Manage Employee Time Off Requests

00:00: In this video, you'll learn how employee time off requests move through the

00:03: approval process and what to do when a workflow card is assigned to you.

00:07: The goal of this process is to ensure every request follows a consistent review

00:11: process, while providing a clear history of each request from beginning to end.

00:16: When an employee submits the form to request time off, you will receive an email

00:20: letting you know that a new submission to the time off request form was received.

00:25: You will also see the information that they entered on the form.

00:29: You can click the view submission link to see all of the details.

00:33: Once an employee submits the form, a card is created and added to a workflow in

00:37: Planning Center.

00:39: If a card is assigned to you, you will receive an email letting you know a new

00:43: card is ready for you to review and take action.

00:46: In this email, you'll see the name of the workflow,

00:50: the step in the workflow the card was added to,

00:53: and a direct link to the card in Planning Center.

00:56: Here is how employee time off requests move through the approval process, and what

01:00: to do when a workflow card is assigned to you.

01:03: The goal of this process is to ensure every request follows a consistent review

01:06: process, while providing a clear history of each request from beginning to end.

01:12: To access your assigned cards from Planning Center, log in

01:15: Click the dropdown arrow under Home,

01:18: Go to people

01:20: then workflows.

01:24: Here, you'll see a list of workflows that you have access to.

01:27: Click on the appropriate Workflow to see your card assignments.

01:31: You'll see all the steps in the Workflow and the number of cards waiting to be

01:34: completed in each step.

01:36: Each workflow step includes instructions

01:38: describing your responsibilities.

01:41: These instructions appear directly on the workflow card and explain exactly what

01:44: actions are expected before

01:46: moving the request to the next step.

01:48: Always review these instructions, as responsibilities may differ depending on the

01:52: stage of the workflow.

01:54: The cards assigned to you in this step are listed under the instructions.

01:58: Click to review the card.

02:00: You will notice at the top, the card shows who it's assigned to.

02:03: Select snooze

02:04: if you want to pause processing this card for a period of time.

02:08: Select Reassign card

02:09: if you wish to task someone else with this responsibility.

02:12: For example, if you are on vacation, or can't finish the task at this time, but you

02:17: don't want a delay moving through the Workflow.

02:20: Scroll down to see more options.

02:24: If you need to skip this step to a later step, remove the card from the workflow or

02:28: delete the card;

02:29: you can do that here.

02:31: If additional information or context would be helpful for the next reviewer, you may

02:35: add an Internal Note to the workflow.

02:38: Internal Notes remain with the workflow and are visible to those involved in

02:42: processing the request.

02:44: They create a record of decisions and communication throughout the approval process.

02:48: You can also draft and send an email or send an email from a pre-designed template.

02:53: There are several options to perform actions in a card, like adding information to

02:57: the employee record.

03:00: At the bottom of the card is the card history. It documents and tracks

03:03: all of the actions that have been taken for this request.

03:07: Once you've completed, the responsibilities assigned to your stage, Mark your task

03:11: as complete.

03:13: Planning Center will automatically assign the card to the next person in the

03:16: approval process and send them a notification that they have a card assigned to

03:20: them to review.

03:21: Click Close to exit the workflow and return to the previous screen.

03:25: After all required reviews have been completed, the workflow moves to Final

03:29: Processing.

03:30: At this stage, PTO balances are updated,

03:33: employee records are maintained, and the employee receives notification regarding the

03:37: status of their request.

03:39: When the final step in the workflow is finished, the card will be moved to the

03:42: completed status.

03:45: To help maintain consistency across all requests,

03:47: please keep these best practices in mind: Review requests promptly whenever

03:52: possible.

03:53: Use Internal Notes whenever additional context may be helpful for future reviewers.

03:58: Complete your task as soon as your review is finished so the workflow can continue

04:01: moving.

04:02: Avoid using separate emails or written notes

04:05: whenever the information can be documented within the workflow.

04:08: The workflow has been designed to guide each request through a consistent process

04:12: while maintaining a complete history of every decision along the way.

04:15: By following the instructions provided on each workflow card, you help ensure

04:19: requests are processed accurately, consistently, and efficiently.

04:24: Thank you for taking the time to learn the process and for helping us provide a

04:28: smooth experience for our staff.