Manager approvals
This page walks through the decisions you make as a manager: time-off, expenses, comp adjustments, promotions, accommodations. Most live in the inboxes on your Manager dashboard; this guide covers the decision criteria, the audit footprint, and the edge cases.
TL;DR — Open the relevant inbox on /hcm/team. Each row is a decision pending you. Approve / reject / partial-approve inline. Decisions that have policy implications (comp changes, promotions) route to HR for 4-eyes finalization.
Time-off approvals
Open the Time-off approvals inbox
On /hcm/team. Each row shows the requester, dates, policy bucket, current balance, and any coverage they nominated.
Click a row to review
The detail card opens with the request's note, calendar overlap, and the policy / balance impact.
Decide
Approve, reject (with a required note), or ask a question (routes back to the requester's Action Inbox). Audit log records
HCM_TIMEOFF_REQUEST_APPROVED/..._REJECTED.
| Field | What it does | Accepted values / default |
|---|---|---|
| Date range | When the report would be out. | Calendar shows overlap with other team PTO. |
| Policy bucket | Which balance the days draw from. | FMLA flags appear if the request triggered the regulated-leave path. |
| Balance impact | What the balance becomes after approval. | Form pre-flights this so you don't approve a request that would over-draw. |
| Coverage nominee | Teammate the report nominated as coverage. | Click to ask coverage to confirm before approving. |
| Reject reason (required on reject) | Free-text reason routed to the requester. | Up to 500 characters; supports markdown. |
Expense approvals
Open the Expense approvals inbox
Each row is a report submitted by one of your reports.
Review line by line
The detail card shows every line + receipt + policy violation chips inline.
Decide per line or in bulk
Approve all, reject all, OR partial-approve (mark individual lines). Approved lines flow to payroll for reimbursement on the next run. Audit log records
HCM_EXPENSE_REPORT_APPROVED/..._REJECTED.
| Field | What it does | Accepted values / default |
|---|---|---|
| Policy violation chips | Flagged lines that exceeded per-diem, missing receipts, etc. | Manager decides whether to approve the excess. |
| Receipt image | Attached receipt; OCR pre-filled the line. | Inspect when amount + merchant don't match expectations. |
| Partial-approval mode | Approve some lines + reject others. | Rejected lines stay with the report; the report goes back to draft. |
| Approve + reimburse | Forward approved lines to payroll. | Reimbursement appears on the next payroll run; takes ~one cycle. |
Comp adjustments
Comp adjustments mid-cycle (raises, bonuses, signing bonus adjustments) route through a 4-eyes workflow: you propose, HR finalizes.
Open the report's comp surface
From your manager dashboard's comp-equity card or the employee's profile.
Propose a change
Choose the change type (base raise, bonus, signing bonus, etc.)
- new amount + effective date + rationale. Audit log records your proposal.
HR finalizes through 4-eyes
A different HR admin than the proposer applies the change to payroll. Audit log records the final approval.
Promotion proposals
Promotion proposals happen during a calibration cycle.
During pre-calibration window
The dashboard surfaces a Calibration prep card; click it to open the proposal surface for each of your reports.
Propose
Pick the target level + rationale + evidence (linked goals, 1:1 notes, peer feedback). Audit log records
HCM_CAREER_PROMOTION_PROPOSED.HR calibration
Multiple proposals are normalized against the cycle's promo cap; HR finalizes through 4-eyes. Approved promotions emit
HCM_CAREER_PROMOTION_APPROVED.
Accommodation requests
Workplace-accommodation requests (ADA in the US, equivalents elsewhere) may route to you directly or through HR depending on workspace policy:
- Manager-routed: you see the request, the suggested accommodation, and approve / reject / ask-question. PHI is redacted from your view.
- HR-routed: the request goes directly to HR; you see only the outcome (the accommodation in effect for your report). This is the default for sensitive disability cases.
Every field, explained
| Field | What it does | Accepted values / default |
|---|---|---|
| Decision | Approve, reject, or ask question. | Rejection requires a note. |
| Note | Free-text routed to the requester. | Required on reject; optional on approve. |
| Effective date | When the decision takes effect. | Inheriting from the request unless you override. |
| Evidence (promotions) | Links + notes supporting your proposal. | Goals, 1:1 notes, peer feedback that demonstrate next-level performance. |
Common gotchas
- "My decision wasn't applied." Some actions (comp, promotion) go to HR for 4-eyes finalization. The audit log shows your proposal landed; HR finalizes within their cycle.
- "A teammate's coverage nomination doesn't show in my inbox." Coverage nominations route to the nominee's Action Inbox for confirmation, not your approval inbox.
- "The same person keeps getting flagged as a partial-approval on expenses." Recurring violations may signal that the workspace policy needs updating; flag to HR.
- "I can't see an accommodation request my report mentioned." HR-routed; you'll see only the outcome.
Troubleshooting
| Error code | What it means | Fix |
|---|---|---|
APPROVAL_ALREADY_DECIDED | The request was decided by you or a delegate. | Refresh; no further action needed. |
APPROVAL_NOT_AUTHORIZED | Not in your scope (e.g. employee moved teams). | Refresh; if persistent, ask HR. |
PROMOTION_OUTSIDE_CYCLE | Proposal attempted outside the calibration window. | Wait for the window or talk to HR. |
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