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A Step-by-Step Guide to Employee Document Requests in Horilla HRMS

June 3, 2026

It may seem like a fairly straightforward task to collect documents from employees. For example, you would require a copy of the passport of one person and a copy of the PAN card of another individual, along with the signature of a policy acknowledgment from a group of employees. But without a proper system in place, all these things are likely to be jumbled up in various ways, be it via email, instant messaging, or post-it notes.

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The HR module Horilla provides an easy way out of this through its “Document Requests” feature available in the “Employee” section.

Where to Find It

Navigate to the Employee module in the left sidebar. The sub-menu expands to show: Profile, Employees, Document Requests, Shift Requests, Work Type Requests, Rotating Shift Assignments, Rotating Work Type Assignments, Disciplinary Actions, Policies, and Organization Chart. Click on Document Requests.

The page is titled “Document Requests” and sits at the path Horilla > Employee > Document Request.

The Document Requests View

The Document Requests page organizes requests by document type. Each document type appears as a collapsible group header — in the current view, “Passport” and “PAN CARD” are the two active types. Each group can be expanded to show the individual employee-level requests under it.

The expanded PAN CARD section shows a table with three columns: Document, Status, and Actions.

Document — Each row shows a specific request tied to a specific employee, displayed in a clear format: “Upload PAN CARD — Sebastian Mitchell” and “Upload PAN CARD — Chloe Morgan.” This naming convention makes it immediately clear what is being requested and from whom, without any ambiguity.

Status — The current state of the submission. In the example, both PAN CARD requests show “No Document,” meaning the employees have not yet uploaded anything against the request. Once an employee submits the document, the status updates to reflect the submission.

Date — Shows a dash when no document has been submitted, and updates with the submission date once the document is uploaded.

Actions — An upload icon that allows HR to upload the document on behalf of the employee if needed, and a delete icon to remove the request.

Creating a New Document Request

To request a document from an employee, click the Create button at the top right of the Document Requests page. A modal titled “Create Document Request” opens with the following fields:

Title — A required text field for naming the document request. This becomes the group header that employees and HR will see — for example, “Passport,” “PAN CARD,” “Address Proof,” or any other document type relevant to your organization.

Employee — A required field to select which employee or employees the request is directed to. A Filter option is available within this field to narrow down employees by department, job role, or other criteria — useful when you need to send the same request to a large group without selecting individuals one by one.

Format — A required dropdown specifying what file type the employee is expected to submit. The options are: Any, PDF, TXT, DOCX, XLSX, and JPG. Selecting a specific format ensures submissions are consistent and in a form that HR can actually open and process. If the document type can reasonably come in multiple formats — a scanned image or a PDF, for example — selecting “Any” gives the employee flexibility.

Max Size (In MB) — An optional field to set an upper limit on the file size. This prevents employees from uploading excessively large files that slow down the system or create storage issues.

Description — An optional text area for any additional instructions or context about the request. For example, “Please upload a clear scan of both sides of your PAN card” or “Government-issued ID only.”

Two save options are available at the bottom of the form: Save to create the request and close the form, and Save and Add Another to submit the current request and immediately open a fresh form — useful when HR needs to create multiple document requests in a single session without reopening the modal each time.

How It Works for Employees

Once a document request is created, the employee receives a notification and can see the request from their own portal. They upload the required document against the request, and the status updates in the HR view from “No Document” to the submitted state with the date recorded.

This keeps the entire process within the HRMS — the request, the submission, and the status tracking all happen in one place, eliminating the back-and-forth of email-based document collection.

Why This Matters

The Document Requests module solves a specific and common HR pain point: knowing who has and has not submitted required documents at any given time. Without a dedicated system, HR ends up maintaining manual trackers or chasing employees repeatedly without visibility into overall completion status.

With this module, the status of every document request is visible at a glance. HR knows exactly who has submitted, who has not, and when each document was received — all from the Document Requests page without opening any individual employee profiles.

For compliance purposes, this is particularly valuable. Many organizations are required to collect and retain specific employee documents — identity proofs, tax documents, certifications, and signed agreements. Having a system that tracks both the request and the submission creates a documented record that an audit can rely on.

The Document Requests module in Horilla HRMS brings structure to the otherwise informal process of collecting employee documents. Creating a request takes under a minute, format and size controls ensure submissions are consistent, and the status view keeps HR informed of who has responded and who has not — all from a single page. For HR teams managing document collection across a growing workforce, this is one of those features that quietly saves a significant amount of follow-up time.

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Horilla HR Editorial Team Author

Horilla HR Editorial Team is a group of experienced HR professionals, HRIS consultants, and technical writers who are passionate about HR software. We have deep, hands-on understanding of the HR landscape — from hiring and onboarding to payroll compliance and workforce analytics — and are committed to providing our readers with the most up-to-date and accurate content. We have written extensively on a variety of HR software topics, including applicant tracking systems, performance management software, employee engagement tools, and payroll software. Our content is reviewed against real product capabilities and current compliance standards. We are always looking for new ways to share our knowledge with the HR community. If you have a question about HR software, please don't hesitate to contact us.