Skip to main content
Documentation
Documentation
Administrator Guide
Last Updated: 2025-05-16
Enter Time Off Requests

Enter Time Off Requests

  • Configure the
    Request Time Off
     or the legacy
    Absence Calendar
     business process and security policy in the Time Off and Leave functional area.
You can enter a time off request on behalf of a worker using the
Request Absence
 task.
When entering a request for workers, you can project time off balances and view:
  • Current balances for time off plans.
  • Holidays if the worker has a holiday calendar.
  • Time off requests.
Workers can enter time off requests using the
Request Absence
 task on the
Manage Absence
 report on the Home dashboard. They can also use the Workday mobile app to request time off.
  1. Access the
    Manage Absence
     report.
    To project balances for a future date, update the
    Balance as of
     date.
  2. Click
    Switch Worker
     and select the worker.
    Workday displays the current aggregate balance of all the worker's time off plans as of the date specified in the
    Balance as of
     field. If a worker has both hour-based and day-based plans, it displays total hours and days separately.
    You can configure the
    Balances as of date in the New Absence Calendar Experience
     option on the
    Edit Tenant Setup - HCM
     task.
  3. On the
    Manage Absence
     calendar, select the days for the time off request.
  4. Click
    Request Absence
    .
  5. Enter details for the time off. As you complete this task, consider:
    Option Description
    Type of Absence
    Displays only the time off types, absence tables, and leave types that the worker is eligible for, either:
    • On the request date.
    • On the first day of the request, if you selected multiple dates as part of the same request.
    Position
    Displays only if you select a time off type that is position-based.
    When a worker has only 1 position that's eligible for the time off, Workday displays it.
    A plus sign (+) after a position name identifies it as a secondary position.
    Start Time
    End Time
    Displays only if you select a time off type that you've configured to display an optional or required start and end time.
    Daily Quantity
    Applies to each date requested. Example: If Mary is taking 2 days off from a daily plan, enter
    1
     for each day. If she's taking 8 hours off each day and the plan is hourly, enter
    8.
    If the time off or time off plan has a defined
    Daily Quantity Default
    , Workday displays a value that's based on the first day of the request.
    If the time off is configured to
    Calculate Quantity Based on Start and End Time
    , Workday displays a read-only value in the
    Daily Quantity
     field. This value equals the duration of time between
    Start Time
     and
    End Time
    .
    In the Absence Calendar Experience, when you request absence on behalf of another worker, if you’ve selected the
    Restrict Requests to Days to Include on Calendar
     check box when you configure the calculation details for the time off plan, Workday:
    • Sets the
      Daily Quantity
       to 0 on the unscheduled days.
    • Treats the
      Restrict Requests to Days to Include on Calendar
       validation as True on all tiers.
    Workday displays an alert for the employee self-service experience to indicate that your request only includes days that aren't working days and you can edit individual days to include the days or go back to the calendar to remove them.
    Comment
    The comment that’s associated with the time off entry. When users enter a time off request for multiple days, they can enter a different comment for each day.
    You can hide this field for all users or specific security groups. Access the
    Configure Optional Fields
     task, and from the
    By Functional Area
     prompt, select
    Request Time Off
    . See Hide or Require Optional Fields.
    The comment is visible on the
    Details
     tab of the
    Request Time Off
     business process event.
    Comment to Approver
    The comment that’s associated with the
    Request Time Off
     business process.
    The comment is visible to the approver and on the
    Process
     tab of the
    Request Time Off
     business process event.
If the time off request requires approval, Workday routes it to the reviewers.
Workday saves a time off request for later, if it fails to validate either the:
  • Leave of absence.
  • Business process.
You can revise the request in My Tasks.
  • To view the latest plan balance that takes into account the requested time off, enter a
    Balance as of
     date that falls after the time off dates.
  • If you need to correct a request that has already been approved, use the
    Manage Absence
    report.