This article explains how to set a limit on the number of team members who can be on leave at the same time.
Before you read
- Target audience: This article is for users with System Administrator or Advisor access.
- Plan restrictions: To check whether this feature is included in your plan, see our Pricing Plans article.
This article covers:
- Why should I limit the maximum number of people on leave?
- How do I set a limit on the maximum number of people on leave?
Why should I limit the maximum number of people on leave?
Setting a limit on the maximum number of people on leave helps you avoid understaffing by limiting the number of team members who can be on leave at the same time. When a limit is in place, Deputy can prevent new leave requests from being submitted for dates that have already reached the location's allowed capacity.
This gives managers more control over coverage and helps make sure enough team members remain available to work.
How do I set a limit on the maximum number of people on leave?
When a limit on the maximum number of people on leave is enabled, Deputy checks the number of team members already on leave for the selected dates and location. If the maximum limit has been reached, additional leave requests for those dates are blocked.
To set the maximum number of team members who can be on leave at the same time, follow these steps:
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Click on Business Settings in the drop-down menu under your name.
- On the Leave tab of Business Settings, click Global leave settings.
Under Leave Limits, click to toggle ON, Limit max number of people on leave.
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Set a default location limit to control how many team members can be on leave at the same time per location. Alternatively, add location-specific exceptions to set different leave limits for individual locations.
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Use the excluded leave types section to add any specific leave types that will not count toward this limit.
- Click Save to apply your changes.
What team members see when the limit is reached
When a team member tries to request leave on dates that have already reached the maximum limit, they will see an error message. This message explains that the maximum number of team members are already on leave.
Team members can still:
- View their leave balances as usual
- Submit leave requests for different dates
- Contact their manager directly to discuss the restriction
What managers see when the limit is reached
If a manager or System Administrator reviews a leave request that, upon approval, would meet or exceed the limit, they will see a warning banner on the screen.
Managers are not blocked from approving these requests. The warning is informational, so they can review the situation before making a final decision.
A manager can choose to:
- Approve the request: The leave will be approved even if it exceeds the limit
- Decline the request: The manager can decline the leave and explain the decision to the team member
View leave at a glance
To help manage leave across your team, select the Leave report in the Analytics tab.
This report dashboard shows all approved, pending, and declined leave requests in one place so you can plan ahead for your team. To learn more about the leave report, head to Leave report.