Approving takes one click. Here's what to expect and how to handle the common cases.
The standard flow
When a team member requests time off, you get:
- An email with the request details and Approve / Deny buttons.
- A notification badge in the Vacation Flow web app.
Click Approve or Deny. That’s it. The team calendar updates instantly, and the requester gets a confirmation.
Seeing the whole context before deciding
Click on the request in the web app to see context like remaining balance, who else is off that day, and recent patterns. This helps avoid the "wait, we’ll have nobody on Friday" surprise.
Batch approving
- Web app → Dashboard → Pending approvals.
- Select multiple with checkboxes.
- Click Approve all (or Deny all with a reason).
Delegating while you're away
- Settings → Your profile → Delegation.
- Pick another manager and a date range.
- During that window, incoming requests route to them.
Don't forget to disable it when you're back.
Denying politely
- Click Deny.
- Add a reason (optional but recommended).
- Suggest alternative dates if you can.
The requester gets a clear message with your note.
Common denial reasons (and how to phrase them)
- "Too many people out that week" → "Can we shift this by 1 week? Sarah and Marco are already off."
- "Blocked during launch" → "Sorry, we’re in a code freeze until Oct 20. Any date after that works."
- "Probation period" → "Company policy: no PTO in first 90 days. You’re eligible as of [date]."
- "Blackout period" → "December 20–31 is a mandatory office period. Earlier in December works."
Auto-approval rules
On Corporate, you can set rules so routine requests approve themselves — for example auto-approving requests with plenty of notice, capping auto-approved sick days, or requiring manual approval when several people are already off that week. Auto-approved requests still appear in your history, so you can always intervene.