This article explains what happens when a change is made to an ongoing approval workflow.

This article focuses on workflows. You can start to create and monitor all yourworkflows from the Workflow Hub.

Default Approval Workflow

From their profile (under Absence), an employee can request an absence that is linked to an approval workflow. The request then appears on the approver's Dashboard, e.g. an HR Manager. If the absence type is linked to an approval workflow with multiple steps, the next person responsible, e.g. the supervisor, receives the request once the HR Manager has approved it.

Once an approval request has gone through all the required steps, the employee will receive a message that it has been approved. The requested absence days are now displayed in the employee's calendar and can be viewed by all employees who have the corresponding access rights for the Company Calendar. If the absence type is tied to an accrual policy, the days will be automatically deducted from the accrual balance.

For more information on how to configure default approval workflows, read our article Configuring Standard Approvals.

Deleting a Request Before It is First Confirmed

Once an employee has requested an absence, the request appears as a to-do on the Dashboard of the first person who has to approve it (e.g. the supervisor). If the employee then withdraws the request by deleting it before the supervisor has approved it, the request will automatically be removed from the supervisor's Dashboard.

Changing a Request Before It is First Confirmed

After an employee has applied for an absence under Absence, the request appears as a to-do on the Dashboard of the first person who has to approve it (e.g. an HR Manager). If the employee now makes changes to the application, for example adjusts the date before the HR Manager has approved the request, the request will automatically be removed from the HR Manager's Dashboard.

The updated request appears on the Dashboard of the employee who has been previously been set up as the first approver. The original request is no longer displayed.

Changing a Multi-Step Request After the First Confirmation

After an employee has requested an absence under Absence, the request appears as a to-do on the Dashboard of the first person who has to approve it (e.g. an HR Manager). If the absence type is linked to an approval workflow that involves multiple steps, the next person responsible, e.g. the supervisor, receives the request once the HR Manager has approved it.

If the employee makes changes to the request after the HR Manager has already approved it, but the supervisor hasn't yet, then the updated request will be newly displayed on the HR Manager's Dashboard. The previous request will no longer be shown on the supervisor's Dashboard. The request has to be approved by the HR Manager again before it can be approved by the supervisor. Once both, the HR Manager and the supervisor, have approved the request, the employee receives a message that the request has been approved.

The original request is deleted automatically. The updated request is newly displayed on the Dashboard of the employee who has been set up as the first approver.

Changing a Request That Has Already Been Approved

After an employee has requested an absence under Absence, the request appears as a to-do on the Dashboard of the first person who has to approve it (e.g. an HR Manager). If the absence type is linked to an approval workflow with multiple steps, the next person responsible, e.g. the supervisor, receives the request once the HR Manager has approved it. If the supervisor also approves the request and no further approver has been set up in the approval workflow, the employee receives a message that their request has been approved.

The absence days that have been requested are now displayed in the employee's calendar and can be seen by all employees who have the corresponding access rights for the Company Calendar. If the employee now makes changes to the approved request, for example changes the date, the original request is no longer valid. The absence days that were previously approved are credited back to the employee's accrual balance, and a new absence request is sent.

The absence request with the amended dates is now displayed again on the HR Manager's (and, if applicable, the supervisor's) Dashboard. If the request is approved by all responsible, the employee receives a message that the absence request has been approved.

The original request is deleted automatically, and the corresponding number of days are credited to the employee. The updated request is newly displayed on the Dashboard of the employee who has been set up as the first approver.

Changes in the Approval Workflow

After an employee has requested an absence under Absence, the request appears as a to-do on the Dashboard of the first person who has to approve it (e.g. an HR Manager). If a change is now made to the approval workflow (under Settings > Approvals), for example the responsible approvers are changed before the HR Manager has confirmed the request, the request will automatically be redirected to the new approvers. The request is removed from the HR Manager's to-do list and is now displayed on the new approver's Dashboard.

The open request is automatically directed to the new approver.