About the limitation rules in time off policies

This topic applies to our new time off system only.

Limitation rules allow you to automatically reset time off balances, set a maximum balance, cap accruals, or enable time off expiryThey can be added to default policies in time off types, or can be added to specific policies assigned to users.

Refer to the sections below for details on specific rule options.<

Select these links for information about the starting policy rules, accrual rules, and validation rules in time off policies.

If you have purchased an Enterprise-level product, we can work with you to create fully customized accrual rules. Contact your Customer Success Manager for more information.

Rules that reset balances

Bi-Weekly Reset

Checks that total time off for working days does not exceed the allowed maximum for the year

Monthly

Checks that time off for either one booking or every booking falls within the duration and date range requirements

Quarterly

Checks that time off doesn’t exceed the allowed maximum bookings/hours in a rolling period

Semi-Annual

Checks that up to 3 bookings meet duration and date range requirements

Semi-Monthly

Checks that time off for either one booking or every booking falls within the duration and date range requirements

Weekly

Checks that time off doesn’t exceed the allowed maximum bookings/hours in a rolling period

Yearly

Checks that up to 3 bookings meet duration and date range requirements

Rules that cap, limit, or prevent accruals

Cap Accruals for the Week

Checks that all custom fields that appear on the booking are completed

Cap Accruals for the Year

Checks that comments are present, and/or that comment lengths fall within min or max character limits

Max Balance Limit

Checks that the booked hours each day, including days off, is less than the user’s scheduled hours

Prevent Accruals Based on Service Period in a Year

Checks that the booked hours each day, including days off, is less than the user’s scheduled hours

Rules that support balance carry over and expiry

Yearly Carry Over with Expiry

Checks that the booking gives the required amount of advance notice

Detailed descriptions of the limitation rules

Rules that reset balances

Validation name

This validation…

Bi-Weekly Reset

Automatically resets the policy’s balance to a specified value, on a defined schedule

Parameters

  • Reset On <Week, Month, Quarter>: Defines in which week, month, or quarter the reset should occur. The Yearly Reset rule includes an Anniversary Month
  • On Day Of Month: Defines the day the reset should occur on. Some rules include Anniversary Day and Last Day of Month
  • Reset Type: Determines whether the balance will be set to some defined value (Set To), or if their existing balance will be retained, but only up to the value specified (Carry Up To)
  • Reset Amount: The number of days or hours the balance is reset to, or carried up to

Example

If a user’s Vacation time expires at the end of the year, but they can carry over up to 5 days, you would set the parameters as follows:

  • Rule: Yearly Reset
  • Reset On Month: January
  • On Day Of Month: 1st
  • Reset Type: Carry Up To
  • Reset Amount: 40 hours

Then, if they have 50 Vacation hours remaining at the end of the year, they’ll only carry over 40 of those to their next balance.

Monthly Reset

Checks

Quarterly Reset

Checks t

Semi-Annual Reset

Check

Semi-Monthly Reset

Checks tha

Weekly Reset

Checks tha

Yearly Reset

Checks th

Rules that cap, limit, or prevent accruals

Validation name

This validation…

Cap Accruals for the Week

 

Automatically limits how much time off a user can accrue in a year

Parameters

  • Limit: The amount of time off the user is allowed to accrue in the defined year
  • Year Starts Month: The month when the validation year begins. The validation year can be the calendar year, a fiscal year, or be based on the user's anniversary.
  • Year Starts Day: The day of the month when the validation year begins

Example

A company might want to limit users to accruing up to 48 hours of sick time.

When would this rule be useful?

This rule is typically only used when time off accruals are based on hours worked or paid (e.g. worker accrues 1 hour of sick time per 30 hours worked).

 

Cap Accruals for the Year

Automatically limits how much time off a user can accrue in a year

Parameters

  • Limit: The amount of time off the user is allowed to accrue in the defined year
  • Year Starts Month: The month when the validation year begins. The validation year can be the calendar year, a fiscal year, or be based on the user's anniversary.
  • Year Starts Day: The day of the month when the validation year begins

Example

A company might want to limit users to accruing up to 48 hours of sick time.

When would this rule be useful?

This rule is typically only used when time off accruals are based on hours worked or paid (e.g. worker accrues 1 hour of sick time per 30 hours worked).

 

Max Balance Limit

 

Automatically prevents any addition of time off beyond the defined cap.

