Absences

With absences in Pulse, you can record and manage all types of absences such as vacation, sick leave, or special leave. The system provides a complete workflow from application through approval to management. This page explains the functionality, permissions, and typical use cases step by step.

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Introduction: What are Absences in Pulse?

Pulse provides an integrated absence management system that helps you centrally record and manage all types of absences.

• Absences are periods during which employees are not working (e.g. vacation, sick leave, special leave).
• Each absence has an absence type (e.g. “Vacation”) that defines what kind of absence it is.
• Absences go through different statuses: created, confirmed, or rejected.

Benefits:

• Central overview of all absences
• Transparent approval workflow
• Subsequent editing possible (as long as not yet confirmed)
• View both globally and in the employee profile

Note

Absences are always created with the status “created”. Only through confirmation does the status change to “confirmed” or “rejected”. Confirmed or rejected absences can no longer be edited until the confirmation is withdrawn.

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Permissions & Roles

To use absences, the appropriate permissions must be granted.

Permissions in Detail

• Permission “Read Absence”: Allows viewing absences of other employees. Without this permission, the absence overview is not visible. Employees can always view their own absences.
• Permission “Create Absence”: Allows creating new absences for other employees (depending on role configuration). Employees can always create their own absences.
• Permission “Edit Absence”: Allows adjusting start/end dates and absence type (only for status “created”) for other employees. Employees can always edit their own created absences.
• Permission “Delete Absence”: Allows deleting absences (only for status “created”).
• Permission “Create Absence Confirmation”: Allows confirming or rejecting absences.
• Permission “Delete Absence Confirmation”: Allows withdrawing your own confirmations.

Tip

Permissions in Pulse are controlled via roles and can be configured in Account Settings → Organization → Roles. You can grant permissions both at account level and at team level.

Note

Employees can always create, view, and edit their own absences (as long as they are unconfirmed). To view, edit, or delete absences of other employees, extended permissions at account or team level are required.

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Creating an Absence

Here’s how to create a new absence:

Globally in the Absence Overview

1. Click on the clock icon in the left navigation to access time management.
2. Select the “Absences” tab.
3. Click “Create Absence”.
4. Fill out the form:
   • Employee: Select the employee for whom the absence should be created.
   • Absence Type: Select the appropriate type (e.g. “Vacation”, “Sick Leave”).
   • Start date: Select the first date of the absence.
   • End date: Select the last date of the absence (must be equal to or after the start date).
5. Click “Submit”.

In the Employee Profile

1. Open the employee profile of the desired employee.
2. Navigate to the “Time Management” → “Absences” tab.
3. Click “Add Absence”.
4. Fill out the form (absence type, start date, end date).
5. Click “Create”.

Note

The newly created absence automatically receives the status “created” and appears in the list. It can now be edited or confirmed/rejected by authorized persons.

Caution

You can only create absences for other employees if you have the “Create Absence” permission for these employees (via account or team level).

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Overview: Viewing Absences

You can find absences in two places:

Global Absence Overview

Via the left navigation bar, click the button with the clock icon to access the time management overview page. There you will find the “Absences” tab.

• Here, all absences you have access to are displayed (depending on your permissions).
• The list shows employee, absence type, start/end date, and current status.
• Via the three-dot menu on the right in the list, you can perform actions (e.g. edit, delete, confirm, reject).

In the Employee Profile

In addition to the global overview, you can find absences directly in the employee profile.

• Open an employee’s profile and navigate to “Time Management” → “Absences”.
• The table works exactly like the global view – but is limited to the selected employee.

Tip

Use the employee profile when you want to specifically check or adjust the absences of a single person – without switching to the global overview.

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Editing an Absence

Here’s how to edit an existing absence:

1. Open the absence overview (globally or in the employee profile).
2. Click the three-dot menu to the right of the absence.
3. Select “Edit”.
4. Adjust the desired fields:
   • Absence type
   • Start date (From)
   • End date (To)
5. Click “Save”.

Caution

Absences can only be edited if they have the status “created”. Confirmed or rejected absences must first be reset to status “created” to be edited (see below).

Note

Editing absences requires the “Edit Absence” permission. Depending on role configuration, the function may be hidden or read-only.

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Deleting an Absence

Here’s how to delete an absence:

1. Open the absence overview (globally or in the employee profile).
2. Click the three-dot menu to the right of the absence and select “Edit”.
3. Click “Delete absence” at the bottom left of the dialog.

Caution

Absences can only be deleted if they have the status “created”. Confirmed or rejected absences must first be reset to status “created” to be deleted.

