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BambooHR Automation via Rube MCP

Automate BambooHR human resources operations through Composio's BambooHR toolkit via Rube MCP.

Toolkit docs: composio.dev/toolkits/bamboohr

Prerequisites

• Rube MCP must be connected (RUBE_SEARCH_TOOLS available)
• Active BambooHR connection via RUBE_MANAGE_CONNECTIONS with toolkit bamboohr
• Always call RUBE_SEARCH_TOOLS first to get current tool schemas

Setup

Get Rube MCP: Add https://rube.app/mcp as an MCP server in your client configuration. No API keys needed — just add the endpoint and it works.

1. Verify Rube MCP is available by confirming RUBE_SEARCH_TOOLS responds
2. Call RUBE_MANAGE_CONNECTIONS with toolkit bamboohr
3. If connection is not ACTIVE, follow the returned auth link to complete BambooHR authentication
4. Confirm connection status shows ACTIVE before running any workflows

Core Workflows

1. List and Search Employees

When to use: User wants to find employees or get the full employee directory

Tool sequence:

1. BAMBOOHR_GET_ALL_EMPLOYEES - Get the employee directory [Required]
2. BAMBOOHR_GET_EMPLOYEE - Get detailed info for a specific employee [Optional]

Key parameters:

• For GET_ALL_EMPLOYEES: No required parameters; returns directory
• For GET_EMPLOYEE:
  • id: Employee ID (numeric)
  • fields: Comma-separated list of fields to return (e.g., 'firstName,lastName,department,jobTitle')

Pitfalls:

• Employee IDs are numeric integers
• GET_ALL_EMPLOYEES returns basic directory info; use GET_EMPLOYEE for full details
• The fields parameter controls which fields are returned; omitting it may return minimal data
• Common fields: firstName, lastName, department, division, jobTitle, workEmail, status
• Inactive/terminated employees may be included; check status field

2. Track Employee Changes

When to use: User wants to detect recent employee data changes for sync or auditing

Tool sequence:

1. BAMBOOHR_EMPLOYEE_GET_CHANGED - Get employees with recent changes [Required]

Key parameters:

• since: ISO 8601 datetime string for change detection threshold
• type: Type of changes to check (e.g., 'inserted', 'updated', 'deleted')

Pitfalls:

• since parameter is required; use ISO 8601 format (e.g., '2024-01-15T00:00:00Z')
• Returns IDs of changed employees, not full employee data
• Must call GET_EMPLOYEE separately for each changed employee's details
• Useful for incremental sync workflows; cache the last sync timestamp

3. Manage Time-Off

When to use: User wants to view time-off balances, request time off, or manage requests

Tool sequence:

1. BAMBOOHR_GET_META_TIME_OFF_TYPES - List available time-off types [Prerequisite]
2. BAMBOOHR_GET_TIME_OFF_BALANCES - Check current balances [Optional]
3. BAMBOOHR_GET_TIME_OFF_REQUESTS - List existing requests [Optional]
4. BAMBOOHR_CREATE_TIME_OFF_REQUEST - Submit a new request [Optional]
5. BAMBOOHR_UPDATE_TIME_OFF_REQUEST - Modify or approve/deny a request [Optional]

Key parameters:

• For balances: employeeId, time-off type ID
• For requests: start, end (date range), employeeId
• For creation:
  • employeeId: Employee to request for
  • timeOffTypeId: Type ID from GET_META_TIME_OFF_TYPES
  • start: Start date (YYYY-MM-DD)
  • end: End date (YYYY-MM-DD)
  • amount: Number of days/hours
  • notes: Optional notes for the request
• For update: requestId, status ('approved', 'denied', 'cancelled')

Pitfalls:

• Time-off type IDs are numeric; resolve via GET_META_TIME_OFF_TYPES first
• Date format is 'YYYY-MM-DD' for start and end dates
• Balances may be in hours or days depending on company configuration
• Request status updates require appropriate permissions (manager/admin)
• Creating a request does NOT auto-approve it; separate approval step needed

4. Update Employee Information

When to use: User wants to modify employee profile data

Tool sequence:

1. BAMBOOHR_GET_EMPLOYEE - Get current employee data [Prerequisite]
2. BAMBOOHR_UPDATE_EMPLOYEE - Update employee fields [Required]

Key parameters:

• id: Employee ID (numeric, required)
• Field-value pairs for the fields to update (e.g., department, jobTitle, workPhone)

Pitfalls:

• Only fields included in the request are updated; others remain unchanged
• Some fields are read-only and cannot be updated via API
• Field names must match BambooHR's expected field names exactly
• Updates are audited; changes appear in the employee's change history
• Verify current values with GET_EMPLOYEE before updating to avoid overwriting

5. Manage Dependents and Benefits

When to use: User wants to view employee dependents or benefit coverage

Tool sequence:

1. BAMBOOHR_DEPENDENTS_GET_ALL - List all dependents [Required]
2. BAMBOOHR_BENEFIT_GET_COVERAGES - Get benefit coverage details [Optional]

Key parameters:

• For dependents: Optional employeeId filter
• For benefits: Depends on schema; check RUBE_SEARCH_TOOLS for current parameters

Pitfalls:

• Dependent data includes sensitive PII; handle with appropriate care
• Benefit coverages may include multiple plan types per employee
• Not all BambooHR plans include benefits administration; check account features
• Data access depends on API key permissions

Common Patterns

ID Resolution

Employee name -> Employee ID:

1. Call BAMBOOHR_GET_ALL_EMPLOYEES
2. Find employee by name in directory results
3. Extract id (numeric) for detailed operations

Time-off type name -> Type ID:

1. Call BAMBOOHR_GET_META_TIME_OFF_TYPES
2. Find type by name (e.g., 'Vacation', 'Sick Leave')
3. Extract id for time-off requests

Incremental Sync Pattern

For keeping external systems in sync with BambooHR:

1. Store last_sync_timestamp
2. Call BAMBOOHR_EMPLOYEE_GET_CHANGED with since=last_sync_timestamp
3. For each changed employee ID, call BAMBOOHR_GET_EMPLOYEE
4. Process updates in external system
5. Update last_sync_timestamp

Time-Off Workflow

1. GET_META_TIME_OFF_TYPES -> find type ID
2. GET_TIME_OFF_BALANCES -> verify available balance
3. CREATE_TIME_OFF_REQUEST -> submit request
4. UPDATE_TIME_OFF_REQUEST -> approve/deny (manager action)

Known Pitfalls

Employee IDs:

• Always numeric integers
• Resolve names to IDs via GET_ALL_EMPLOYEES
• Terminated employees retain their IDs

Date Formats:

• Time-off dates: 'YYYY-MM-DD'
• Change detection: ISO 8601 with timezone
• Inconsistent formats between endpoints; check each endpoint's schema

Permissions:

• API key permissions determine accessible fields and operations
• Some operations require admin or manager-level access
• Time-off approvals require appropriate role permissions

Sensitive Data:

• Employee data includes PII (names, addresses, SSN, etc.)
• Handle all responses with appropriate security measures
• Dependent data is especially sensitive

Rate Limits:

• BambooHR API has rate limits per API key
• Bulk operations should be throttled
• GET_ALL_EMPLOYEES is more efficient than individual GET_EMPLOYEE calls

Response Parsing:

• Response data may be nested under data key
• Employee fields vary based on fields parameter
• Empty fields may be omitted or returned as null
• Parse defensively with fallbacks

Quick Reference

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