Managing users

The Users section in the absentify Settings module allows administrators to manage user accounts efficiently. You can invite new users, archive or reactivate accounts, edit existing profiles, and assign or update department memberships — all in one central place.

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Navigating the user list

The user list provides a comprehensive overview of all users within your organization. It offers powerful tools to filter, search, and sort users, making it easy to locate individuals or manage groups at scale.

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Key features of the user list

• Department filter
  Quickly narrow down the list by selecting a specific department. This helps you focus on users within a particular team, unit, or function.
• Search functionality
  Use the search bar to find users by entering their name or email address. Results update in real time as you type.
• Sorting and pagination
  Adjust how many users are shown per page and use the pagination controls to navigate through the list. Each row in the table includes:
  • Name – Displays the user’s name and profile picture.
  • Departments – Indicates the number of departments the user is assigned to.
  • Approver(s) – Lists the approver(s) responsible for this user’s absence requests.
  • Allowance – Shows the user’s current and upcoming year’s allowance.
• Active vs. archived users
  Easily switch between active and archived users using the toggle in the top panel. This helps manage offboarded employees while keeping your active list clean.
• Add new users
  Located at the bottom of the user list, you’ll find two options for adding users:
  • Invite a new user – Sends a direct invitation to join absentify via email.
  • Import users – Allows you to upload multiple users at once using an import file.
  • Sync with Microsoft Entra ID – Automatically add and manage users based on their group membership in Microsoft Entra ID.

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Default user settings

These settings establish default preferences for new employees when they are added to absentify—either manually, through directory synchronization, or via automatic imports. Changes to these settings do not retroactively affect existing employees but can be adjusted in their individual profiles under My Preferences.

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Key default preferences

• Default time zone: Sets the time zone for all new employees. Example: (GMT+1:00) Berlin. Employees can update this in My Preferences.
• Default language: Specifies the default language for the workspace. Employees can later change this in their individual settings.
  Want to improve or correct one of the available languages?
  Check out our guide on how to contribute to translations: How to help with translations
• Default date format: Specifies the date display format, such as DD.MM.YYYY or MM/DD/YYYY.
• Default time format: Configures the clock format as either 12-hour or 24-hour.
• Default week start: Defines the first day of the calendar week, such as Monday or Sunday.
• Display calendar weeks: Determines whether calendar week numbers are displayed in the calendar overview and employee views. This setting is applied as the default for new employees but can later be personalized in My Preferences.

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Archive or activate users in bulk

Admins can easily archive or activate multiple users at once using bulk actions. This helps streamline user management, especially during large-scale organizational changes.

• Archiving a user deactivates their account and hides them from all team overviews and user-visible sections. This allows you to keep inactive employees organized while preserving their absence history.
• Activating a user allows them to log in and receive all notifications.

To get started:

1. Go to Settings → Users.
2. Use the checkboxes to select the users you want to manage.
3. Click the bell icon to activate users or the folder icon to archive them.

This is especially useful for:

• Activating users in bulk during initial setup or onboarding phases.
• Archiving users all at once when offboarding employees or scaling down your organization.
• Cleaning up your workspace to maintain an accurate and up-to-date user list.

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Deleting users

Permanently deleting a user removes all their data from the system and cannot be undone. Deleting users is also a cost-saving option for organizations on paid plans, as it reduces the number of billable users. Steps to delete users:

1. Go to Settings > Users > Archived.
2. Click the red trash bin icon next to the user you wish to delete.
3. A confirmation message will appear, warning you that this action cannot be reversed. Ensure any necessary data has been saved beforehand.
4. Click the Delete button to permanently remove the user.

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Exporting user data before deletion

Before deleting users, admins can export user data for record-keeping:

1. Navigate to Settings > Users.
2. Use the Export option to generate an Excel file of user data.
3. Save the file for future reference, ensuring no critical data is lost.

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Handling open approval requests when deleting an approver

If a user you are trying to delete was an approver and still has open absence requests from their requestors, a notification will appear, preventing deletion. To proceed:

1. Click “Details” to view the pending requests. This will display:
   • The type of absence request.
   • The employee who submitted the request.
   • The request’s status and relevant dates.
2. Overtake the approval process:
   • As an admin, you can manually approve or decline the request on behalf of the archived user.
   • Once all pending requests are processed, the user can be deleted without restrictions.

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Best practices for managing users

• Use bulk actions to save time: Apply updates to multiple users simultaneously, such as department changes or archiving inactive users.
• Monitor costs on paid plans: Archived and inactive users still count toward billable user limits. Consider exporting data and deleting unnecessary users to save costs.
• Review user roles and permissions: For a full overview of what each user can see and do in absentify, refer to the permissions and roles guide.
• Understand the difference between inactive and archived users:
  • Inactive users: Still visible in team overviews but cannot log in or receive system emails. If you’re unsure why a user isn’t receiving notifications, see our email delivery troubleshooting guide.
  • Archived users: Completely hidden from team overviews and all user-facing sections.