# Allocate time off

Give days of a type to one employee, to many employees at once by employee, department, company or tag, or let employees ask for extra days, then change or withdraw an allocation.

An allocation gives an employee a number of days, or hours, of one time off type for a period. Requests of a type that **Requires allocation** draw on it. You can give days to one person, to a whole group at once, or let employees ask for days themselves. Days earned month after month come from an accrual plan instead: [Set up accrual plans](set-up-accrual-plans).

## Before you start {#before-you-start}

- **Officer: Manage all requests** allocates to every employee. A **Time Off Responsible** allocates only to the employees he approves, and in a group only employee by employee.
- Nobody approves an allocation for himself, except an **Administrator**.

## One employee {#one-employee}

1. Open **Time Off/Management/Allocations** and click **New**.
2. Choose the **Time Off Type** and the **Employee**. The title fills itself from the type and the amount; you may write your own.
3. Keep **Regular Allocation**, give the **Validity Period** and the amount in **Allocation**. An empty end date means the days never expire. The amount is in days or in hours, as the type counts its time off.
4. Save, then approve from **Actions**, as [Your first time off](your-first-time-off#allocate) shows step by step.

Who approves an allocation is set on the type, under **Allocation Requests**, the same way as for time off: [Approve time off requests](approve-time-off-requests#who-approves).

## Many employees at once {#group}

1. On the same list, click **New Group Allocation**.
2. In **Grant**, choose who receives the days: **By Employee**, **By Company**, **By Department** or **By Employee Tag**, then name them.
3. Choose the **Time Off Type**, the **Allocation Type** (a regular amount, or **Based on Accrual Plan**), the **Validity Period** and the **Allocation**, and add a reason.

![Two days of Compensatory Days for two employees at once.](https://jaah.app/web/image/14096-422b7f9c/time-off-allocate-time-off-group_dialog-en.png)

4. Click the button at the bottom of the dialog, **Allocate Time Off**.

One allocation is created for each employee, and the list **Generated Allocations** opens. When you hold the officer right, they are approved at once.

![The generated allocations, one per employee, already approved.](https://jaah.app/web/image/14101-e0dc719e/time-off-allocate-time-off-generated-en.png)

## Let employees ask for days {#employee-requests}

Tick **Allow Employee Requests** on a type that requires an allocation: [Configure time off types](configure-time-off-types#allocations). An employee then asks from his own dashboard:

1. Open **Time Off/My Time/Dashboard** and click **New Allocation Request**.
2. Choose the **Time Off Type**, the number of days in **Ask for**, and say why.

![An allocation request asks for extra days of a type that allows employee requests.](https://jaah.app/web/image/14105-aefbe3cc/time-off-allocate-time-off-allocation_request-en.png)

On a phone, the link sits under **Summary** at the top of the calendar.

3. Click **Submit Request**. The request counts under **Pending Requests** until it is approved, and it shows in **Time Off/My Time/My Allocations**.

![The request waits for approval and counts under Pending Requests.](https://jaah.app/web/image/14107-3bacb8c9/time-off-allocate-time-off-pending_requests-en.png)

## Change or withdraw an allocation {#change}

- While it is **To Approve**, the allocation can be changed freely.
- Once approved, an officer can still change the amount, but not below the days the employee already took.
- Only an allocation **To Approve** or **Refused** can be deleted, and never one whose days were already taken. To withdraw an approved one, refuse it from **Actions**.

## FAQ {#faq}

### What happens when the validity ends? {#expiry}

The days left can no longer be taken after the end date. Until then, the dashboard card shows the date with **valid until**.

### Can an employee hold two allocations of the same type? {#two-allocations}

Yes. They add up on the card, and requests use first the allocation that ends soonest, then those without an end date.

### Why can an employee not find a type in the request dialog? {#type-missing}

Only the types that allow employee requests are offered to employees; officers see every type that requires an allocation.

### Can I allocate hours? {#hours}

Yes, when the type counts in hours: its **Duration Type** is **Hours**, and the allocation is then typed in hours.

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- Source: https://jaah.app/docs/time-off/allocate-time-off
- Updated: 2026-10-28
- Version: Time Off 19.0.1.6
- Verified: 2026-10-28