Apply leave online with a live preview

How it works

1. The employee opens My leave on My Self-Service, sees the balance for each leave type, and clicks Apply leave.
2. They pick the leave type, the dates and a reason, and tick half day with First half or Second half if it is a single date.
3. While ZeniaHR checks the dates, the preview shows the days charged, the sandwiched days, and the balance after, counting pending requests.
4. Blockers appear in red, such as notice not met or a type that cannot be taken during probation, and Submit stays disabled until they are fixed. Warnings, such as a document needed, do not block.
5. The request goes to the reporting manager and then HR. The employee can cancel it while it is pending.
6. An approved leave can be cancelled by the employee, with a reason, until it starts, and the days return to the balance.

What you can set

• Leave types and balances as the company has set them, such as CL, EL, SL and LWP.
• Half day: First half or Second half, on a single date, where the leave type allows half days.
• Preview: days charged, sandwiched rest days, balance after, blockers and warnings.
• Rules checked per leave type: balance, how far below zero, probation, notice, back-dating, longest spell, days per application, combinations and eligibility.
• Cancel pending: at any time while it waits for approval.
• Cancel approved: by the employee before the leave starts, with a reason; later, HR cancels it.

Why the preview matters

Leave rules are fair only if people can see them working. A preview that says 'this request charges 4 days, including Saturday and Sunday' before submission turns an argument after payroll into a choice before applying. The employee can shorten the dates, switch to another leave type, or apply anyway knowing the cost. Managers also get fewer requests that break the rules, because blocked requests never reach them.

Worked example: a long weekend at a Hyderabad insurance broker

Kavya Reddy is a relationship officer at a Hyderabad insurance broker whose office is closed on Sundays and on the 2nd and 4th Saturdays. On Monday 5 October she picks CL from Friday 9 October to Monday 12 October. Her company uses the recommended CL rule, which counts weekends inside a leave that has at least 2 working days, so the preview shows 4 days charged, with Saturday and Sunday as sandwiched days.

Her CL balance is 3, and CL may go up to 2 days below zero, so the preview shows a balance after of minus 1, with no blockers. Notice is fine, since she is applying 4 days ahead and CL needs 2. She submits, and the request goes to her manager and then HR. On Wednesday her plans change and she cancels the pending request herself, and her balance of 3 is untouched.

Good habits for leave

The preview answers most questions before they are asked, but a few simple habits keep leave smooth for everyone in the team, especially around festivals and long weekends when many people apply for the same dates and managers have to choose who can be spared.

• Check the preview's days charged before submitting, especially around weekends and holidays.
• Apply early enough to meet the notice for the leave type.
• Use a half day for a short appointment rather than a full day.
• Keep a medical certificate ready when the preview warns that a document is needed.

Frequently asked questions