Understanding Leave Policies
our leave allocation and approval process in OpenHR are determined by your organization's leave management policies. This guide explains how everything works together.
Leave Types Available in OpenHR
OpenHR supports 7 built-in leave types:
| Type | Description |
|---|---|
| Annual | Vacation / annual leave |
| Casual | Short-notice casual leave |
| Sick | Medical / sick leave |
| Maternity | Maternity leave |
| Paternity | Paternity leave |
| Earned | Earned / accrued leave |
| Unpaid | Leave without pay |
Employees can apply for Annual, Casual, and Sick leave through the self-service form. Admins can create records for all 7 types. For more details on special leave types, see the Custom Leave Types guide.
Default Leave Allocations and Quotas
Your organization has default quotas:
- Annual Leave: typically 15 days/year
- Casual Leave: typically 10 days/year
- Sick Leave: typically 14 days/year
These defaults are set by your Admin/HR in Organization Settings > Leaves.
Per-Employee Custom Leave Allocations
HR can set custom allocations for specific employees. For example, a senior employee might get 20 Annual Leave days instead of the default 15.
Check with your HR if you believe your allocation should be different.
How the Leave Approval Workflow Routes Requests
Each department has a configured approval path:
- Standard: Employee → Manager → HR → Approved
- Direct to HR: Employee → HR → Approved (manager step skipped)
The workflow is configured per department in Organization Settings > Workflow.
How Holidays and Weekends Affect Leave Calculations
When calculating leave days:
- Weekends (based on your shift schedule) are automatically excluded.
- Public/company holidays (managed in Organization Settings > Holidays) are automatically excluded.
- Only working days are counted against your balance.
Related Guides
- How to Apply for Leave — Submit a leave request.
- Leave Approval for HR and Admins — How HR manages leave records.
- Setting Up Your Organization — Configure leave policies, workflows, and holidays.
- Custom Leave Types — Special and custom leave types.