workflows

UKG Pro’s security framework is built on two fundamental principles:

1. Roles define what you see – A user’s role determines which pages, modules, and functions they can access within the system.

2. Assignments define who you see – Security assignments determine which employees or groups of employees a user can access within those areas.

The combination of role-based access and security assignments forms the foundation of UKG Pro’s security model. As a result, if not properly configured, users may either have excessive access to sensitive data or struggle with inefficient workflows due to unnecessary restrictions.

Workflows in UKG Pro automate key business processes like employee changes, payroll approvals, and benefits administration. If workflows are not properly aligned with security roles and assignments, it can lead to delays, compliance risks, or unnecessary manual interventions.

Best Practices for Aligning Security and Workflows

1. Establish a Role-Based Security Model

A strong security foundation starts with well-defined user roles. UKG Pro allows you to configure access at various levels, including:

Employee self-service (e.g., updating personal information)
Manager access (e.g., reviewing and approving time-off requests)
HR and payroll administrators (e.g., data entry, processing payroll or terminations)

Best Practice: Use the principle of least privilege—only granting the minimum level of access necessary for each role. Regularly audit roles to prevent unnecessary access.

Once open enrollment is live, keeping everything on track requires ongoing monitoring and quick problem-solving:

2. Align Security Assignments with Business Needs

Since assignments define who you see, it’s important to ensure that users can only access the employees relevant to their role. For example:

A store manager should only see employees in their location.
A regional HR manager should see all employees within their assigned region.
A corporate payroll admin may need access to all employees for processing.

Best Practice: Review security assignments regularly to prevent access creep—where users accumulate access over time that they no longer need.

3. Map Workflows to Security Permissions

Workflows should be designed to follow a logical approval hierarchy while adhering to security restrictions. For example:

Payroll approvals should require multi-level approval, preventing unauthorized changes.
Job and pay changes should trigger notifications to relevant departments/groups to maintain compliance.
Time and attendance requests should route based on the organizational structure (hierarchy).

Best Practice: Review security settings to ensure that users responsible for approving workflows have the necessary permissions but not excessive access to confidential data.

4. Implement Multi-Factor Authentication (MFA) and Single Sign-On (SSO)

Security should not only be based on permissions but also on authentication methods.

MFA adds an extra layer of security by requiring a second verification step.
SSO simplifies login processes while maintaining strong security controls.

Best Practice: Enforce MFA for all administrative users and encourage SSO to reduce password-related risks.

5. Leverage UKG Pro Auditing and Logging

UKG Pro provides auditing tools that track user activity, workflow approvals, and security changes. Regularly monitoring these logs helps detect unauthorized access or process failures. It also helps you stay up to speed on ensuring workflows are processing properly.

Best Practice: Schedule periodic security reviews to identify anomalies and ensure workflows are functioning correctly.

6. Optimize Workflow Automation with Conditional Logic

Workflows should be built with conditional logic to adapt to different scenarios. For example:

Salary adjustments above a certain percentage may require executive approval.
Employee status changes may trigger IT provisioning workflows.

Best Practice: Work closely with stakeholders to define rules that minimize manual work while maintaining security oversight.

7. Conduct Regular Security and Workflow Reviews

Business needs evolve, and so should your UKG Pro configurations. Regularly reassess security roles and workflow effectiveness to adapt to organizational changes.

Best Practice: Set up a quarterly review cycle with HR, IT, and payroll teams to refine access controls and workflow efficiency.

Conclusion

Properly aligning UKG Pro security and workflows is crucial for maintaining compliance, reducing risks, and improving operational efficiency. By implementing a role-based security model, aligning security assignments with business needs, mapping workflows to permissions, leveraging MFA and SSO, and conducting regular audits, organizations can fully optimize their UKG Pro environment.

At GOSA, we specialize in helping organizations configure UKG Pro security and workflows to align with best practices. In summary if you need assistance with setup, optimization, or audits, reach out to our team to ensure your UKG Pro system is working securely and efficiently.