Note

Deleting absences requires the “Delete Absence” permission.

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Confirming Absences & Approval Workflow

Absences must be confirmed before they are considered approved. With the appropriate permission, you can confirm, reject, or withdraw confirmations for absences.

Confirming an Absence

1. Open the absence overview (globally or in the employee profile).
2. Click the three-dot menu to the right of the absence with status “created”.
3. Select “Confirm”.
4. The absence receives your confirmation.

Rejecting an Absence

1. Open the absence overview (globally or in the employee profile).
2. Click the three-dot menu to the right of the absence with status “created”.
3. Select “Reject”.
4. The absence immediately changes to status “rejected” and is locked for further editing.

Withdrawing a Confirmation

If you have already confirmed or rejected an absence, you can withdraw your own confirmation:

1. Open the absence overview (globally or in the employee profile).
2. Click the three-dot menu to the right of the confirmed/rejected absence.
3. Select “Reset Status”.
4. The absence changes back to status “created” and can be edited or deleted again.

Multiple Confirmations

Certain absence types may require multiple confirmations (e.g. two confirmations from different people).

• An absence requiring multiple confirmations remains in status “created” until all required confirmations are present.
• Only when the last required confirmation is given does the absence automatically change to status “confirmed”.
• As soon as one person rejects, the absence immediately changes to status “rejected” – regardless of how many confirmations are still missing.

Note

The number of required confirmations is set per absence type. You can configure this setting under Account Settings → Time Management → Absence Types for each type.

Tip

You can only withdraw your own confirmation. Other confirmations must be withdrawn by the respective persons themselves.

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Status of an Absence

Each absence goes through different statuses:

• Created: The absence was created but not yet confirmed. It can be edited and deleted.
• Confirmed: The absence was approved by an authorized person. It is locked for editing.
• Rejected: The absence was rejected by an authorized person. It is locked for editing.

Note

Confirmed or rejected absences can no longer be edited or deleted until all confirmations have been withdrawn.

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Absence Types

Absence types define what kind of absence is being recorded (e.g. vacation, sick leave, special leave).

• Absence types are centrally managed under Account Settings → Time Management → Absence Types.
• When creating an absence, you can select one of the active types.
• For more information, see the “Absence Types” guide.

Tip

Make sure appropriate absence types are created and activated before creating absences.

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Common Use Cases & Tips

• Submitting a vacation request: Create an absence with type “Vacation” and the desired time period. An authorized person can then confirm it.
• Reporting illness: Create an absence with type “Sick Leave”. If needed, it can be adjusted later (e.g. extending the end date).
• Correcting an absence: Edit the absence as long as it has the status “created”. If already confirmed, the confirmation must first be withdrawn.
• Reviewing absences: Use the global overview to see and manage all absences of your team.
• Managing confirmations: Confirm or reject absences to complete the approval process.

Tip

Regularly check the absence overview – this way you keep track of upcoming and approved absences in your team.

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Security & Responsibilities

• Absences are technically created correctly with the specified data.
• The content accuracy (e.g. correct time period, appropriate type) is your responsibility as a user or your admin’s responsibility.
• Roles & permissions can be managed by your admins in Account Settings → Organization → Roles.
• Confirmed absences are locked to prevent subsequent changes – this ensures traceability of the approval process.

Caution

Make sure that only authorized persons can confirm or reject absences. The role configuration should be restrictive accordingly.

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FAQ

Why can’t I see any absences?
You probably lack the “Read Absence” permission. Please contact your admins to have them assign you the appropriate role.

Why can’t I create absences?
You probably lack the “Create Absence” permission. Please contact your admins.

Why can’t I edit or delete an absence?
Either you lack the appropriate permission (“Edit Absence” or “Delete Absence”), or the absence already has the status “confirmed” or “rejected”. In the latter case, the confirmation must first be withdrawn.

Can I create multiple absences at once?
Currently, each absence must be created individually. However, you can create multiple absences one after another.

What happens when an absence is confirmed?
The absence is then locked for editing and can no longer be changed or deleted. Only the confirming person can withdraw the confirmation.

Who can confirm absences?
This depends on your roles/permissions. Typically, the “Create Absence Confirmation” permission is assigned to supervisors, team leads, or HR managers.

Can I see who confirmed an absence?
Currently, the confirmation is recorded in the system, but the person is not directly visible in the overview. This information can be retrieved via the API.

Why don’t I see any absence types?
No absence types have been created yet, or all existing types are inactive. Please have your admins create and activate absence types under Account Settings → Time Management → Absence Types.