Set up time off and decide requests

Time off starts with your country's usual leave types. You adjust them to your contracts, then people ask for time off and a manager decides.

Before you start

• To change leave types you need access to HR → HR settings. To approve requests you need Manage HR (files, documents, leave).
• Each person needs a Joined date on their file, because time off is earned from that day.

Set the leave types

1. Open HR → HR settings → Leave types.
2. Check each type: Days a year (0 means no limit), Pay (full, half or unpaid), Earned through the year and Carry-over (days).
3. To add a type, fill in the empty last row: a short Code and a Name.
4. Under Weekend, tick the days nobody is expected to work unless their own schedule says so.
5. Select Save.

Decide a request

1. Open HR → Leave. Waiting requests are listed under Leave requests.
2. Read the dates and the number of days. Also off names anyone else away on those days.
3. Select Approve or Reject.

To record time off for someone, use File leave for someone: pick the person and type, the From and To dates (tick Half a day for a half day), a Reason, then File the request.

Good to know

• The defaults come from your country and are defaults, not advice: change them to match your contracts.
• Only working days are counted: public holidays, the weekend and days off in the person's schedule are left out.
• Time off earned = days a year × the share of the year employed. Carry-over takes what was left last year, up to the cap. The balance = earned + carried in − taken − asked.
• A person cannot ask for days that overlap their own request. Asking for more than the balance is allowed, with a warning.
• A person can cancel their own request while it waits.
• The Team calendar shows approved time off in plain text and waiting requests in colour. Year view shows the whole year with public holidays.
• Leave balances on the same page shows Earned so far, Carried in, Taken, Asked and Left for everyone.
• A request still waiting after two days reminds the owner. Change this under HR → HR settings → Reminders.
• People ask for time off from their own HR page, and requests also appear in the approvals inbox.
• Approved time off and public holidays show on the timesheet and are never counted as absence in payroll.
• Importing opening leave balances is not available.
• See also Check and correct public holidays.