Understanding Circular Reporting Lines
Understand what circular reporting lines are and how to rectify them
When setting up reporting lines in Perform, it's possible to accidentally create a circular structure — where a chain of managers loops back on itself with no clear top. This article explains what circular reporting lines are, why they can cause problems, how to spot them, and what to do to fix them.
Who this article is for
- Users with access to Ausmed Perform
- Users with permission to manage Reporting Lines in Ausmed Perform.
What is a circular reporting line?
Reporting Lines define who manages whom in your organisation. They tell the system which staff report to which manager. This relationship drives how performance activities are assigned and which users are notified.
In Perform, you can assign someone as a Reporting Line Manager and then add direct reports beneath them. A circular reporting line happens when this chain loops back — meaning a manager ends up (directly or indirectly) reporting to one of their own reports.
A simple example:
Alex is set as Bailey's Reporting Line Manager.
Bailey is set as Casey's Reporting Line Manager.
Casey is then set as Alex's Reporting Line Manager.
Now Alex → Bailey → Casey → Alex, with no one at the top. This is a circular reporting line.
⚠️ Please note: Perform won't stop you from creating a circular reporting line, but we'll display a warning when one is detected. We strongly recommend resolving circular structures before they affect your team's workflows.
Why does it matter?
Circular reporting lines might seem like a minor configuration issue, but they can have a real impact on how Perform works for your team. Here's what to watch out for:
Reporting degradation
Perform uses reporting lines to roll up data — like review completion rates and team metrics — up through the hierarchy. When there's a loop, the system can't determine which direction is 'up', which means reports may be incomplete, duplicated, or simply incorrect.
Task confusion and unclear ownership
Many Perform tasks — such as approvals, check-ins, and performance reviews — rely on knowing who sits at the top of a reporting line. In a circular structure, there is no clear top, which means tasks may not be assigned to the right person, could be duplicated across multiple people, or might not trigger at all.
How to identify a circular reporting line
Perform will flag a warning when it detects a circular reporting line.
You can also manually trace reporting lines by checking the Reporting Line Manager field on each person's profile and following the chain step by step to see if it loops.
How to fix a circular reporting line
To resolve a circular reporting line, you'll need to break the loop by updating at least one person's Reporting Line Manager. Here's how:
- Identify who should sit at the top of the reporting structure (i.e. the most senior person with no manager above them in this chain).
- Open Ausmed Perform and go to Organisation > Reporting Lines
- Click the appropriate user
- Change their Reporting Line Manager so they are no longer reporting to someone lower in the chain.
- Save the change and check whether the warning has cleared.
Still need help? If you're unsure how to restructure your reporting lines, or the warning persists after making changes, reach out to your system administrator or contact our support team.