How to Apply for Leave

By Monirul Islam · 2026-03-13 · Leave

OpenHR's leave management system makes it easy to apply for leave, check your remaining balance, and follow your request through the approval process — all from your browser or phone.

Step 1: Check Your Leave Balance

Go to the Leave page from the sidebar. At the top, you'll see three cards showing your remaining balance:

• Annual Leave — Your vacation/annual days remaining
• Casual Leave — Your casual leave days remaining
• Sick Leave — Your sick leave days remaining

These balances are calculated automatically: your total allocation (set by your admin in leave policy settings) minus all approved leaves.

For other leave types like Maternity, Paternity, or Unpaid, see the Custom Leave Types guide.

Step 2: Submit a Leave Request

Click the "Apply Leave" button on the Leave page. A form will open asking for:

1. Leave Type — Select from Annual, Casual, or Sick leave.
2. Start Date — When your leave begins.
3. End Date — When your leave ends.
4. Reason — A mandatory explanation for your absence.

How OpenHR Calculates Leave Days Automatically

As you select your dates, the system automatically calculates the total working days:

• Weekends are excluded — Based on your shift's working days (e.g., if you work Mon–Fri, Saturday and Sunday are excluded).
• Public holidays are excluded — Any company holidays falling within your leave period are deducted.
• A breakdown is shown: "X Weekend(s) excluded. Y Holiday(s) excluded."

Step 3: Review and Submit Your Leave Application

Before submitting, verify:

• Your balance is sufficient (the system will block you if it's not)
• The dates and leave type are correct
• Your reason clearly explains the absence

Click Submit to send your request into the approval workflow.

Step 4: Track Your Leave Request Status

After submitting, your request appears in the Application History section on the Leave page. Each request shows:

• Status badge:
  • PENDING_MANAGER (amber) — Awaiting your manager's approval
  • PENDING_HR (amber/orange) — Manager approved, awaiting HR verification
  • APPROVED (green) — Leave approved and balance deducted
  • REJECTED (red) — Leave denied
• Leave type and date range
• Total days requested

How the Leave Approval Workflow Works

Your request follows the approval workflow configured by your organization:

1. Manager Review — Your line manager evaluates and either approves (forwarding to HR) or rejects.
2. HR Verification — HR gives final approval or rejection.
3. Balance Update — Once fully approved, the days are deducted from your balance.

If your department is configured to skip the manager step, your request goes directly to HR.

Tips for Leave Applications

• Apply for leave in advance whenever possible.
• For sick leave exceeding 3 days, attach medical documentation (mention in the reason field).
• Half-day leaves are supported — ask your HR to set this up for you.
• You can view all your past leave requests in the Application History section.

Related Guides

• Leave Approval for Managers — How managers review and approve leave requests.
• Leave Approval for HR and Admins — How HR gives final approval.
• Understanding Leave Policies — Leave types, allocations, and workflow configuration.
• Custom Leave Types — Maternity, Paternity, Earned, Unpaid, and custom leave.