The rules for editing absence entries are the same as for editing vacation requests and are designed to ensure auditability and prevent retrospective changes.
Editing Restrictions Based on Status
Absence entries with the status “Approved” or “Processing completed” cannot be edited afterwards. This restriction exists to ensure revision security and to prevent approved requests from being manipulated after the fact.
For example, if approved entries could be edited, an employee could:
- Replace an approved three-week vacation with a home office entry,
- Delete the home office entry afterward,
- And thereby undo the vacation without notice.
To prevent such scenarios, approved or completed entries are locked from editing.
Absence entries with the status “In progress”, however, can be edited at any time.
Changing an Approved Absence Entry
To change an absence entry that has already been approved, the existing entry must first be deleted and then recreated as a new absence entry.
Deleting and Recreating Absence Entries by User Role
Employee users cannot delete the absence entry themselves. Instead:
- A cancellation request email is sent to the supervisor.
- The supervisor can approve the cancellation request.
- Once approved, the absence entry is deleted.
- The employee is informed and can then enter a new absence entry.
Supervisors and admins Supervisors and admins can delete absence entries directly and then create a new absence entry if needed.
Convenience Feature for Admins
Admins have access to a convenience feature when creating new absence entries that overlap with existing ones.
For example, if an employee has entered a two-week vacation and becomes ill during the second week, the admin only needs to enter a one-week sick leave. Timebutler detects the overlap between the sick leave and the vacation entry and offers to automatically shorten the existing vacation entry.
Depending on how the new entry overlaps with existing entries, Timebutler will:
- Shorten existing entries,
- Split them into multiple parts, or
- Delete them entirely.
Admins therefore only need to enter the new absence, and Timebutler automatically adjusts the existing entries accordingly.
Allow editing and deleting absence entries
Admins can configure editing and deletion permissions per absence type (for example, training or home office).
This allows admins to define:
- When users are allowed to edit or delete absence entries
- That certain absence types (such as home office) can always be edited, changed, or deleted independently by employees, without submitting a cancellation request to a supervisor
Read here how to change the edit and delete permissions for absences.