Setting Up Flowtly Holidays: From Types to Employee Leave Requests

This tutorial will guide you through setting up and managing holidays in Flowtly, from defining different types of leave to processing employee requests. By the end, you'll be able to configure annual leave entitlements, handle public holidays, and streamline your organization's leave management process efficiently.

Configuring Holiday Types

Establishing clear holiday types is the foundation of effective leave management in Flowtly, ensuring accurate tracking and reporting.

• Navigate to Holiday Types Settings:
• From your Flowtly dashboard, go to the sidebar menu.
• Click on Settings, then select Holiday Types under the "Human Resources" or "People Management" section. This page will list all existing leave categories.

• Create a New Holiday Type:
• On the Holiday Types page, click the + Add New button, typically located in the top right corner. A form will appear for defining the new type.

• Define Holiday Type Properties:
• Name: Enter a clear and descriptive name (e.g., "Annual Leave," "Sick Leave," "Public Holiday," "Parental Leave").
• Description: Provide a brief explanation of the holiday type.
• Color: Choose a color from the palette. This color will be used for visual identification on calendars and reports, making it easy to distinguish different types of leave at a glance.
• Counts towards Annual Leave: This is a crucial setting.
• Check this box if leave taken under this type should be deducted from an employee's annual leave entitlement (e.g., "Annual Leave" or "Vacation").
• Uncheck this box for leave types that do not reduce annual entitlement (e.g., "Sick Leave," "Public Holiday," "Bereavement Leave").
• Requires Approval: (Assuming this setting exists in Flowtly) Set whether requests for this specific leave type require manager or administrator approval before they are finalized. This is standard for most non-urgent leave requests.

Tip: Accurate configuration of the "Counts towards Annual Leave" flag is vital to ensure correct leave balances for your employees. For instance, public holidays should typically not count against an employee's annual leave entitlement.

• Save the Holiday Type:
• Once all details are entered, click Save or Create to add the new holiday type to your system. Repeat this process for all necessary leave types your organization utilizes.

Setting Up Annual Leave Limits (Organizational Level)

After defining your leave types, the next step is to establish the default annual leave entitlement for your entire organization. This provides a baseline that can then be customized for individual employees.

• Access General Holiday Settings:
• From the Flowtly dashboard, navigate to Administration (or Settings) in the main menu.
• Look for a section related to Holidays or Leave Management within the administration settings. The typical path might be Administration > Settings > Holidays or similar.

• Define Default Annual Leave Days:
• Locate the field specifically for "Default Annual Leave Entitlement" or "Organizational Annual Leave Days."
• Enter the standard number of annual leave days granted to a full-time employee per year in your organization. For example, if your company offers 20 working days of paid annual leave, enter "20." This value usually represents working days.

• Configure Accrual Settings (Optional):
• If your organization uses an accrual system where employees earn leave days over time (e.g., X days per month), look for settings related to "Leave Accrual."
• You might be able to define the accrual rate, the frequency (e.g., monthly, quarterly), and any maximum carry-over limits. This ensures that leave balances are updated automatically as employees work.

Note: Regularly review your organization's holiday policies. Any changes in company policy or local regulations should prompt an update to these global settings in Flowtly to maintain compliance.

• Save Organizational Holiday Settings:
• Click Save to apply these global settings. These will now serve as the default for all new and existing employees unless specifically overridden at an individual level.

Customizing Annual Leave Limits (Individual Level)

While global settings provide a baseline, Flowtly allows you to tailor annual leave entitlements for individual employees, accommodating diverse employment scenarios such as part-time work, different seniority levels, or specific contractual agreements.

• Navigate to Employee Profiles:
• From the Flowtly dashboard, click on People in the main navigation.
• Browse or search for the specific employee whose annual leave entitlement you wish to customize.
• Click on the employee's name to open their profile.

• Access Individual Holiday Settings:
• Within the employee's profile, look for a tab or section labeled "Holidays," "Leave," or "Time Off." Click on it.

• Override Default Annual Leave:
• You should see a field indicating the employee's current annual leave entitlement, often initially displaying the organizational default.
• Locate an option to "Override Global Setting" or "Set Custom Annual Leave."
• Enter the specific number of annual leave days for this particular employee. For instance, a part-time employee might have 10 days instead of the organizational default of 20.
• Specify the "Entitlement Start Date" and "Entitlement End Date" for this custom limit, especially useful for new hires who might have a pro-rated entitlement for their first year.

Practical Tip: Customizing entitlements is crucial for compliance and fairness. Ensure you have clear internal policies for different employee groups (e.g., full-time, part-time, contractors) and apply these consistently within Flowtly. Individual settings always take precedence over global defaults.

• Save Individual Settings:
• Once you've made the necessary adjustments, click Save or Update on the employee's profile to apply the custom annual leave entitlement. This individual setting will now take precedence over the global default for this employee.

