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Create leave requests in Rota Management

Available for the following EmploymentOS plans: Employment Lite, Employment Plus, Employment Unlimited
Available for the following HR Classic plans: Platinum
Time & Attendance Add-on for Essentials, Engage, Elite
Available for the following user access level: Admin, Manager

⚠️ Work Sites & Positions Rota: This feature is available for customers using the advanced Rota system with work sites and positions. You must have both Rota Management AND Time Off Requests (Time off management) permissions to create or edit time off requests for an employee.

You can create and edit time off requests right within the Rota Management view. This means you don't need to switch between different sections. You can also view visual warnings when shifts conflict with employee time off, helping you spot and resolve scheduling issues immediately.

Create time off requests in Rota Management

Create a time off request in Work Site View
  1. Log into your Employment Hero HR platform.
  2. Click the Time menu.
  3. Click Rota Management option, under the Rotas header.
  4. Ensure you are in Work Site View (this is the default view).
  5. Locate the Unavailable / On time off row at the top of the Rota.
    Time off line (1).jpg
  6. Click any + button in the Unavailable / On time off row under your desired date.
  7. The Create Time Off Request modal will open with the date pre-filled. Fill in the following details:
    • Personal: Select the employee (only employees you have permission to manage will appear)
    • Time off type: Choose the type of time off (Annual Time Off, Sick Time Off, etc.)
    • From: Start date (pre-filled based on your selection)
    • To: End date
    • Time off duration: Select Half day, Full day, or Multiple days
    • Current allowance: Shows the employee's remaining time off balance for the selected type
    • Comment (Optional): Add any notes or reasons for the time off
    • File Uploads: Attach supporting documents if needed (e.g. medical certificates)
  8. Click Approve to create and approve the time off request immediately, or Close to save as draft.
  9. Once approved, the time off request will appear in the Unavailable / On time off row with + buttons on either side for additional time off requests.

Note: You can only create time off requests for employees if you have permission to manage both their Rota and time off requests.

Create a time off request in Employee View
  1. Log into your Employment Hero HR platform.
  2. Click the Time menu.
  3. Click Rota Management option, under the Rotas header.
  4. Switch to Employee View using the view toggle.
  5. Locate the Unavailable / On time off row at the top of the page.
  6. Click any + button in the Unavailable / On time off row under your desired date.
  7. The Create Time Off Request modal will open with the date pre-filled. Fill in the time off details as described above.
  8. Click Approve to create the time off request.
  9. The time off request will appear in the individual employee's row (not in the shared Unavailable / On time off row).

Note: In Employee View, individual time off requests remain within each employee's own row to maintain focus on the employee's schedule.

Create a time off request from the roster

If the rostered employee calls in sick, or has to take any time off type as unplanned time off, you can create a time off request for the employee directly from the shift on the roster. See below for instructions.

  1. Click the  Time menu.
  2. Click the Rostering Management submenu item.
  3. Click on the pencil icon on the shift for which the rostered employee is taking unplanned time off.
  4. Click the Create time off from shift button.
  5. The personnel and shift information will be pre-filled in the time off request modal. Enter the time off type.
  6. Decide whether you want to time off the shift as empty, or open for bidding. 
  7. Click on Approve. This is automatically approve the time off request. 

Helpful Hint

You can only create a time off request from the roster for published shifts.

Edit time off requests in Rota Management

Edit an existing time off request
  1. Log into your Employment Hero HR platform.
  2. Click the Time menu.
  3. Click Rota Management option.
  4. Navigate to the time off request you want to edit (visible in either Work Site View or Employee View).
  5. Hover over the time off request box to reveal the edit (pencil) icon.
    Edit a time off.jpg
  6. Click the pencil icon to open the Edit Time Off Request modal.
  7. Update any of the time off details:
    • Time off type
    • Start and end dates
    • Duration (half day, full day, multiple days)
    • Comments
    • Attached documents
  8. Click Re-submit for Approval to save your changes.
  9. If you have permission to pre-approve time off, the request will update immediately. If approval is required from another manager, the request will remain pending until approved.

Note: The edit icon only appears if you have editing permissions for that time off request.

Shift and time off conflicts

Understanding conflict warnings

When a shift is scheduled at the same time as an employee's approved time off, a visual warning appears on the shift to alert you of the conflict.

  • Amber indicator: Appears at the bottom of a shift that conflicts with time off
  • Tooltip: Hover over the warning icon to see "[Employee] is on time off"
  • Multiple warnings: If a shift has other warnings in addition to the time off conflict, the tooltip will show "This shift has multiple warnings. Open to view in shift panel"

Warnings appear for both unpublished and published shifts, helping you identify and resolve scheduling conflicts immediately.

Resolving shift and time off conflicts
  1. In Rota Management, look for shifts with amber warning indicators at the bottom.
  2. Hover over the warning icon to see which employee is on time off.
  3. Click on the conflicting shift to open its details.
  4. You can now:
    • Delete the shift if it's no longer needed
    • Reassign it to another eligible employee
    • Change the shift time to avoid the time off period
    • Edit the time off request if the conflict is an error

Further information

Permissions for time off in Rota Management

To create or edit a time off request for an employee in Rota Management, you must have access to that employee through BOTH permissions:

  • Rota Management: Permission to create and manage shifts
  • Time Off Requests (Time off management): Permission to create and manage time off

The system uses the lowest common denominator between these two permission sets. For example:

  • If you can manage Rotas for All Employees and time off for [Location], you can only create time off for employees in [Location]
  • If you can manage Rotas for [Worksite] and time off for All Employees, you can only create time off for employees in [Worksite]
Time Off request approval workflow

When you create or edit a time off request in Rota Management, the approval process depends on your permissions:

  • If you can pre-approve: The time off request is approved immediately and appears in the Rota (both in the Unavailable row in Work Site View and in the employee's row in Employee View)
  • If you cannot pre-approve: The time off request is submitted for approval and will not appear in Rota Management until it is approved by an authorised manager

Employees can view the status of their pending time off requests in the HR platform or Employment Hero Work app.

Best practices for managing time off in Rotas
  • Create time off promptly: Log absences, especially sickness, as soon as possible to avoid scheduling conflicts
  • Check for conflicts regularly: Review shifts for amber warning icons to catch scheduling conflicts early
  • Use the right view: Use Work Site View when managing by location and Employee View when managing by person
  • Attach supporting documents: Include medical certificates or other documentation with time off requests for compliance
  • Resolve conflicts before publishing: Fix any shift-time off conflicts before publishing shifts to employees
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