Leave Approval — For Managers
As a Manager, you are the first step in OpenHR's leave approval workflow. Leave requests from your direct reports land in your approval queue and require your action before moving to HR.
This guide is part of the leave management system — make sure you also understand the leave policy configuration for your organization.
Accessing Pending Leave Requests
Go to the Leave page. You'll see the "Manager Approval Hub" section showing:
- A list of leave requests with status PENDING_MANAGER from your team members.
- Each card shows: employee name, leave type, days requested, and start date.
You'll also receive bell and email notifications when a new leave request is submitted by your team.
Reviewing a Leave Request
Click "Evaluate" on any pending request to open the review modal:
- Employee's reason for the leave is displayed (read-only).
- You can add your "Managerial Remarks" — notes about team coverage, your assessment, etc.
Approving or Rejecting Leave
You have two options:
Approve & Forward — Approves the request at the manager level and forwards it to HR for final verification. Status changes to PENDING_HR.
Reject — Denies the request. Status changes to REJECTED. The employee is notified via bell and email. Provide a clear reason in your remarks.
Best Practices for Leave Approvals
- Review requests within 24 hours to avoid delays.
- Check team coverage before approving — make sure critical work is covered.
- Add meaningful remarks — they help HR make their decision and serve as documentation.
- If you're unavailable, HR/Admin can override and process the request directly.
Related Guides
- How to Apply for Leave — How employees submit leave requests.
- Leave Approval for HR and Admins — The final approval step.
- Understanding Leave Policies — Workflow routing and allocations.
- Notifications Guide — How leave notifications work.