Leave policy rules for each leave type

How it works

1. Open Settings, Policies, Leave rules. Each leave type opens as a group of sentences with boxes to fill, such as apply at least 2 days before the leave starts.
2. Fill the timing rules: notice days, how far back an application may reach, the most days in one spell and the most calendar days in one application.
3. Fill the balance and eligibility rules: how far the balance may go below zero, probation, half days, documents, genders, employment types and minimum months of service.
4. Save each leave type on its own, or press Use recommended leave rules to fill tested values for CL, EL, PL, SL, LWP, LOP and CO.
5. When someone applies, every rule runs against the picked dates. A broken rule becomes a blocker with a plain reason; softer issues show as warnings.
6. Notice and back-dating block an employee applying for themselves, but only warn HR when HR applies on the employee's behalf.

What you can set

• Notice days before the leave starts, and back-dating days, where empty means any and 0 means none.
• Not more than N days in one spell, counting charged days, and not more than N calendar days in one application, weekends included.
• Cannot be combined with: leave types that may not sit next to this one, even across a weekend or holiday.
• Balance may go N days below zero, for advance leave. Balances are checked when the Leave Ledger is on and the type is paid.
• During probation this leave can or cannot be applied.
• Half-day applications allowed or not allowed.
• A document is needed when the leave is longer than N days. A missing document shows a warning and flags the request.
• Applies to all genders or chosen ones, to all employment types or chosen ones such as Permanent, Contractual, Probation and Intern.
• Only after N months of service, counted from the joining date.
• Use recommended leave rules, which also creates the CO comp-off type when you have none.

What the recommended rules set

The recommended values are a sound starting point for many companies. They match leave types by code, so types with other codes stay as they are, and holidays count like weekends throughout. Apply them, read each sentence, and change only what your policy says differently.

• CL timing: weekends count when leave is on both sides and the spell has 2 or more working days; apply 2 days ahead; no back-dating; up to 10 days a spell and 15 calendar days a request.
• CL balance and eligibility: not next to EL or PL; may go 2 days below zero; not during probation; half days allowed.
• EL and PL: the same weekend, notice, back-dating and length rules; not with CL; no negative balance; not during probation; no half days.
• SL: weekends never count; back-dating up to 3 days; up to 10 days in a spell and 15 calendar days in an application; a document when longer than 2 days; allowed during probation.
• LWP and LOP: weekends never count; back-dating up to 3 days; no length limit.
• CO: weekends never count; apply 1 day ahead; no back-dating; earned for work on a weekly off or holiday; unused comp-off expires after 60 days.

Worked example: a casual leave request that breaks two rules

Meera, a confirmed purchase executive in Chennai, already has approved earned leave from Wednesday 21 to Friday 23 October 2026. On Sunday 18 October she tries to add casual leave for Monday 19 and Tuesday 20 October. The check stops her twice. Casual leave must be applied at least 2 days before it starts, and she is applying one day ahead. Casual leave also cannot be taken next to earned leave, and Tuesday 20 touches her approved spell.

Her way out is to ask HR. If HR raises earned leave for 19 and 20 October on her behalf, the notice rule shows only as a warning and earned leave next to earned leave is allowed, so the request goes ahead for HR's decision. Casual leave raised by HR would still be blocked, because the combination rule is a policy decision, not a paperwork delay.

Setting rules staff can follow

Keep notice periods realistic for the work. A plant operator on rotating shifts cannot always give two days' notice for a family emergency, so casual leave rules for such teams may need a lower figure than for office staff. Keep sick leave back-dating open for a few days, because people apply after they recover. Use the document rule as a flag for HR rather than a wall, since ZeniaHR warns and flags instead of blocking. Put every rule in your written leave policy with the same numbers.

Frequently asked questions