Event Types In Depth
In this article, we will discuss the options available on the event details page when you edit or create a new event type. Event types can be leave or absence types. Unlike most other leave management systems, LeaveWizard lets you configure as many leave or absence types as you need, not just holiday or sickness. We will now examine each option and its associated settings, to allow you to configure event types correctly for your company.
Event Type Details
This section allows you to enter the basic details of your event type.
Name
This field allows you to enter a name for the event type. The system will use it to refer to the event type throughout LeaveWizard and display it on various lists and reports. This is the name that employees will see when requesting leave and the name that is used when recording an absence. The name chosen should be descriptive, e.g. ‘Vocational Training’, ‘Maternity Leave’, etc. to make it clear when to use the event.
Type Of Event
This setting allows you to select the type of event from a list of base leave types which determine the fundamental behaviour of the event. You can choose if it is a leave or an absence type and if it has an associated allowance or not. It is important to understand these base types to configure the event correctly. For a detailed explanation of each base type, please refer to the article base leave types. It highlights the currently selected option, in this example ‘Allowanced Leave Requires Approval’, in the drop-down box.
Annual Allowance
This field allows you to specify the default annual allowance for an event. For events recorded in days, the number represents the annual allowance in days, e.g. 20.00 days per annum. For events recorded in hours, the number represents the annual allowance in hours and minutes, e.g. 200h 00m per annum. The ‘Record Events Of This Type In’ setting below dictates the entry and display format for this field.
Order In Lists
This setting allows you to choose which ordering the system applies to this event type when shown in lists. You can choose between ‘Alphabetically’ and ‘Top of list’. Choosing ‘Top of the list’ will ensure that this event type is always at the top of any list which is useful for frequently used event types. If you select more than one event type to be ‘Top of the list’, then it will order them alphabetically at the top.
Record Events Of This Type In
This setting allows you to select if the system should record events of this type in days or hours. Normally, full-time employees would have their events recorded in days. But, for part-time employees, recording events in hours is often more appropriate.
Allow Full Days Only
When ‘Record events of this type in’ are ‘Days’, this option becomes available. When ticked, it will restrict requests of this event type to whole days only. The system will not then display the option to select mornings and afternoons.
Colour In Charts
This setting allows you to choose a colour for charts and calendars to quickly and easily visually locate and identify an event type.
Is Active
Is active determines whether an event type is active and available. When ticked, this setting allows the event to be seen and used normally. When you no longer need an event type, you can retire it by un-ticking this setting. It will then only be accessible from the company settings, company lists, all event types page.
Is Archived
Is archived determined whether users can record new events of this type or not. When ticked, users cannot record any more events of this type, although the system will still show existing events on charts and reports.
Visibility
This section allows you to configure how the system displays events of this type and who can see what information. For visibility, you can select which LeaveWizard role; administrator, line manager or employee, is required to see information. It will allow everyone at the selected level or above to see the information. For example, if you select ‘Line Manager’, then it will only allow line managers and administrators to view the information.
The following screenshot shows the Holiday leave request used in the examples below:
The examples also show screenshots of the dashboard calendar and the tooltip, which appear when you hover the cursor over the event.
Events Visible To
This setting determines which users can view the event type. The events of this type will not appear on the calendar and it will not display any information about the event if the user does not have visibility rights because of their role. The ‘Allowance visible’ and ‘Details visible to’ settings detailed below (Default: ‘Employee’) control if the user can view additional information about the leave type. If the user does not have sufficient ‘Event Visible To’ rights, then they will not see the request:
If they do, it will display the request:
Allowance Visible To
This setting will additionally allow the user allowances for the event type to be visible on the calendar and elsewhere (Default: ‘Employee’). If the user does not have sufficient ‘Allowance Visible To’ rights, then they will not see the allowances (left-hand pane) or if they do, they will see them (right-hand pane).
Detail Visible To
This setting will additionally allow the details or notes entered when requesting leave for the event type to be visible (Default: ‘Employee’).
If the user does not have sufficient ‘Detail Visible To’ rights, then they will not see the request details:
If they do, it will display the request details:
Title Format
This setting allows you to change how it displays the title of the event on the calendar and on the tooltip. The options are ‘Full details’ which include displaying the user’s name, dates and duration as shown in the previous examples or ‘Title Only’, which only displays the event type and status (Default: ‘Full details’).
Full title format: ‘Employee’: ‘Event Type’ for ‘Duration’d From ‘Start Date’ to ‘End Date’ (‘Status’ – ‘Approver’) ‘Details’
Title only format: ‘Event Type’ (‘Status’ – ‘Approver’)
The ‘Title Only’ format for the previous example looks like this:
Publish This Event Type In ICalendars
This setting determines if the event type is available in the iCalendar integration. You should tick it if required.
Restrictions
This section allows you to place restrictions on users making requests for the event type.
Must Be Requested In Advance
This setting allows you to define the minimum number of days in advance that a user must request an event of this type. If you tick the ‘Must be requested in advance’ box, then you should enter the minimum number of days of advance notice into the text box, which will open below, e.g. For 7 days’ advance notice, enter ‘7’.
Enable In The Past
This setting allows users to make requests which are in the past for this event type. If you don’t tick this box, users cannot make requests for start dates that are before the date they make the request.
Exclude Events Of This Type From Restrictions
This setting allows this event type to be excluded from restrictions you set, such as the maximum number of people off at the same time or people who cannot be off at the same time. This option is suitable for appointment types.
