Creating Time Off Types and Policies (Updated!)

Last Updated: August 06, 2024

Overview:

Different time off types and policies can be created in Omni HR, each having their own purpose. Let's learn how to create and assign these in this article.

Note: Before we go into the steps, it is important to note that your employees are assigned a work schedule in the system before they can be assigned time offs. Holiday calendars on the other hand, while not required, are highly recommended to be assigned, as holidays are being factored by Omni when deducting time off balances. You can check out the articles on how to create and assign these through these links: Creating and Assigning Work Schedules and Creating and Assigning Holiday Calendars 

Creating Time Off Types:

• First step is to go to Time Off > Settings > Add Time Off Type.

• In the pop-up, enter the basic details of the Time Off Type — Name of Time Off Type, Color, if it is a paid time off and if attachment is required.  Click Save.

• The new Time Off Type should now appear under the list of Time Off Types.  

Creating Time Off Policies:

• Expand the Time Off Type  you created by clicking the arrow down button at the right hand side and click Add time off policy

• Input the details of the time off in the different sections:
  • Time off policy settings 
    • Policy Name: The name of the time off policy
    • Policy Renewal Date: The date to which the policy resets/renews every year

• Accruals
  • Maximum Balance: Indicate maximum balance employees can have if balance can be carried over. Usually used if carryovers don't have expiry dates.
  • Effective from: Period after start date the time off will start accruing
  • Amount entitled: Time off balance the employee is entitled to. Can be per year, half-year, quarter, month.
  • Earning Frequency: This will appear if you chose per year in Amount entitled. You can choose how frequent the balance will be earned: annually, half-yearly, quarterly, monthly, twice a month.
  • Granted at: Instance within the earning frequency the balance will be granted. Can be Beginning or End of frequency E.g. If you chose monthly frequency granted at beginning of period, employees will be granted the balance at the first of the month.
  • Add milestone: Click this If you grant your employees additional leaves after a certain amount of tenure. You will choose the "effective from" and "amount entitled". E.g. if your employees are earning 10 time off balance annually when they start, then 11 after they reach 1 year tenure, you should put 1 year in the "effective from", and 11 in "amount entitled"
    • You will then choose if the milestone will be effective immediately or at next policy renewal date in the drop down titled "Next Milestones are Effective".
      
      

• Carryover
  • Allow Carryover: Choose yes or no. If you choose yes, you will choose how many unused balance can be carried over. 
  • Carryover expiry date: Choose yes or no. If you choose yes, you will choose if Custom Period or Custom Date. 
    • If Custom Date, you will choose a date in the subsequent year that the carryover expires.
    • If Custom Year, you will choose a set duration after renewal date, either Days, Months, Years, that the carryover expires.
      
      

• Proration
  • Proration in first/last period: Choose how you want your employees to accrue their balance if they join/leave your company in the middle of the month
    • Full amount: The employees get the full balance no matter what date in the month they join.
    • Daily prorated: The employees get the balance according to the amount of days they rendered work. For example if your employees earn 1 day per month, if they joined at the 15th of the month, they will get 0.5.
    • Monthly prorated: The employees will not get any balance if they join/leave in the middle of the month.
      
      

• Time off usage
  • Leaves can be taken: Choose Immediately or After. If you choose After, you can choose the time period your employees have to wait before they can use the time off balance.
  • Allow Half Day Request: Choose yes or no. Allows your employees to request half day time off.
  • Time off Days Calculation: Choose between Count working days only or Count all calendar days
    • Count working days: Employees will only be deducted time off balance if the time off requested and approved is on a working day.
    • Count all calendar days: Employees will be deducted time off balance for all days, whether it is a working day, holiday, or rest day. This would be most useful for statutory leave types such as Maternity Leave and Paternity Leave. 
  • Round Time Off Balance: Choose yes or no. If you choose yes, you will be given the option to choose nearest, up to, or down to, 1.0 and 0.25 day. This is applicable for time off balances where there can be unusual decimals like 0.33, 0.67 or 0.8. The rounding will apply to the Days Available balance of the employees in their time off.
    
    

• Advanced policy settings
  • Allows employees to skip carryover expiry or resetting of balances within a certain number of months from the start of the first policy. usually used to allow new hires to enjoy their balances longer without being put in the same renewal/carryover policy as other employees in the first year.

• Once done, click Save. The policy created should now appear under the time off type.

Assigning Time Off Types and Policies:

• To start, go to the Employee Profile > Time off Tab > Add time off type

• In the pop-up, input the Effective Date(usually the employee start date), Time off Type, and Time off Policy. Click Save.

• The time off type and policy will now appear in the Time off tab of the employee, with the balance dependent on the configurations set for the time off policy.

Still Need Help?: 

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