The Leave Types section in absentify allows administrators to create, customize, and manage categories for employee absences. This enables precise tracking, calendar integration, and alignment with organizational policies.

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Overview of leave types

The Leave Types section provides an overview of all configured leave types.

Each leave type can be customized with unique properties, such as:

  • Name: Displayed in the user’s calendar and reports.
  • Color and Icon: These visual identifiers can only be adjusted in the leave types list view after the leave type is created. They cannot be changed within the creation or edit dialogs.

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Adding a new leave type

  1. Navigate to Settings > Leave Types and click + Add a new leave type.
  2. Fill in the details for the leave type:

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General settings

  • Name: Specify a clear, descriptive name (e.g., “Vacation,” “Sick Leave”).

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Calendar synchronization

  • Enable Calendar Synchronization:
    • Synchronize upon entry creation: Adds the absence to the employee’s calendar when the request is created.
    • Synchronize upon approval only: Adds the absence only after approval.
    • Synchronization disabled: Prevents the absence from syncing to calendars.

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Outlook and iCal synchronization settings

The displayed synchronization options depend on the permissions granted for accessing Microsoft Outlook calendars via the Graph API:

  • If permissions are granted:

    • Outlook Calendar entry show as: Define how the entry appears in Outlook (e.g., “Out of Office,” “Busy”).
    • Event subject: Customize the event title for clarity in shared calendars.

  • If permissions are not granted:

    • The iCal Synchronization Settings are shown instead:
      • iCal event entry show as: Define how the entry appears in iCal (e.g., “Out of Office”).
      • Event’s subject: Optionally customize the subject of the calendar entry.

For private leave types, consider using neutral event subjects such as “Absent” to maintain confidentiality in shared calendars.

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Allowance and tracking

When creating a leave type, you define whether it deducts from an allowance, requires approval, and if the absence is visible to others.

  • Deduct from allowance:
    Enable to link the leave type to an allowance for automatic tracking and deduction. Configure additional options:

    • Ignore public holidays: Treat public holidays as regular workdays for deductions.
    • Ignore schedule: Deduct only for scheduled working days; excludes non-working days automatically.

  • Duration unit: Specify the smallest unit for leave requests:

    • Days
    • Half days
    • Hours
    • 30, 15, 10, or 5-minute increments.

Absence unit restrictions: If you selected an allowance from which the new leave type should deduct, the only absence units available will be those in which the allowance was originally created. Ensure that the selected unit matches the allowance configuration.

Changing the absence unit: Once a request has been made using this leave type, the absence unit cannot be changed. Before saving the leave type and allowing your team to submit requests, verify that the selected unit is correct.

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Approval and privacy

  • Requires approval:
    Enable this toggle to ensure requests require approver action. Disable to allow self-service additions.

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Privacy settings

  • Leave type privacy:
    • Enabled: The selected leave type is hidden from regular employees. Instead, they will only see “Absent” in the team overview and calendar view. Only the requester, approvers of the request, managers of the requester’s department, and admins can see the leave type.
    • Disabled: Everyone who can see the absence will also see the specific leave type.

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Reason settings

The Reason section defines whether employees must provide a reason when requesting an absence and who can view it.

  • Reason mandatory:
    Defines whether a reason must be provided when requesting this leave type.

    • Enabled: Employees must enter a reason when submitting a request.
    • Disabled: Providing a reason is optional.

  • Reason visibility (only visible if Leave type privacy is disabled):
    This setting controls who can see the reason for the absence.

    • Enabled: Only the requester, approvers, managers of the department, and admins can see the reason.
    • Disabled: Everyone who can see the absence can also see the reason.

  • File upload enabled:
    Enable this setting to allow employees to upload documents to leave requests.

    • In the Essentials plan, one document can be uploaded per request (max. 2 MB).
    • In the Plus plan, multiple documents can be uploaded per request (max. 15 MB per document).

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Department integration

  • Include in maximum absent:
    Enable to include the leave type in department absence calculations, ensuring limits are respected.

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Editing a leave type

  1. Navigate to Settings > Leave Types.
  2. Click the pencil icon next to the leave type you wish to edit.
  3. Update the settings (e.g., name, linked allowances, or approval requirements).
  4. Save your changes.

Changes to leave types apply retroactively to existing records. Review potential impacts before making updates.

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Editing leave type order

To update the display order of leave types in absentify:

  1. Go to Settings > Leave types and click the grid icon next to the leave type.
  2. Drag and drop the leave type to the desired position. Changes are saved automatically.

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What this affects:

  • The order in which leave types appear when users create a new leave request.

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What this does not affect:

  • The order of both deductible and non-deductible leave types displayed in the user’s calendar.

The order of deductible leave in the calendar is determined by the order specified under Allowances. For more details, refer to our guide on managing allowance order.

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Deleting a leave type

To remove a leave type:

  1. Navigate to Settings > Leave Types.
  2. Click the archive icon next to the leave type.
  3. Switch to the Archived leave types tab.
  4. Click the trash icon next to the archived leave type.
  5. Confirm the deletion.

Deleting a leave type prevents new requests but does not affect existing records. Ensure the leave type is no longer in use before deleting.

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Archived leave types

Archiving a leave type is the recommended first step before deletion. This ensures that the leave type is no longer available for new requests but remains intact for reporting and record-keeping.

Archiving is ideal when a leave type is not actively used but may still be referenced in the future. This is especially useful for temporary leave types (e.g., “Corona Sick Leave”) or discontinued policies.

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Best practices

  • Archive first: Always archive a leave type before deleting it. This allows you to monitor if it is still being referenced.
  • Review reports: Check usage reports or exports to confirm no employees are actively using the leave type.
  • Schedule deletions: Consider waiting until the end of a fiscal year to delete archived leave types for better traceability.

Use archiving when:

  • The leave type is no longer relevant for new requests but may appear in historical data.
  • You are phasing out a policy but want to retain its traceability.

Use deletion only when:

  • The leave type is completely obsolete.
  • You have verified that no active or archived users reference the leave type.

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Best practices for leave type management

  • Align leave types with policies: Ensure leave types match company guidelines and legal requirements.
  • Regularly review configurations: Keep settings up-to-date as organizational needs evolve.
  • Use clear naming conventions: Descriptive names help employees and managers understand their options.
  • Link allowances carefully: Avoid overlapping allowances unless intentional.
  • Maintain confidentiality: When configuring private leave types, use neutral terms like “Absent” for event subjects in calendar synchronization.

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FAQ

The following FAQs show how to use absentify’s built-in features to ensure consistent, privacy-conscious absence tracking and visibility across your organization.

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