Time Off Approval Flow - How it works?

Last Updated: May 22, 2025

Overview:

This guide aims to explain and illustrate with examples, how time off approvals will flow when:-

• Multiple rules are setup (ranking of approval rules and how it matters)
• Multi level approvers within one rule (how the time off approval will flow in sequence)

Approval Rules Explained

• By default, there is always one rule that is setup in the system as shown below, that will be ranked last, and cannot be removed.
• This rule will act as a catch all, in the event there are employees that do not fall within any rules that maybe setup above it, the approver will always be their manager only.
  
  

Multiple Rules Setup & Ranking

• After setting up multiple rules, you can drag and drop rules in the ranking you wish to establish
• When a time off request comes in, the system will apply the rule that meets the criteria and is ranked higher
• If multiple rules are applied to the same employee, the higher ranking one will apply

For example,

• Zayne Li is an employee based in Malaysia. 
• Based on the approval rules setup (shown below), we can see that there are two rules that would apply to Zayne; 
  • Location Rule: Malaysia 
  • Specific employee rule
    
    

Scenario (1) - If location: Malaysia rule is ranked higher than the employee rule

• Zayne's leave approval will flow through the rule that is applied higher
  i.e. It will go to Level 1: Brother Craig > Level 2: Julia Styles

Scenario (2) - If employee rule is ranked higher than the location: Malaysia rule

• Zayne's leave approval will flow through the rule that is applied higher
  i.e. It will go to Level 1: Manager > Level 2: Julia Styles > Level 3: Brother Craig

Multi-level approver sequence in one rule

For example, 

• Julia Styles is the manager of Zayne Li. 
• Referring to the approval rule specifically set for Zayne Li, Julia will be on two levels in the approval sequence; Level 1: Manager & Level 2: Julia Styles

• When Zayne submits a time off request, this is how the approver sequence will flow

• Even though Julia is the manager, and approves on Level 1, she will also be required to approve the time off on Level 2, since she was set as a specific approver on this level.
  
  

• Only once Julia approved on Level 2, will the request flow to Level 3: Brother Craig

Related Article(s):

• Approval Flow Configuration for OKR
• Adding Time Off Approval Flows
• Adding Additional Notification Recipients for Time Off

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