We're updating the approvals experience to improve its efficiency and flexibility - all within Automations. Here's what to expect:

• A new interface for setting up approval rules.
• More options to define when manual approval tasks should trigger.
• A simplified way to monitor and manage approvals. 
• Key details about approval requests in the Inbox, so approvers can action them directly.

In Automations, Administrators can set conditions to define which employee requests need manual approval. Personio automatically approves routine requests, and only triggers manual approval tasks for requests that meet all the criteria outlined in the rules and conditions. This reduces unnecessary notifications and helps your team focus on important requests.

Approval types will move to Automations in phases, starting with Attendance (Time Tracking) approvals, followed by Employee Data and Time off approvals. 

Learn how to set up attendance approvals and employee data change approvals in Automations. If changes haven't reached your account, see how to set up approvals using the legacy experience.

What to expect

Once the update reaches your account, Administrators and approvers will notice changes in:

Approval setup and monitoring

• New location: Admins can manage and monitor approvals in Automations. Your organization's existing approval rules will now appear as separate workflows under Automations > Workflows. 
• Custom configurations: Add rules and conditions to specify when manual approval is necessary, like attendance violations. 
• Monitoring approvals: Admins can track migrated approval workflows in the Activity tab. Approval types that haven't been migrated will appear here in future releases. 

Note: Only Administrators can set up and view approval-related workflows and activity. Non-admin users with access to Automations cannot see approval-related information. 

Reviewing approvals

Approvers can manage tasks directly in their Inbox. They only receive approval tasks for requests that meet the defined workflow rules, reducing unnecessary alerts. Approvers can view details about task and action them individually or in bulk per employee.

Tip: 
Approvers assigned in a workflow will receive an email about the new approval process. 

Timeline

Updates will reach accounts in phases based on current approval setups and complexity. This includes:

• The types of approvals currently set up (Time off, Attendance, Employee data).
• The number of approval rules currently set up for each type.
• The complexity of the approval rules.

Your organization might fit one or more milestones below. If your setup matches a milestone's criteria, you can expect the related changes listed in the table. Note that timelines are subject to change if your account setup changes. 

Additional resources 

As changes roll out, we'll notify you through in-product notifications and emails. 

Approvals in Automations
If your account has the new Automations experience, reference the following materials: 

• Workflow components
• Set up attendance approvals in Automations
• Set up employee data change approvals in Automations

Legacy approvals experience
If changes haven't yet reached your account, see our guides about the legacy experience:

• Set up default approvals
• Set up custom approval processes
• Set up an approval workflow with a certificate request
• Set up approval workflows and reminders with multiple supervisors

Frequently asked questions 

Do I have to move my approval rules manually?
No, you don't need to move your approval rules manually. When your organization meets a milestone's criteria, the relevant approval rules will automatically move to Automations. Then, you can use additional configuration options to edit your existing approval rules, or create new ones.

Can I access approvals in Automations if my organization doesn't qualify for the current milestone?
If you want access to approvals in Automations before your organization qualifies, contact our Support Team for assistance.

My approval rules have been auto-migrated. Where are they located now? 
Your migrated approval rules are located under Automations > Workflows. Each approval rule appears as a separate workflow. Filter and sort the list by name, event, status, and more.

What happens to open approval requests during the auto-migration of rules?
All open approval requests remain in the responsible approver's Inbox during the migration process.

Our organization's employee data change approvals and time off approvals have not been migrated. Where are they located?
Approval types that haven't been migrated are still in the legacy system under Settings > Approvals. You can continue to manage them there until they're moved in future milestones. To track open approval requests that haven't been migrated, go to Automations > Overview. Find the Open approval requests widget and select the relevant approval type.

Why do I still see the legacy experience?
If you still see the legacy experience, it might be because your organization's setup doesn't yet meet the criteria for the current migration milestone. Even if your setup qualifies, your rules might not have been migrated yet. The migration process for each milestone happens over several weeks.