diff --git a/src/pages/authentication/LoginPage.jsx b/src/pages/authentication/LoginPage.jsx
index ab898b4c..9240e33d 100644
--- a/src/pages/authentication/LoginPage.jsx
+++ b/src/pages/authentication/LoginPage.jsx
@@ -44,7 +44,7 @@ const LoginPage = () => {
         localStorage.setItem("jwtToken", response.data.token);
         localStorage.setItem("refreshToken", response.data.refreshToken);
         setLoading(false);
-        navigate("/");
+        navigate("/dashboard");
       } else {
         await AuthRepository.sendOTP({ email: data.username });
         showToast("OTP has been sent to your email.", "success");
diff --git a/src/pages/authentication/LoginWithOtp.jsx b/src/pages/authentication/LoginWithOtp.jsx
index 73882b4f..8b07f8fb 100644
--- a/src/pages/authentication/LoginWithOtp.jsx
+++ b/src/pages/authentication/LoginWithOtp.jsx
@@ -52,7 +52,7 @@ const LoginWithOtp = () => {
       setLoading(false);
       localStorage.removeItem("otpUsername");
       localStorage.removeItem("otpSentTime");
-      navigate("/");
+        navigate("/dashboard");
 
     } catch (err) {
       showToast("Invalid or expired OTP.", "error");
diff --git a/src/pages/employee/EmployeeList.jsx b/src/pages/employee/EmployeeList.jsx
index 387d6232..eaa2f950 100644
--- a/src/pages/employee/EmployeeList.jsx
+++ b/src/pages/employee/EmployeeList.jsx
@@ -79,11 +79,11 @@ const EmployeeList = () => {
     }
   );
 
-  useEffect(() => {
-    if (selectedProjectId === null) {
-      dispatch(setProjectId(projectNames[0]?.id));
-    }
-  }, [selectedProjectId]);
+useEffect(() => {
+  if (!selectedProjectId  && projectNames?.length > 0) {
+    dispatch(setProjectId(projectNames[0].id));
+  }
+}, [selectedProjectId, projectNames, dispatch]);
   const navigate = useNavigate();
 
   const applySearchFilter = (data, text) => {
diff --git a/src/router/AppRoutes.jsx b/src/router/AppRoutes.jsx
index feb9e05f..66293637 100644
--- a/src/router/AppRoutes.jsx
+++ b/src/router/AppRoutes.jsx
@@ -66,7 +66,7 @@ const router = createBrowserRouter(
         {
           element: <HomeLayout />,
           children: [
-            { path: "/", element: <Dashboard /> },
+            { path: "/dashboard", element: <Dashboard /> },
             { path: "/projects", element: <ProjectList /> },
             { path: "/projects/details", element: <ProjectDetails /> },
             { path: "/project/manage/:projectId", element: <ManageProject /> },
diff --git a/src/slices/apiDataManager.jsx b/src/slices/apiDataManager.jsx
index 9c3fcc1e..ad4d38a1 100644
--- a/src/slices/apiDataManager.jsx
+++ b/src/slices/apiDataManager.jsx
@@ -39,10 +39,17 @@ export const useSelectedProject = () => {
   const selectedProject = useSelector(
     (store) => store.localVariables.projectId
   );
-  var project = localStorage.getItem("project");
+
+  const project = localStorage.getItem("project");
+
   if (project) {
-    return project;
-  } else {
-    return selectedProject;
+    try {
+      const parsed = JSON.parse(project); 
+      return parsed ?? selectedProject;   
+    } catch (e) {
+      return selectedProject;
+    }
   }
-};
+
+  return selectedProject;
+}
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/src/slices/localVariablesSlice.jsx b/src/slices/localVariablesSlice.jsx
index 7c996608..0b0a8405 100644
--- a/src/slices/localVariablesSlice.jsx
+++ b/src/slices/localVariablesSlice.jsx
@@ -23,7 +23,7 @@ const localVariablesSlice = createSlice({
     setProjectId: (state, action) => { 
       localStorage.setItem("project",null)
       state.projectId = action.payload;
-      localStorage.setItem("project",state.projectId)
+      localStorage.setItem("project",state.projectId || null)
     },
     refreshData: ( state, action ) =>
     {