Prepare a leave request for approval
Collect the details needed for time off. Route the completed request to its approver.
How this works
Collect the details needed for time off. Route the completed request to its approver. Use this when time-off requests arrive through informal messages and repeatedly lack dates, leave type or the right approver. The assistant collects a complete request without making the approval decision.
Apply the employee's current policy and work calendar, then route a structured request through the established HR process. A balance check can identify questions, but incomplete accrual data must not become a rejection or an invented entitlement.
Before you start
Applicable leave policy
Confirm entity, location, effective date and policy owner.
Employee calendar
Obtain work pattern, holidays and permitted leave-balance information.
Approval map
Identify the responsible manager and any HR escalation path.
Prepare the inputs
- employee_reference
- Required
verified employee ID
Use the existing identity process before retrieving a balance.
- requested_dates
- Required
start, end, timezone and partial-day details
End must not precede start; ambiguous dates need clarification.
- leave_type
- Required
approved category identifier
Do not infer a sensitive reason when a generic category is sufficient.
- policy_and_balance
- Required
version, calendar rules and dated balance
Unknown accruals or pending requests must remain visible.
Implementation, step by step
Identify the request
- Confirm the employee and requested leave category.
- Collect only details required by policy, avoiding unnecessary medical or family explanations.
Checkpoint: A scoped request record exists.
Normalize dates
- Expand the requested interval against the work schedule and holiday calendar.
- Calculate working days or hours deterministically, including partial days and overnight schedules.
Checkpoint: The requested duration is reproducible.
Check completeness
- Compare dates, notice requirements and balance visibility with the applicable policy.
- Flag conflicts or missing facts without independently granting or denying leave.
Checkpoint: The request is complete or has specific questions.
Route to the approver
- Use the verified reporting line and approval rules.
- Prepare a form or file if the HR connector is unavailable; submitting externally must be within the requested action.
Checkpoint: The correct approver and submission status are recorded.
Return accurate status
- Report draft, submitted, pending or decided from the actual HR record.
- Record manager decisions without paraphrasing pending status as approval.
Checkpoint: The employee can see the current state and next step.
Decisions along the way
Requested dates span policy changes
Ask HR which rule applies and preserve both policy versions.
Balance is insufficient or stale
Flag for the approver; do not automatically reject.
Request overlaps pending leave
Show the overlap and ask whether to amend or create a separate request.
What you will produce
leave-request.json
JSONA structured request suitable for HR review.
Include: employee_id · type · start · end · working_units · approver · status
leave-questions.md
MarkdownQuestions that prevent complete or correctly routed submission.
Include: missing_fact · policy_reference · owner
Check the result
- Recompute duration against the employee's actual calendar.
- Verify the approver using the current reporting line.
- Check policy version and balance retrieval date.
- Confirm no status says approved without an authorized decision.
When something goes wrong
Calendar unavailable
Leave duration provisional and request the correct working pattern.
Submission result unknown
Look up the request ID before retrying to avoid duplicates.
Policy wording conflicts
Route the specific conflict to HR and retain the original passages.
A worked example
SYNTHETIC EXAMPLE · NOT A REPORTED BUSINESS RESULT
Request
Synthetic: prepare a three-day leave request.
Inputs
Employee E8 works Monday-Friday and requests 10-12 August. The local calendar marks 11 August as a holiday; the available balance is five days.
Expected result
Synthetic result: requested working leave is two days, subject to the verified holiday rule. Route to E8's manager with status draft or submitted according to the actual action; do not deduct the balance.
Run a small pilot
Start small
Use routine requests with weekends, holidays and partial-day examples.
Record the baseline
Record missing-field follow-ups and routing corrections in the current process.
Agree success criteria
Agree duration accuracy and completeness targets with HR before wider use.
Stop or revise
Stop automated submission if calendar or approver mapping is unreliable.
Keep the scope clear
- The assistant cannot grant leave or determine disputed entitlements.
- Collecting and drafting can proceed locally; submitting or changing HR records follows the user's authorized scope.
Check before using
The authorized manager decides; uncertain policy questions go to HR.
Business activities
- Support and develop employees
FROM A RECIPE TO YOUR WORKFLOW
Bring the company context together.
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For this recipe: Requested dates · Employee record · Applicable policy
Start with one recurring task, agree which sources to use, and review the first result with your team.
Discuss this workflow