Parameters

  • Maximum Balance: The maximum days or hours the balance can have. No additional time off can be added to this value, whether through accruals, resets, or manual additions.

 

 

Checks that time off doesn’t exceed the allowed maximum bookings/hours in a rolling period

Parameters

You can set these parameters for each time off type or policy:

  • Months in Period: The number of months you want to validate bookings against
  • Maximum Bookings: The maximum bookings that can be made in each period
  • Maximum Allowed: The maximum total booked off hours allowed in each period
  • Days Defined As: The type of day this rule validates: Calendar Day, or Workday

Example

You could set 4 maximum of bookings, and 24 maximum hours, in a 6 month period; the validation is triggered if a user exceeds either of these maximums in any 6 month period (i.e. one beginning on any day).

When would this rule be useful?

This sort of rule is useful in places like Norway that allow for limiting bookings in this way.

Prevent Accruals Based on Service Period in a Year

 

Checks that up to 3 bookings meet duration and date range requirements

Parameters

You can set these parameters for each time off type or policy:

  • Days Defined As: The type of day this rule validates: Calendar Day, or Workday
  • Booking <1, 2, and 3> Duration Requirement: Minimum Duration, Maximum Duration, Exact Duration, or No Requirement
  • Booking 1; Booking 2; Booking 3 Days Required: The required duration value of each booking, to which the corresponding duration requirement is applied. The order of bookings must match the duration booking order. You can use either commas or semi-colons to separate values. If you’ve specified No Requirement, give 0 as the duration for the booking.
  • Booking 1; Booking 2; Booking 3 Period Start or End: These dates define the period over which each booking will be validated, in this format: Day Mon, Day Mon, Day Mon. The order of bookings must match the duration booking order. You can use either commas or semi-colons to separate values. If you’ve specified No Requirement, give 0 as the duration for the booking.

Example

In Brazil, workers must spread their vacation over three bookings: The first must be at least 14 calendar days, while the others must be at least 5 days each. In this case, you could set up the following:

  • Days Defined As: Calendar Day
  • Booking <1, 2, and 3> Duration Requirement: Minimum Duration
  • Booking 1; Booking 2; Booking 3 Days Required: 14,5,5
  • Booking 1; Booking 2; Booking 3 Period Start: 1 Jan, 1 Jan, 1 Jan
  • Booking 1; Booking 2; Booking 3 Period End: 31 Dec, 31 Dec, 31 Dec

When would this rule be useful?

This rule allows you to define the duration and time frame for multiple vacation bookings, for use in places like Brazil or Serbia.

Note

If you only need to define requirements for 2 bookings, select No Requirement, and give 0 for the duration and dates of the booking.

 

Rules that support balance carry over and expiry

Validation name

This validation…

Yearly Carry Over with Expiry

Automatically resets balance, and carries over and expires a specified amount

Parameters

  • Reset On Month: The month when the reset should occur. Includes an Anniversary Month.
  • On Day Of Month: The day when the reset should occur. Some rules include Anniversary Day and Last Day of Month.
  • Carry Up To: The maximum amount of time off a user can carry over past the reset. if their existing balance will be retained, but only up to the value specified.
  • Expires After: The number of days, weeks, or months the carried over amount will be valid after the reset date
  • Units: The unit for the expiry amount – Days, Weeks, or Months
  • Upon Expiry: Whether the user is paid the value of the expired time off – Pay out and Do not pay out. Pay out is only supported for time off types that track time off in hours.

Example

You set a carry over up to 5 days Vacation days that occurs on January 1st, and expires in 3 months with Pay out set. If the user has 6 Vacation days at the end of the year, that will reset to 5 days as of January 1st. This carried over amount will be available for them to use up until and including March 31st. If they don’t use any of the time by April 1st, they’ll be paid for the value of that time (5 hours x their hourly pay rate).

Note

Expiry occurs on the last day of the expiry period.

Consider enabling the Reminder of upcoming time off expiry notification to users assigned this rule.

 

FAQs

Can a reset and an accrual occur on the same day?

Yes. If an accrual and a reset are scheduled for the same day, the reset occurs first, and then the accrual.

You might need to set up a policy like this if, for example, time off accrues monthly on the first of the month, and resets annually on January 1st.

Do resets and accruals occur on a policy's effective date?

If a reset or accrual is scheduled for the same day as the policy’s effective date, the reset and accrual will both still occur. First the initial balance is set and then the reset and accrual occur.