How to Approve or Reject Leave in CrmLeaf
All editions. Core feature - no add-on required.
Availability: All editions. Core feature - no add-on required.
Overview
Leave applications arrive with a status of pending and wait for a decision. A manager or Administrator with the approval permission reviews the request against the leave calendar and the employee's balance, then approves or rejects it with a reason. Approval is what decrements the employee's balance, so a prompt decision keeps balances and rosters accurate.
How It Works
You review the pending queue, check coverage and balance, then decide. Where you hold the pre-approval permission, you can pre-approve leave.
Pending application → Review calendar and balance → Approve or reject with a reason → Balance decremented
- Applications carry a status of pending, approved or rejected.
- Approving decrements the employee's balance on that leave type. An hourly leave deducts a fraction of a day.
- Rejecting records a reason so the employee understands the decision.
- A manager who holds the pre-approval permission can pre-approve leave.
- Approval permissions are configurable per role, so you decide which roles can act on whose leave.
- Approved leave shows on the leave calendar and is available in leave exports and reports.
Who Can Use This Feature?
Administrator
- Review pending leave applications.
- Approve or Reject an application, recording a reason.
- Pre-approve leave where the pre-approval permission is held.
- Review the leave calendar and export leave data.
- Configure which roles may approve leave.
This functionality is available to Administrators and to managers whose role holds the leave approval permission. Which applications you see depends on the record visibility scope set for your role.
Prerequisites
- Leave types with per-employee quotas are configured.
- Your role holds the leave approval permission, and the pre-approval permission if you will pre-approve.
- Reporting managers are set on employee records so applications route correctly.
- Company holidays and weekly offs are configured.
For Administrators
Step 1: Open the pending applications
What to do: Use Filter to show applications with a status of pending. Work oldest first so nobody waits on a decision for dates that are close.
What to verify: The list shows the employee, the leave type, the duration and the dates.
Step 2: Check coverage on the leave calendar
What to do: Open the leave calendar for the requested dates and see who else is already away. Check the shift calendar as well where the person is rostered on a shift that needs cover.
What to verify: The team still has workable coverage if you approve.
Step 3: Check the balance and the request itself
What to do: Confirm the employee has balance on the leave type for the duration requested, and open any attachment supplied with the application.
What to verify: The requested duration is supported by the available balance, and any required evidence is attached.
Step 4: Approve or reject
What to do: Select Approve to accept the leave, or Reject and record the reason. Where you hold the pre-approval permission and the leave needs to be agreed ahead of the normal decision point, pre-approve it instead.
What to verify: The application no longer shows as pending, and the employee's balance reflects an approval.
Step 5: Export the period for records
What to do: Select Export to produce the leave data for the period. Do this before a payroll run where the Payroll add-on module is enabled, because leave affects payroll.
What to verify: The export shows the approved leave you expect for the period.
Step 6: Configure who can approve
What to do: Set the leave approval permissions per role, including the pre-approval permission, so requests reach the right people.
What to verify: A test application from an employee reaches the intended approver.
Expected Result
The application moves from pending to approved or rejected. An approval decrements the employee's balance for the leave type and shows the leave on the leave calendar. A rejection records the reason against the application.
Service Organisation Context
In a services firm the approver is usually also the person accountable for delivery on the dates requested, so the decision is a coverage decision as much as an entitlement one. Two useful checks before approving are the leave calendar for who else is already away and the roster for shift cover. Approval is also what makes the data usable elsewhere: an approved leave is what the Resource Utilization Availability and Capacity lenses read where that add-on is enabled, so a queue of undecided applications leaves capacity looking better than it is. Deciding promptly matters equally to site and production scheduling in other editions.
Important Notes
- Menu names and their position can differ between product editions and can be customised for your account, so your sidebar may not match these paths exactly. Use Search or your Quick Access items if you cannot find a screen.
- Approval is what decrements the balance. A pending application does not reserve balance in the same way as an approved one.
- Always record a reason when rejecting, so the employee can act on the decision.
- An hourly leave deducts a fraction of a day proportional to the employee's shift length, so an approval may change a balance by less than one day.
- Which applications you can see and act on depends on the record visibility scope configured for your role.
- Decide leave before the payroll run for the period, because leave feeds payroll where the Payroll add-on module is enabled.
Common Scenarios
Example: two people request the same week. Open the leave calendar, see that approving both would leave the shift uncovered, approve the earlier application and reject the second with the reason recorded so the employee can choose different dates.
Example: leave agreed in advance. An employee needs certainty for dates months ahead. Where you hold the pre-approval permission, pre-approve the leave so the commitment is on record.
Example: an hourly request. Approving a two-hour leave for an employee on an eight-hour shift deducts a quarter of a day, not a full day, from the balance.
Troubleshooting
| Issue | Possible Cause | Resolution |
|---|---|---|
| You cannot see any pending applications. | Your role does not hold the leave approval permission, or your visibility scope excludes those employees. | Review the approval permissions and the record visibility scope for your role. |
| Applications are not reaching an approver. | No reporting manager is set, or no role holds the approval permission. | Set the reporting manager and configure the approval permissions in leave settings. |
| A balance did not change after approval. | The application was rejected, or the deduction is a fraction of a day from an hourly leave. | Open the application and confirm its status and duration. |
| You cannot pre-approve leave. | Your role does not hold the pre-approval permission. | Ask an Administrator to grant it in leave settings. |
| Approved leave does not appear on the leave calendar. | The calendar is filtered to a different period or set of employees. | Adjust the calendar filter. |
Frequently Asked Questions
Who can approve leave in CrmLeaf?
Approval permissions are configurable per role, so Administrators decide which roles may approve leave and who may pre-approve it.
What is pre-approval?
Pre-approval is a separate manager permission that lets leave be agreed by the manager holding it.
Is a reason required when rejecting?
A reason is captured with a rejection so the employee understands the decision. Record it as a matter of practice.
Can I approve leave for someone whose balance is exhausted?
Check the balance before approving. Confirm for your account whether an approval beyond the quota is permitted.
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