Absence and Vacation | Frequently asked questions

Can I make an attachment mandatory?

You can add a custom checkbox field for the team member to confirm they've attached a file to the absence record. You can make that a required field, but you can't validate for the presence of an attachment when the absence record first saves. If you use this approach, the team member can select the checkbox and save the absence record without attaching a file.

What's the maximum size file limit for an absence attachment?

The maximum size file limit for an absence attachment is 4 MB.

Why isn't Vacation carry over for team members displaying correctly?

In WX, Carry Over Balance displays the carry over available today, not what the carry over stands at the start of a year. You can create an HR Noticeboard to explain the balances so it's clear to WX users.

You can use the accrual log in WX to view the balances at different points during the year. You can use it to view the carry over balance at the start of the year.

How can I change a team member's absence accrual pattern?

See the Sage People community article Creating an absence accrual.

Handling absence accrual pattern change to match a change in Level

In this scenario, you have absence accrual patterns with different entitlements. These correspond to Levels you assign to employees, such as Level 1 – 23 days, Level 2 – 25 days. You handle changes to Levels in employment change requests, but you also need to change the team member's absence accrual pattern assignment. You need to make the change manually for each team member. Then you need to get the current accrual from the accrual log before you change the assignment.

Hide Absence Detail hides the absence reason for everyone except the manager

Review the object and field level security for the profiles or permission sets. Do this for people who you want to have access to the Reason field.

Configure vacation accrual to stop and start during unpaid Parental Leave

Use the Accrue During Paid Absence and Accrue During Unpaid Absence options in the absence accrual rule to control accrual during leave periods. If you select Pro Rata for Accrue During Unpaid Absence, the team member doesn’t accrue vacation during unpaid leave. They accrue vacation at the usual rate when not on parental leave or other unpaid leave.

Credit unused vacation time as carry over if it expires during leave

If the carry over for the unused vacation time will expire, use the team member's own absence accrual rule. You can also use an absence accrual record.

If the carry over won't expire, add it to the team member's accrual with an absence adjustment.

Can I set up automatic approval for absences?

Yes, you can create a Flow to approve absences automatically. Use the conditions in the Flow if you want to restrict it to specific people or specific absence reasons. For more information about Flows, see Flows.

Can I hide a balance from the absence tile for users?

No, there isn't a field set for the tile in WX. This means it isn't possible to hide fields from the tile for specific users. Tiles are no longer part of the redesigned WX services and processes.

Can I change carryover from three to 2.5 months?

We designed carryover in the system to be in whole months. As a workaround, you can set the carryover expiry to three months and then remove it at 2.5 months manually.

same time.

Make an absence reason available to HR, but not team members

An absence reason in WX requires an absence accrual rule and the picklist value in the Reason field of the Absence object.

To make a reason only available for HR: 

  1. Don't create an absence accrual rule for the absence reason.
  2. Make sure the reason available only to HR appears in the Reason picklist. Assign it to the appropriate record type (Vacation or Absence).

Can I create absence day records for HR only absence reasons?

To make an absence reason only available for HR in the HR Manager portal, the reason doesn't have an absence accrual rule or seniorities. This doesn't prevent the creation of absence day records, but not having seniorities means the durations look incorrect.

Is the End Date still enforced if you select End Date Provisional?

Yes, if you set the End Date Provisional to Yes. You have to enter an End Date but you can continue to edit it.

Does the Year End Balance field account for absences taken, or absences booked and taken?

The value in the Year End Balance field in the Accrual Balance object considers both booked and taken absences. Year End Balance is a projection that considers:

  • Booked time off
  • Taken time off, both Approved and Pending
  • Past and future

The value of Year End TOIL calculates in the same way.

If I amend an absence record with records, do the records change automatically?

Yes. You can edit the parent absence record. Then the absence day records related to the absence record change automatically to match the parent record.

If you change an absence day record, the change doesn't reflect in the parent absence record.

What is the list of reasons in the accrual log based on?

The list of absence reasons in the accrual log includes those absence accrual rules where you select the Show Accrual Log.

How can I turn off the accrual log completely?

In all absence accrual rules, ensure you leave the Show Accrual Log unchecked.

How does Sage People determine the default rule?

The system determines the default absence accrual rules in the following order: 

  1. A rule for vacation type absence you mark as Default in the rule settings.

  2. A rule for vacation type absence you don't mark as Default in the rule settings.

  3. A rule for absence type absence you mark as Default in the rule settings.

  4. A rule for absence type absence you mark as Default in the rule settings.

Can I use the accrual log for absences and vacation?

Yes, but remember the accrual log will be blank if the absence accrual rule has no accrual rate set up.

I have set up an accrual rule with a rate but the accrual log is blank?

Review the absence accrual rule to check the rule has a Reset Date and Month and a Base Date.

How can I report on absence balances?

See Vacation balance reporting with Payflow.

Can I automate buying and selling holiday in Sage People?

There's no easy way to automate this, but the following options are available:

  • You can set up an HCM Form for team members to request holiday buying and selling. You need HR to process the forms and act on the requests manually, you can't automate it
  • Use absence adjustments to add the bought holiday or remove the sold holiday from the team member's accruals
  • For sold holiday, create a bonus record and give it a code "Holiday buyback"

How can I show rounded vacation balances in a WX report?

Create a formula field on the Absence Balances object to round the number appropriately. The Formula library contains examples of formulas for rounding.

Do existing approval requests transfer to the new manager with the team member?

Yes, approval requests for time off, timesheets, and objectives move to the new manager.

Can I embed a link to WX Actions in an email template?

Yes, for more information see Email Templates | Create a link to the manager's Actions page in WX.

How can I create recurring absence requests in the HR Portal?

You can:

  1. Create the first record and then use the Clone button, adjusting the date each time.
  2. Use Sage People Data Loader to bulk create absence records.

How do I record short-term appointments like medical appointments?

We don't intend for you to use Absence and Vacation for short-term appointments.

How do I capture working time periods like shifts or WFH days?

We don't intend for you to use Absence and Vacation for shifts or working from home days.

Stop vacation from accruing when a user reaches their carryover limit?

Use the Maximum Accrual field in the absence accrual seniority. When the accrued amount reaches the value in the Maximum Accrual field, it's capped. It can't increase again until the team member uses some of the accrued time off. The system includes carry over in the maximum accrual calculation.

Accrual balance batch job

Good to know about the Generate Accrual Balances batch job on the Time package configure page: 

  • If you select the Run Now button twice on the Time package configure page, the system generates two records. When the batch next runs, it deletes the duplicated records
  • The batch is running balances for all rules, not just accrued rules
  • If the batch fails with a CPU timeout error, the "Your batch has completed successfully" email still sends

Alert for the number of instances for a specific absence type

You can create an alert for Alert Maximum Occurrence in the absence accrual seniority. Then create an action event to trigger off alert emails to managers or the HR team. For more information, see Action Events. The alert doesn't block a team member submitting the request, but displays a message to them.

How to create a validation rule to only book time off in full days

Use the Calculated Length field in the validation rule. See an example in the validation rule library: Absence must be a full day.

How can I set up a typical US requirement of floating holiday?

Create a separate absence accrual rule for the floating holiday. If the entitlement is the same every year, add that as the amount accrued. If entitlements vary or you can't accomodate with standard pro rata functionality, use a data loader. Do this to add the entitlement annually.

How can I report on attachments like self-certifications and sick notes?

It's not currently possible to report on attachments. A potential workaround is to include a mandatory field that users complete. They can indicate they've added an attachment and then report on that field.