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Ask for leave

Choose the leave type and dates, say who should approve, and save. Penahak checks the dates, the rule and the balance before it accepts the request. You can cancel until the leave starts.

  • HR & payroll Requests and approvals
  • 4 min read
  • Updated October 20, 2026

For Employee HR officer Manager

On this page

The idea

A leave request is checked when you save it, not when the manager looks at it, so a request that cannot be granted is refused at once with the reason. A request that is saved waits for the manager.

There are three ways in, with the same checks:

Ask for leave

  1. Open the form
    Who
    Employee
    Where
    Profile › Apply leave
    What changes
    The form shows your Leave summary (your balance by type).
  2. Fill it in
    What changes
    Choose the Leave type, the Start date and End date, and Requested to (the person who should approve). Tick First day half or Last day half for a half day at either end. Add Notes. Leave info shows the days you have of that type ("Leave balance days").
  3. Save
    What changes
    Penahak checks the request. On success it is Pending and the approver is told.

What is checked

  • The end date is not before the start date, and both are inside the attendance year.
  • The year has a leave rule for your job type and the leave type.
  • The person you ask is not yourself.
  • You have no other leave request on those dates, and no attendance record on a whole day you ask for.
  • For paid leave, the days fit within the rule's days for the year plus your balance brought forward.

When one of these fails you get a message and nothing is saved (Messages you may see).

Status, cancel and withdraw

The list shows each request's Status: Pending, Verified, Approved, Rejected or Cancelled. Use Withdraw (or Cancel, with a Cancelation remark) while the leave has not started. For approved leave the days go back to your balance at once, although the list may still show the request as Approved. After the first day of the leave it cannot be cancelled ("leave could not be cancelled" is the answer you get).

What happens to a leave request
StepWhat changes
SavedThe request is Pending and the approver is told. The days above this year's allowance are noted as taken from the balance
ApprovedThose days come off the balance; every calendar day of the leave is marked as leave, weekends and holidays included. Unpaid leave is taken off salary at the next pay run, when your company deducts unpaid leave
RejectedNothing is taken from the balance
Cancelled before it startsThe days go back to the balance and the leave days are marked cancelled. For unpaid leave, check the next payslip with payroll

Common questions

Why was my request refused as over the facility?

You asked for more days of that type than this year's allowance plus the balance you brought forward. Ask for fewer days, or another leave type.

Do weekends and holidays inside my leave count?

Yes. Every calendar day from the start date to the end date counts as a leave day.

Can I cancel a leave that has started?

No. A leave can be cancelled only up to its start date. Ask HR.

I chose the wrong approver.

Cancel the request while it is pending and ask again with the right Requested to.

Related guides

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