frontend/src/components/layout/ProtectedRoute.tsx

@@ -43,6 +43,12 @@ export function ProtectedRoute({ requiredRole, children }: ProtectedRouteProps)
     }
   }
 
+  // L1 users landing on / (e.g. post-login) get redirected to their workspace.
+  // Does not fire when already on /l1 or any other path, preventing loops.
+  if (effectiveRole === 'l1_tech' && location.pathname === '/') {
+    return <Navigate to="/l1" replace />
+  }
+
   return <>{children}</>
 }
 

frontend/src/components/layout/Sidebar.tsx

@@ -12,6 +12,7 @@ import { useUserPreferencesStore } from '@/store/userPreferencesStore'
 import { sidebarApi } from '@/api'
 import type { SidebarStatsResponse } from '@/api/sidebar'
 import { prefetchForRoute } from '@/lib/routePrefetch'
+import { usePermissions } from '@/hooks/usePermissions'
 
 /* ── Types ──────────────────────────────────────────── */
 
@@ -37,6 +38,7 @@ export function Sidebar() {
   const location = useLocation()
   const sidebarPinned = useUserPreferencesStore(s => s.sidebarPinned)
   const toggleSidebarPinned = useUserPreferencesStore(s => s.toggleSidebarPinned)
+  const { isL1Tech, canCoverL1 } = usePermissions()
 
   const [stats, setStats] = useState<SidebarStatsResponse | null>(null)
   // Phase 6: pending-drafts badge on the Scripts nav. Fetched independently
@@ -77,7 +79,16 @@ export function Sidebar() {
    * and pinned modes. Pin/unpin is a width/label affordance, not an
    * IA switch. A hairline divider separates the two groups; no labels. */
 
-  const workItems: NavEntry[] = [
+  // L1 users get a focused sidebar with only their surfaces.
+  // Engineers/owners get the full sidebar; those with canCoverL1 also get
+  // an appended "L1 Workspace" entry in the library group.
+  const workItems: NavEntry[] = isL1Tech
+    ? [
+        { href: '/l1', icon: LayoutGrid, label: 'Workspace', shortLabel: 'Work', matchPaths: ['/l1'] },
+        { href: '/l1/tickets', icon: Ticket, label: 'Tickets', shortLabel: 'Tickets', matchPaths: ['/l1/tickets'] },
+        { href: '/l1/drafts', icon: FileText, label: 'My Drafts', shortLabel: 'Drafts', matchPaths: ['/l1/drafts'] },
+      ]
+    : [
         {
           href: '/', icon: LayoutGrid, label: 'Dashboard', shortLabel: 'Dash',
           matchPaths: ['/'],
@@ -98,7 +109,9 @@ export function Sidebar() {
         },
       ]
 
-  const libraryItems: NavEntry[] = [
+  const libraryItems: NavEntry[] = isL1Tech
+    ? []
+    : [
         {
           href: '/trees', icon: GitBranch, label: 'Flows', shortLabel: 'Flows',
           badge: stats?.tree_counts.total || undefined,
@@ -128,6 +141,11 @@ export function Sidebar() {
             { href: '/shares', label: 'Exports' },
           ],
         },
+        // Engineers/owners with L1 coverage access also get the L1 Workspace entry
+        ...(canCoverL1 ? [{
+          href: '/l1', icon: LayoutGrid, label: 'L1 Workspace', shortLabel: 'L1',
+          matchPaths: ['/l1'],
+        }] : []),
       ]
 
   const footerItems: NavEntry[] = [