Executive Summary

Managing user accounts in PyjamaHR is essential for maintaining security, controlling costs, and ensuring the right team members have access to your hiring data. This guide covers everything you need to know about removing, deactivating, or merging user accounts—including step-by-step instructions, troubleshooting, and best practices based on real customer scenarios.

Detailed Overview

What Does "Removing, Deactivating, or Merging User Accounts" Mean in PyjamaHR?

Removing a user: Permanently deletes a user’s access to your company’s PyjamaHR account. Their historical actions (e.g., comments, candidate notes) remain for audit purposes.
Deactivating a user: Temporarily suspends a user’s access without deleting their profile/data. (Note: PyjamaHR currently focuses on removal rather than deactivation, based on customer conversations.)
Merging user accounts: Combining two user accounts or transferring ownership/data. (PyjamaHR does not support merging accounts directly, but you can transfer access and data by reassigning roles and inviting new emails.)

When and Why to Use These Features:
- Offboarding employees who have left the company
- Reducing billable users to control subscription costs
- Correcting accidental sign-ups or duplicate accounts
- Transferring Super Admin rights during role changes
- Ensuring compliance and data security

Integration with Other Features:
- User management is tightly linked to billing (per-user pricing), access control (Super Admin/Admin/Recruiter/Hiring Manager/Interviewer), and team collaboration.
- Removing users immediately frees up seats for new team members and ensures accurate invoicing.

Step-by-Step Guide: Removing, Deactivating, or Merging User Accounts

Prerequisites

Only Super Admins can remove or manage user roles.
You must have access to the PyjamaHR web platform.
Ensure you know which email(s) you want to remove or reassign.

1. Removing a User from Your Team

For Super Admins

Log in to your PyjamaHR account.
Go to Settings (usually found in your profile menu at the top right).
Select Team Members.
Find the user you want to remove in the list.
Click the three dots (⋮) next to their name.
Select Remove User.
Confirm the removal in the pop-up dialog.

Screenshot Callout: Show the Settings > Team Members screen with the three dots menu highlighted.

Notes:
- Removing a user is immediate. The user will lose access to your company’s PyjamaHR account.
- Their historical activity (comments, notes) remains for audit purposes.

2. Deactivating a User

PyjamaHR does not currently support a "deactivate" (temporary suspend) function. Removal is permanent. If you need to temporarily restrict access, remove the user and re-invite them later.

3. Changing or Transferring Super Admin Access

Scenario: The current Super Admin is leaving, and you need to assign a new Super Admin.

Invite the new Super Admin:
- Go to Settings > Team Members.
- Click Invite Team Member.
- Enter the new email and select Super Admin as the access type.
Ask the new Super Admin to accept the invitation and complete onboarding.
Remove the old Super Admin:
- Once the new Super Admin is active, use the three dots menu to remove the old Super Admin.
(Optional) If you need to keep the old Super Admin as a non-billable user, downgrade their access instead of removing.

Best Practice: Complete the invite and removal within 20 minutes to avoid being billed for an extra user.

4. Replacing or Updating a User’s Email

PyjamaHR does not allow direct email changes. Instead:

Invite the new email as a user (with the same access level).
Log in with the new email and verify access.
Remove the old email from the team.

5. Removing Yourself from a Team or Company

Only a Super Admin can remove users. If you are not the Super Admin, request removal from your Super Admin.
If you are the only Super Admin, assign another user as Super Admin before removing yourself.

6. Merging User Accounts or Companies

Direct merging is not supported.
To consolidate, transfer data and access by:
- Removing the user from the old company/account.
- Inviting the same email to the new company/account.
- For job/candidate data, export/import or request support for data migration.

7. Removing External Recruiters or Interviewers

Go to Settings > Team Members.
Use the three dots menu to remove external users.
If you see errors or the user reappears, refresh the page or contact support.

Advanced Usage & Best Practices

Power User Tips

Batch User Management: Remove multiple users in one session to avoid extra charges or billing confusion.
Grace Period Awareness: Changes made during the billing grace period do not affect the current invoice but will be reflected in the next cycle.
Role Downgrade: If you want to keep a user but make them non-billable (e.g., Interviewer), downgrade their access instead of removing.
Audit Trail: User removal does not erase historical actions—ensuring compliance and traceability.

Do’s and Don’ts

Do:
- Always assign a new Super Admin before removing the current one.
- Remove unused users promptly to avoid unnecessary charges.
- Use official company emails for all users to avoid confusion.

Don’t:
- Don’t remove users during critical hiring activities without notifying your team.
- Don’t try to “merge” accounts by reusing emails without first removing them from old organizations.
- Don’t forget to refresh the page after making changes to see updates.

