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Requesting and Managing Leave

10 minutes

Tutorial 6.2: Requesting and Managing Leave

Introduction

Staff can submit leave requests through Luminate for manager approval. This tutorial covers how to create leave requests, check your allowance balance, and manage pending requests. Managers can also request leave on behalf of staff members.

Who this is for: Owner, Admin, Manager, Staff, Receptionist What you'll learn:

  • Submit a new leave request
  • Choose the correct leave type
  • Use half-day periods (AM/PM)
  • View your allowance and remaining balance
  • Edit or cancel pending requests

Time to complete: 10 minutes

Prerequisites

  • Logged in to Luminate
  • Staff profile exists in the system
  • Complete Tutorial 6.1 (Understanding Staff Leave Allowances)

Step-by-Step Instructions

Step 1: Access Leave Management

  1. Click Leave in the sidebar
  2. The Leave page displays:
    • Your leave allowance summary card (if you're staff), showing Base, Carried Over, Total, Used, Pending, and Remaining days
    • Filters for Status, Staff, and Year
    • A table of leave requests
  3. Click Request Leave in the top-right corner

Step 2: Select Staff Member (Managers Only)

If you have permission to manage leave for other staff:

  1. The Staff Member section appears at the top of the form
  2. Search for and select the staff member
  3. The allowance summary updates to show their balance

If you're requesting leave for yourself, this section doesn't appear (or shows only your name).

Step 3: Choose Leave Type

  1. Click the Leave Type dropdown
  2. Search for or select the appropriate type:
Leave Type Use For Deducts from Allowance?
Holiday Annual leave, holidays, time off Yes
Sick Illness, medical appointments No
Unpaid Extended time off without pay No
Compassionate Bereavement, family emergencies No
Maternity Maternity leave No
Paternity Paternity leave No
Other Any other absence type No

Each leave type shows whether it deducts from the allowance beneath the type name.

Step 4: Select Leave Dates

  1. Click the Leave Dates field
  2. Select your start date from the calendar
  3. Select your end date (automatically set to start date for single-day requests)
  4. Click outside the calendar to confirm

For single-day leave: The start and end dates will be the same.

For multi-day leave: Select the first and last days of your absence.

Step 5: Set Day Periods (Optional)

For half-day leave or partial days:

Start Day Period:

  • Full Day (default) - Off all day
  • Morning Only (AM) - Off in the morning, working in the afternoon
  • Afternoon Only (PM) - Working in the morning, off in the afternoon

End Day Period:

  • Same options as above
  • Only relevant for multi-day requests

Examples:

  • Single half-day off: Set dates to same day, period to AM or PM
  • Week off starting afternoon Monday: Start period = PM, End period = Full Day
  • Two days finishing at lunch: Start period = Full Day, End period = AM

Step 6: Review Working Days Calculation

The form automatically calculates Working Days:

  • Excludes non-working days based on the staff member's configured working days (or salon defaults if not set for the staff member)
  • Excludes bank holidays configured for your salon
  • Adjusts for half-day periods (0.5 days for AM or PM only)

The calculation updates automatically as you change dates or periods.

Note: Working days are determined by the staff member's schedule. If a staff member works Tuesday to Saturday, Sunday and Monday would be excluded from the calculation. If no specific working days are set for the staff member, the salon's default working days are used.

Step 7: Check Allowance Impact

If you select a leave type that deducts from allowance (Holiday), the Leave Allowance Summary card shows:

Field Description
Current Remaining Days available before this request
This Request Working days being requested
After Approval Remaining balance if approved

If "After Approval" shows a negative number (displayed in red), you're requesting more than your remaining allowance. You can still submit, but the request may be rejected.

Note: This summary only appears for leave types that deduct from allowance (Holiday).