Managing Public Holidays

Public holidays are an important aspect of leave management, as they typically do not count against an employee's annual leave balance. Flowtly allows you to define these officially, ensuring accurate leave tracking.

• Navigate to Holidays Section:
• From the Flowtly dashboard, go to the main navigation and click on Holidays. This section typically provides an overview of all leave-related activities, including a calendar view.

• Add a New Public Holiday:
• On the Holidays page, look for an option to Add Public Holiday or Create New Holiday Event. A form will appear for you to define the details of the public holiday.

• Specify Public Holiday Details:
• Name: Enter the official name of the public holiday (e.g., "New Year's Day," "Christmas Day").
• Date: Select the specific date(s) for the public holiday. If it's a multi-day holiday, you might need to enter a start and end date, or create separate entries for each day.
• Holiday Type: Crucially, select the "Public Holiday" type that you previously created in Section 1. This ensures it's correctly categorized and does not count towards annual leave.
• Applies To: (If Flowtly allows) You might specify which departments, locations, or even individual employees this public holiday applies to. This is crucial for multi-national or multi-regional companies. Otherwise, it is typically assumed to be company-wide.

Important Note: Enter public holidays accurately, including observed dates for holidays that fall on weekends (e.g., if a public holiday is moved to a Monday), to prevent discrepancies in employee leave balances and payroll.

• Save the Public Holiday:
• Click Save or Create to add the public holiday to Flowtly's calendar. Employees will now see this holiday, and it won't affect their annual leave balance if they take that day off.

Employee Leave Request Process

With your holiday types and entitlements configured, Flowtly streamlines the process for employees to request leave and for managers to approve or reject those requests.

Employee Perspective: Submitting a Leave Request

• Initiate a Leave Request:
• Employees can typically initiate a leave request from their Home Dashboard (if a quick access widget is available) or by navigating directly to the Holidays section in the main menu.
• Look for a prominent button or link labeled Request Leave or Apply for Time Off.

• Fill in Leave Request Details:
• Holiday Type: Select the appropriate type of leave from the dropdown list (e.g., "Annual Leave," "Sick Leave").
• Start Date & End Date: Use the calendar picker to select the desired start and end dates for the leave. Flowtly will automatically calculate the number of working days requested based on the employee's work schedule.
• Reason/Notes: Provide a brief explanation or any necessary details for the request. This is particularly important for sick leave or special requests.
• Review Leave Balance: Flowtly often displays the employee's current leave balance for the selected holiday type, allowing them to see how their request will impact their remaining days.

Tip for Employees: Always submit annual leave requests as far in advance as possible to allow ample time for manager review and approval, and to coordinate with team schedules.

• Submit the Request:
• Once all details are accurate, click Submit Request. The request will then be sent for approval, typically to the employee's direct manager or a designated HR administrator.

Manager/Administrator Perspective: Reviewing and Approving Leave Requests

• Access the Action Center:
• Managers and administrators responsible for approving leave requests will receive notifications (via email and within Flowtly).
• The primary place to manage pending requests is the Action Center. Navigate to Action Center from the main Flowtly menu.

• Review Pending Requests:
• In the Action Center, you'll see a list of Pending Actions. Filter or look for items related to "Holiday Requests" or "Leave Approvals."
• Click on a specific request to view its full details, including the employee's name, requested dates, holiday type, notes, current leave balance, and potentially a team calendar view to help assess conflicts.

Important for Managers: When reviewing requests, consider team availability, project deadlines, and the employee's remaining leave balance. Flowtly's integrated calendar views can be invaluable for making informed decisions.

• Approve or Reject the Request:
• After reviewing the details, you will have options to:
• Approve: Confirm the leave request. The employee's leave balance will be updated, and the leave will appear on company calendars.
• Reject: Deny the leave request. You will typically be prompted to provide a reason for the rejection, which will be communicated to the employee.
• Click the appropriate action button.

• Notifications:
• Upon approval or rejection, Flowtly automatically sends notifications to the employee, keeping them informed of the status of their request. This streamlines communication and reduces the need for manual updates.

Tip on Responsibilities: Ensure that reporting lines and approval hierarchies are correctly configured under Responsibilities within Flowtly's Administration or Settings. This directs leave requests to the right approvers, preventing delays and confusion.

Summary & Next Steps

You've now successfully configured holiday types, set annual leave limits at both organizational and individual levels, and understand the streamlined process for managing employee leave requests within Flowtly. This robust setup ensures accurate leave tracking, compliance with company policies, and efficient HR operations.

To further optimize your leave management, consider integrating holiday planning with project timelines and team availability. Regularly review your holiday types and annual entitlements to reflect any changes in company policy or legal requirements.

Learn more

• Holidays
• Holiday Types
• People
• Action Center
• Administration
• Emails & Notifications