Troubleshooting & Common Issues

Common Problems and Solutions

1. User Reappears After Removal
- Solution: Refresh the page. If the issue persists, clear your browser cache or try incognito mode. If still unresolved, contact support.

2. Cannot Remove User (Blank Pop-up or Error)
- Solution: Try a hard refresh (Ctrl+Shift+R). If the problem continues, downgrade the user’s access to avoid charges and contact support.

3. “Plan Limit Exceeded” When Inviting New User
- Solution: Remove unused users or upgrade your plan to add more seats.

4. Cannot Remove Super Admin
- Solution: Assign another user as Super Admin first, then remove the original.

5. User Is Linked to Another Organization
- Solution: The user must be removed from the other organization before being added to yours. Ask them to request removal from their previous Super Admin or contact support.

6. Billing Still Shows Old User Count
- Solution: Changes made after invoice generation will reflect in the next billing cycle. Pay the current invoice; credits will be applied next month.

7. Accidentally Created Duplicate Accounts
- Solution: Remove the unwanted account(s) and invite the correct email to the intended organization.

Comprehensive FAQ

Q1: How do I remove a user from my PyjamaHR team?
A: Go to Settings > Team Members, click the three dots next to the user, and select Remove User.

Q2: Can I deactivate a user instead of removing them?
A: No, PyjamaHR currently only supports permanent removal.

Q3: How do I transfer Super Admin rights?
A: Invite the new Super Admin, have them onboard, then remove the old Super Admin.

Q4: What happens to a user’s data after removal?
A: Their access is revoked, but their historical actions remain for audit purposes.

Q5: Why does my invoice still show old users after I removed them?
A: Changes after invoice generation apply to the next billing cycle. Pay the current invoice; credits will be applied next month.

Q6: I can’t remove a user—what should I do?
A: Try a hard refresh or clear your cache. If the issue persists, downgrade their access and contact support.

Q7: How do I update a user’s email address?
A: Remove the old email and invite the new email as a user.

Q8: Can I merge two user accounts?
A: No, but you can transfer access by inviting the correct email and removing the duplicate.

Q9: What if a user is part of another organization?
A: They must be removed from the other organization first.

Q10: How do I remove myself from a company?
A: Ask your Super Admin to remove you. If you are the only Super Admin, assign another before removing yourself.

Q11: Why do removed users sometimes reappear?
A: This can be a sync issue—refresh the page or contact support if it persists.

Q12: How do I remove external recruiters or interviewers?
A: Same process as internal users—use the three dots menu in Team Members.

Q13: What if I signed up with the wrong email?
A: Remove the incorrect email and invite the correct one.

Q14: Can I temporarily suspend a user?
A: No, only permanent removal is supported.

Q15: What if I need to remove a user urgently but can’t access the account?
A: Contact support with the registered email and company details for assistance.

Inviting Team Members: See our guide on Inviting Team Members
Understanding Access Types: Learn about user roles and billing
Managing Subscription & Billing: Adjust user count to control costs.
Data Export & Migration: For merging or transferring data, contact support for assisted migration.

Real-World Scenarios & Examples

Reducing Billable Users: “I want to pay for only one user, but my invoice shows two.” → Remove extra users before your next billing cycle.
Super Admin Change: “Our Super Admin left the company.” → Invite a new Super Admin, then remove the old one.
Duplicate Accounts: “I signed up with the wrong email.” → Remove the incorrect account and invite the correct email.
External Recruiter Removal: “I can’t add a recruiter because they’re linked to another company.” → Ask them to be removed from the previous company first.

Summary Table: Actions & Who Can Perform Them

Action	Who Can Perform	Where to Do It	Notes
Remove user	Super Admin	Settings > Team Members	Immediate, permanent
Change Super Admin	Current Super Admin	Settings > Team Members	Invite new, then remove old
Remove yourself	Super Admin	Settings > Team Members	Assign new Super Admin first if needed
Remove external recruiter	Super Admin	Settings > Team Members	Same as internal users
Update user email	Super Admin	Invite new, remove old	No direct email change supported
Merge accounts	Not supported	N/A	Use invite/remove workaround

Still Need Help?

If you encounter persistent issues or need to remove users in special circumstances (e.g., lost access, account flagged, urgent offboarding), contact PyjamaHR Support with the affected email address and company details for prompt assistance.

By following this guide, you can confidently manage user accounts in PyjamaHR—ensuring security, compliance, and cost control for your organization.

How to Remove, Deactivate, or Merge User Accounts in PyjamaHR: The Complete Guide