Step 8: Add Reason (Optional)

  1. Enter details in the Reason (optional) field
  2. This helps managers understand the context

Examples:

  • "Family holiday to Spain"
  • "Doctor's appointment - can provide sick note if needed"
  • "Attending wedding"

Step 9: Submit the Request

  1. Review all details
  2. Click Submit Request
  3. You're redirected to the leave request detail page
  4. Your request shows with Pending status

Managing Your Leave Requests

View Your Requests

  1. Navigate to Leave in the sidebar
  2. Use filters to narrow results:
    • Status: All Statuses, Pending, Approved, Rejected, Cancelled
    • Staff: Filter by staff member (managers only)
    • Year: Current year or next year
  3. Click any row or View to see request details

Edit a Pending Request

You can only edit requests that are still Pending:

  1. Click on the request to view details
  2. Click Edit in the top-right corner
  3. Modify dates, periods, leave type, or reason
  4. Click Save Changes

Note: Once a request is approved, rejected, or cancelled, it cannot be edited.

Cancel a Request

To withdraw a pending request:

  1. Click on the request to view details
  2. Click Cancel Request
  3. Confirm the cancellation in the dialog

Cancelled requests remain visible in your history but don't count against your allowance.

Understanding Request Status

Status Meaning What You Can Do
Pending Awaiting manager review Edit or Cancel
Approved Leave confirmed View only
Rejected Request denied View rejection reason
Cancelled Withdrawn by requester View only

Common Pitfalls

"Working days shows 0 but I selected dates"

The selected dates might all be non-working days or bank holidays for that staff member. Check the staff member's configured working days and the salon's bank holiday settings.

"I can't see the Staff Member dropdown"

You can only request leave for others if you have Manager, Admin, or Owner permissions. Staff members can only request for themselves.

"The allowance warning says I'm exceeding my balance"

You're requesting more holiday than you have remaining. Options:

  1. Reduce the number of days requested
  2. Submit anyway (manager may still approve)
  3. Use a different leave type (Unpaid doesn't deduct from allowance)

"I selected Holiday but it's not deducting from my allowance"

Deduction only happens when the request is approved. Pending requests show in the "Pending" column but don't reduce "Remaining" until approved.

"I can't edit my approved leave"

Approved requests cannot be edited. Contact your manager to cancel the approved leave, then submit a new request.

Tips and Best Practices

  1. Request early - Submit leave requests as soon as you know your dates, especially for popular holiday periods
  2. Check your balance first - Review your allowance summary before requesting to avoid exceeding limits
  3. Use the correct type - Sick leave shouldn't be used for holidays; it affects reporting accuracy
  4. Add context - A brief reason helps managers approve faster
  5. Check for conflicts - Consider team schedules when requesting peak holiday dates
  6. Plan half-days carefully - Use AM/PM periods for medical appointments or early starts

Related Tutorials

  • Tutorial 6.1: Understanding Staff Leave Allowances - How allowances work
  • Tutorial 6.3: Approving and Rejecting Leave Requests - Manager workflow
  • Tutorial 5.1: Setting Up Your Weekly Roster - Understanding scheduling

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I request leave for dates in the past?

No. Leave requests must start from today or later. If you need to record historical leave (such as unexpected sick leave), ask your manager to record it through other means.

How far in advance can I request leave?

There's no system limit. You can request leave for next year using the Year filter. However, your salon may have policies about advance notice.

What if I need to change approved leave?

Contact your manager. They may need to cancel the approved request so you can submit a new one with the correct dates.

Can I see when other staff are off?

Not directly from the Leave page. Check the Roster page to see who's scheduled and when shifts are blocked. Managers can see all staff requests on the Leave page.

Will my manager be notified when I submit a request?

The system tracks requests but notifications depend on your salon's configuration. It's good practice to also inform your manager directly.

What counts as a working day?

Working days are determined by the staff member's configured working days, or the salon's default working days if the staff member has no specific settings. Bank holidays configured for your salon are also excluded from the calculation.

Can I take half days?

Yes. Use the Start Day Period or End Day Period options to select Morning Only (AM) or Afternoon Only (PM).

Last Updated: January 2026