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.
Verify Rube MCP is available by confirming
RUBE_SEARCH_TOOLS
responds
Call
RUBE_MANAGE_CONNECTIONS
with toolkit
bamboohr
If connection is not ACTIVE, follow the returned auth link to complete BambooHR authentication
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
:
BAMBOOHR_GET_ALL_EMPLOYEES
- Get the employee directory [Required]
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
:
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
:
BAMBOOHR_GET_META_TIME_OFF_TYPES
- List available time-off types [Prerequisite]
BAMBOOHR_GET_TIME_OFF_BALANCES
- Check current balances [Optional]
BAMBOOHR_GET_TIME_OFF_REQUESTS
- List existing requests [Optional]
BAMBOOHR_CREATE_TIME_OFF_REQUEST
- Submit a new request [Optional]
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
:
BAMBOOHR_GET_EMPLOYEE
- Get current employee data [Prerequisite]
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
:
BAMBOOHR_DEPENDENTS_GET_ALL
- List all dependents [Required]
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
Task
Tool Slug
Key Params
List all employees
BAMBOOHR_GET_ALL_EMPLOYEES
(none)
Get employee details
BAMBOOHR_GET_EMPLOYEE
id, fields
Track changes
BAMBOOHR_EMPLOYEE_GET_CHANGED
since, type
Time-off types
BAMBOOHR_GET_META_TIME_OFF_TYPES
(none)
Time-off balances
BAMBOOHR_GET_TIME_OFF_BALANCES
employeeId
List time-off requests
BAMBOOHR_GET_TIME_OFF_REQUESTS
start, end, employeeId
Create time-off request
BAMBOOHR_CREATE_TIME_OFF_REQUEST
employeeId, timeOffTypeId, start, end
Update time-off request
BAMBOOHR_UPDATE_TIME_OFF_REQUEST
requestId, status
Update employee
BAMBOOHR_UPDATE_EMPLOYEE
id, (field updates)
List dependents
BAMBOOHR_DEPENDENTS_GET_ALL
employeeId
Benefit coverages
BAMBOOHR_BENEFIT_GET_COVERAGES
(check schema)
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