Only Allow Accrued Allowance To Be Booked
This setting allows you to restrict the event request to the maximum number of hours or days that the user will have accrued when the requested start date occurs. For example, for a user with a leave year beginning 1st January, and an allowance for that year of 24 days. After 6 months, they will have accrued 12 days of entitlement. The system will therefore restrict them from requesting more than 12 days up to the 1st of July.
Carry Overs
This section allows you to change the way the system handles carry overs for this event type. Follow this link to find out more about carry overs.
Carry Over Behaviour
This setting allows you to change the carry over behaviour of this event type. There are three settings to choose from using the drop-down box.
Use Remaining Allowance (Restricted)
The default behaviour is to use the remaining allowance as the amount to be carried over and then restrict the maximum by using the ‘Allowed Carry Over’ setting on the ‘Event Types And Allowances page. However, if you use a separate leave type just for TOIL, which some organisations do, then you may decide to use different carry over behaviour.
Use TOIL Only (Un-Restricted)
This setting means the system will only carry over the accumulated TOIL allowance, but it will not restrict the maximum.
Use TOIL (Restricted)
This setting means the system will only carry over the accumulated TOIL allowance, but it will restrict the maximum using the ‘Allowed Carry Over’ setting.
Carried Over Allowances Will Expire After
This setting allows you to set the number of days that the carry over allowance is valid.
Selecting Cover
This section allows you to enable and optionally enforce the selecting cover functionality when a user makes an event request.
Is Enabled
This setting allows you to enable or disable the selecting cover functionality. If ticked and enabled, a user will get the option to select another user to cover for them when making a event request.
Is Required
This setting allows you to force the user to select cover before they can submit a request, if ticked.
Approvals
This section allows you to change some aspects of the approval functionality for the event type.
Notify Admin On Approval
This setting allows you to specify if the system should notify administrators when someone approves an event of this type. This is useful if an administrator wants to keep track of approvals of a certain type.
Require Approval For Cancellations
This setting allows you to specify if leave cancellations need approval or not. If a user tries to cancel an approved request, the system will email the approver to approve the cancellation. However, if the request is pending, then the system will cancel the request.
Include Recommendation In Approval Request Emails
This setting allows you to specify if the system should include guidance about the recommended action, either to approve or reject the request, in the approval request emails or not. The suggested action will consider all the restrictions that are in effect regarding the request.
Leave Policy Statement
This section allows you to create a text message that the system will include in every email sent to an employee confirming the submission of their request. This is useful when a company would like to remind their users of their leave policy when they make a request.
Explanatory Notes
This section allows you to control if explanatory notes are required and for what request duration.
Explanatory Note Required
This setting allows you to control if explanatory notes are required for the event type. If selected, then it will display the ‘Duration for explanatory note to become mandatory’ field, which lets you select the minimum duration for which an explanatory note is required. The value entered will be days or hours depending on the ‘Record events of this type in’ setting in the ‘Event Type Details’ section.
Sickness Categories
If you have configured LeaveWizard to allow Sickness Categories in the company settings ‘Sickness Categories’ section, then it will display this Sickness Categories section.
Enable Sickness Categories
This setting lets you choose if this absence type uses Sickness Categories.
Is Sickness Category Required
This setting lets you choose if a Sickness Category is mandatory and the user must select a category for this absence type when recording an event.
Other Options
This section allows you to configure some other options for the event type.
Can Employees Edit Leave?
This setting allows you to choose if users with the role of employee can edit events of this type. When ticked, these users can edit their own leave requests. If not, then they can only cancel the request and make a new one or ask a line manager or administrator to amend the original request for them.
Enable Non-Working Days
This setting lets you choose if the system records non-working days for this event type or not. Normally, the system does not record non-working days. For example, if the user works Monday to Friday only, it will not record Saturday and Sunday. It will record an event request for Friday to Monday inclusive, as 2 days only. Recording non-working days can be useful when you use the event type for training and conferences or when there is no allowance associated with the event type.
Enable Time Off In Lieu
If you have configured LeaveWizard to allow overtime requests in the company settings – Overtime/TOIL section, then this setting lets you choose if the user can optionally request TOIL rather than overtime for this event type.
Use Previous Allowance
This setting lets you choose what allowance is available by default in the following year for this event type. Normally, it will use the default annual allowance value from the ‘Annual Allowance’ settings field in the ‘Event Type Details’ section discussed above. But, when ticked, it will use the user’s previous allowance (the current year’s annual allowance value set for that user) instead.
Include In The Allowance report
If you have configured LeaveWizard to send monthly reports to users in the company settings – notifications section, then this setting lets you choose if the monthly allowance report will include the remaining allowance and leave taken for this event type.
Events Can Be Included In Allowance Of Other Types
This setting lets you allow the user to deduct the event period from another event type allowance. For example, the user may request 2 days from their ‘Holiday’ leave type and then later decide to deduct the 2 days from another leave type allowance. This is useful when using an event type for Duvet days.
Use For Bradford Factor
If you have configured LeaveWizard to calculate Bradford factor for users in the company settings – Bradford factor section, then this setting lets you choose if it should include this event type in the calculations or not. Normally, it calculates the Bradford factor for the ‘Sickness’ absence type only, but as some organisations have more than one sickness type, this allows other sickness types to be included in the calculations.
Round To Nearest Half Day / Hour
When LeaveWizard calculates allowances, it normally rounds them to the nearest half day or hour. If you want to allow for event duration and allowances such as 1h 10m, you should un-tick this box.