Approving leave requests
Leave is the most common workflow — almost every organization has one. This guide shows how requests flow from staff to managers and how to handle special cases.
How an employee requests leave
- From the dashboard, click Request leave (or sidebar → My Leave → New request).
- Fill in:
- Leave type — Annual, Sick, Unpaid, Parental, etc. Configured by HR.
- From / To — date range.
- Days — auto-calculated from the range, excluding weekends and holidays.
- Reason — optional note for the manager.
- Attachment — optional, e.g. a doctor's note.
- Submit.
The request enters the leave-request workflow.
What the manager sees
When a leave request lands:
- It appears in the manager's Approval Center with an SLA timer.
- The team calendar shows the requested dates as "pending".
- The leave balance preview shows what's left if the request is approved.
The manager can:
- Approve — the days are deducted from balance.
- Reject — with a reason.
- Suggest alternative dates — common when there's a coverage conflict.
Leave balance
Every employee has a balance per leave type. Configured under Admin → Leave Types:
- Accrual rate — e.g. 1.75 days per month for 21 days/year.
- Carry-over rules — how many unused days roll into next year.
- Year-end reset — when the calendar resets.
Blackout periods
Some periods can be locked from leave (year-end retail, exam season). Configured under Admin → Leave → Blackout Periods.
When a request falls in a blackout:
- The form warns the employee at submission.
- The manager sees a red flag on the request.
- The manager can still approve as an exception — the override is logged.
Calendar sync
Approved leave automatically syncs to:
- The team calendar (visible to colleagues).
- Each employee's Google or Outlook calendar (if connected).
- The dashboard's "Coming up" widget.
Sickness
Sick leave is usually handled differently from annual:
- Often retrospective (entered after the fact).
- Auto-approved up to a limit (3 days/month) without manager sign-off.
- Doctor's note required after a threshold (e.g. 5 days).
These rules are per leave type, not hard-coded.