Manager Can't Approve Time Off Requests

This article explains common causes and step-by-step checks to resolve situations where a manager cannot approve an employee's holiday (time-off) request.

Summary

• Managers may be unable to approve requests if the request routing or absence policy configuration has changed, if the request is routed to a different approver, or during transient system issues that have since been resolved.

Quick checklist (start here)

1. Confirm the request is still pending and visible under Time Off → Manage → Requests.
2. Confirm the employee has an absence policy assigned.
3. Confirm the appropriate approver is set (Default Approver or line manager).
4. If the absence policy used when the request was created was deleted and replaced, remove and re-create the request under the current policy.
5. If the Approve/Decline buttons are greyed out after checks, contact support.

How approval routing works (key points)

• Requests normally route to the Default Approver. If no Default Approver is defined, requests route to the employee’s line manager.
• If a request is awaiting approval by a different approver (for example, the Default Approver or the assigned approver), it will not appear in another manager’s approval queue and that manager will be unable to approve it.

Common causes and solutions

1. Request is routed to another approver

• Symptom: Approve button appears greyed out and the request is still pending.
• Check:
  • Open Time Off → Manage → Requests and confirm the request status is Pending.
  • Verify who the assigned approver is (Default Approver or line manager).
• Action:
  • Ask the assigned approver to check their Requests queue and approve/decline from their side.

2. Employee has no active absence policy or the policy used was deleted

• Symptom: Managers cannot approve requests created under a policy that has since been deleted or changed.
• Check:
  • Confirm the employee currently has an absence policy assigned.
  • Confirm the absence policy exists and is active.
• Action:
  • If the policy used when the request was created was deleted and then re-created, remove the original request and re-add it so the new/active policy is applied. After re-creating the request, approval should be possible under the current policy.

3. Absence policy configuration and permissions

• Symptom: Approval controls behave unexpectedly.
• Check:
  • Verify the absence policy settings related to approver/manager approval are configured correctly (for example, ensure manager approval is enabled where required).
  • Verify notification and approver permissions are set correctly for managers.
• Action:
  • Adjust policy settings or permissions as required.

4. Transient system issue

• Symptom: Multiple users report greyed out Approve/Decline buttons; logging out/in does not help.
• Action:
  • Verify whether a system issue has been reported or resolved by support. If a system incident is in progress, wait for confirmation that the issue is resolved and then re-check approval behavior.

Step-by-step troubleshooting procedure

1. Verify the request

   • Go to Time Off → Manage → Requests and confirm the request is Pending and visible.

2. Confirm approver routing

   • Determine the assigned approver for that request (Default Approver or employee’s line manager).
   • Ask that approver to check their Requests queue.

3. Confirm absence policy assignment and existence

   • Confirm the employee has an active absence policy assigned.
   • Confirm the policy exists and has not been deleted.

4. Re-create the request if needed

   • If the original request was created under a policy that was deleted, remove the request and create a new request under the active policy.

5. Check policy settings and permissions

   • Ensure manager approval is enabled where required and that approver notifications/permissions are configured correctly.

6. If buttons are greyed out for multiple users

   • Log out and log back in to rule out session issues.
   • If the issue persists, contact support to confirm whether a system incident is affecting approvals.

Troubleshooting tips

• If a manager reports the Approve/Decline buttons are greyed out, first confirm where the request is waiting for approval (it may not be in that manager’s queue).
• When a policy has been deleted and re-created, existing requests created under the old policy should be removed and re-added under the current policy to allow approval.
• Always confirm the employee’s absence policy assignment before making changes to individual requests.

Conclusion Start by confirming the request status and the assigned approver, then verify the employee’s absence policy and that the policy used when the request was created still exists. If a deleted/re-created policy is the cause, remove and re-create the request under the active policy. For greyed-out buttons affecting multiple users, confirm whether a system incident exists and contact support if necessary. These steps resolve the common scenarios that prevent managers from approving holiday requests.