Before allocating time off allowances to employees, you need to set up and configure time off types. These are rules which govern how each type of leave can be used by the employee in accordance with your policies and procedures.

To make this change, go to:

Administration > HR > Time off management > Time off types

Details

Time off type - Name of the time off.

Description - A brief description giving employees more information about this time off type.

Parent - If you would like this type to be housed within an existing time off type select the parent from the list.

Calendar color - You can select a color for each time off type by using the color picker or entering a hex code. Please note, when time off types are only partially visible on the public calendar (covered further down), the color will always default to blue for employees/line managers to help with data privacy. 

E.g. if you selected a "Green" color for "Compassionate leave" but had it set up so that employees could only see that Joe Bloggs is out of the office, with no reason shown, the calendar color would default to blue for other employees who can see this, as if they'd taken compassionate leave themselves and recalled it was green, they might work out that another employee is absent for this reason. 

Deduct from employee allowance - This determines if you want your employees to have one type of time off for which they are allocated an allowance or, more than one type, or various types where there are no allowances.

• For example, if you give your employees a single time off allowance of 20 days per year, you should choose 'Summary' as this gives them one allowance from which to draw down time off.
• If you give your employees more than one allowance (for example, 15 days holiday and 5 days sick leave) then you should choose 'Yes from individual allowance' as this allows you to enter a time off allowance per type for each employee.
• If you have additional types that do not carry any allowance, you should set "Deducting" to 'No'. This means there is no allowance allocated to the employee. Click here for more information on the types of deducting from holiday allowance.
• If you have additional types that don't carry any allowance, you should set the "Deduction" to 'No' as this means there is no allowance allocated to the employee;

Maximum limit - If this is enabled, there will be a specified maximum duration set for any time off of this type. You can allow HR and/or managers to override this.

Time off in lieu

Time off in lieu - If this option is set to 'Yes', this will make the time off type created a TOIL time off type. If this is set to 'No', this will not be a TOIL time off type.

Settings

Paid - Should the employee be paid for time off booked under this type?

Authorized - Used to report on time off patterns. If the time off can be pre-approved in advance, set this to 'Yes', but for something like unauthorized absence, choose 'No'.

Balance able to be carried over? - This determines whether any balance against this type will or will not be carried over when the automated carryover process is completed.

Attachment(s) - A maximum of 5 attachments can be made mandatory or optional to add to this time off type.

Absence Settings

Return to work required - A process where employees may be required to complete a return to work interview after certain types and duration of time off. This is most often applicable when "Authorized" is set to 'No'.

Self-certification required - Send a custom form to employees. Once they return from this instance of absence, the employee will be able to complete a form and return this to the manager/ HR.

Deduction Settings

Default deducting type - If this is set to 'Yes', this will allow company mandatory holidays (if used) to be deducted from this type. Click here for more information on how to set this up.

Shutdown type - This will differ from a Mandatory day. To view the difference between these 2 time off types, click here.

Time off trades type - If this option is set to 'Yes', this will enable the time off type to be able to be bought or sold. Click here for further information on this.

Auto populate type - If this option is set to 'Yes', this will allow this time off type to be populated using the corresponding value for the employee site and job title.

Continue to accrue whilst booked - If this is set to 'Yes', this will ensure this holiday allowance will continue to accrue even if some of the time off allowance has been booked to be taken.

Display Settings

Hidden type - Hidden time off types don't appear on any calendars nor it isn't shown to employees in Self-Service. These can be used for balance adjustments that'll not be visible to an employee. This time off type would still be visible to HR and Administrators. If this setting is set to 'Yes', this will be set to bookable 'No' and Public calendar to 'No' regardless of any other settings set.

Viewable on public calendar - If you have set your calendar to public (i.e. everyone can see everyone else's time off) then you can determine what is shown for this type. The options are:

• Yes fully visible - Everyone will see the employee's name and the name of the time off type e.g. Joe Bloggs, Annual Leave;
• Yes but no reason is shown - Useful to show that a specific employee is out of the office but the name of the time off type will not be visible on the public calendar. E.g. for Sickness ailments or antenatal appointments which the employee wouldn't want to be shared across the company;
• No - Nothing is shown on the public calendar when then employee books this time off type.

Only bookable by HR - Restrict Employees and Managers from adding instances of the specific time off type.

Bookable by employees - Can the employee see this time off type when they request time off?  For example, this can be used for things such as discretionary leave where you can add this via the time off module but the employee cannot see or book this.

Display in Summary - This is to allow the time off type in question to appear in a summary type. To set up summary types, click here.

Classify as out of office - If this time off type has a booking against it for an employee, the employee will appear as "Out of Office".

Show in quick launch - This will allow the time off type to appear in the "What would you like to do?" dropdown list under their image on their employee profile as "Request *time off type name*.

Restrict access - This allows restrictions to be applied to specific sites or companies. If no sites or companies are selected, no restrictions will apply.

Troubleshooting Top Tip:  If you get into a muddle with time off types, on the main time off types page there is a troubleshooter section at the bottom which allows you to see the overall impact of your choices for time off types and highlights any conflicts which may have occurred.