To maintain consistency, ensure policy compliance, and support effective workforce planning, HRStop offers robust controls to restrict how and when employees can apply for leaves. These restrictions are especially helpful in preventing misuse of leave types and aligning employee behavior with organizational expectations.
This guide walks you through the various restriction settings available while configuring a leave category in HRStop.
Key Restrictions You Can Configure
1. Advance Notice Requirement
This setting enforces a minimum number of days before the actual leave date by which the employee must apply. It ensures HR and managers have adequate time to plan for staffing adjustments.
How to Set:
- While creating or editing a Leave Category, look for the “Minimum Advance Days to Apply” field.
-
Enter the number of days as per your policy (e.g.,
2for “apply at least 2 days in advance”).
Example:
Employees must apply for Casual Leave at least 2 days in advance to be eligible.
2. Maximum and Minimum Leave Days Per Application
This control restricts the number of leave days an employee can request in a single application.
How to Set:
- Use the “Maximum and Minimum Leave Duration” settings in the leave category configuration.
- Enter the maximum and minimum leave length in days.
Example:
Employees cannot apply for more than 5 days of Casual Leave in a single application.
3. Restrict Future-Dated Applications
This setting prevents employees from applying for leaves in advance for the next calendar year—commonly useful at the year-end when policies may be under revision.
How to Set:
- In the category settings, enable the toggle for “Restrict Future Calendar Year Applications”.
Example:
In December 2025, employees won’t be able to apply for leave for dates in January 2026.
4. Restrict Leave for Specific Days
You can also define rules that block past-dated or policy-sensitive days from being selected as leave days (e.g., blackout dates, audits, or project deadlines).
How to Set:
- Use system-level restrictions or define rules in the Advanced Settings of the leave category.
- HR can configure exceptions via leave calendars or public holiday settings.
5. Manager/Admin Approval Controls
You can customize how leave requests are approved:
Available Options:
- Single-level approval: Only a manager or admin needs to approve.
- Two-level approval: Both manager and admin approval is required.
- Auto-Approval: Enable auto-approval if no action is taken within a defined period.
Example:
If a manager does not act within 5 days, the system will auto-approve the request.
How to Set:
-
In the Approval Workflow section of the leave category, select:
- Type of approval (single or two-level).
- Duration after which auto-approval should trigger (e.g., 3, 5, or 7 days).
Why These Settings Matter
These leave application restrictions ensure:
- Operational Continuity: Helps managers plan resources ahead of time.
- Policy Compliance: Prevents overuse or misuse of leave entitlements.
- Transparency: Employees are aware of rules and timelines for leave application.
- Efficiency: Auto-approval mechanisms reduce HR follow-ups and delays.
Best Practices
- Communicate all leave rules clearly in your employee handbook or portal.
- Review and revise restrictions annually based on business needs and past leave trends.
- Combine leave restrictions with eligibility filters (e.g., service status, experience) for tighter control.