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Administrator Guide
Last Updated: 2026-05-29
Concept: Cascading Leave

Concept: Cascading Leave

Cascading leaves streamline the process of moving workers from one leave type to another, such as from paid to unpaid maternity leave. You define the sequence of leave types and conditions that ends 1 leave type and begins the next. When a leave ends, Workday generates a request to return the worker from leave and a separate request to begin the next leave.
Workday Payroll for the UK doesn't support cascading leave types that are linked to statutory payments, except for Statutory Sick Pay.

Defining Conditions for Triggering the Next Leave

  • Define the sequence of leaves by identifying the
    Next Leave Type
     for each leave. You can use either the
    Create Leave Type
     or the
    Edit Leave Type
     task.
  • Add the
    Automated Leave Processing
     service with a step delay, after the completion step to the
    Request Leave of Absence
     business process.

The Automated Leave Processing Service

  • The service generates a return request for all leaves, including returns that aren’t part of a cascade.
    Limit automation of return requests to cascading leaves. Add condition rules to the service step in the business process, specifying which leave types to include or exclude.
  • The step delay controls when to generate requests to return workers from leave and start the next leave.
    You can use the
    Last Date of Entitlement or Estimated Last Day or Actual Return Date
     report field to create a step delay condition. This report field returns 1 of these values:
    • The last day of entitlement if the leave type used in the request tracks balances.
    • The estimated last day of leave if the leave type doesn't track balances.
    • The date on which the workers exhaust their leave balance entitlement.
    The report field can't return an actual return date when used in a step delay for the
    Automated Leave Process
     service. The date isn't available until after the service initiates the
    Request Return from Leave of Absence
     business process.
    You can also use calculated date fields to define step delay rules for different sets of workers, leaves, or both.
  • A leave request reaches the completion step in the business process. The delay step then sets the return date and doesn't adjust it in response to subsequent changes.
    Example: The delay step uses the
    Estimated Last Day of Leave
    . A manager approves and completes a leave request with an
    Estimated Last Day of Leave
     of July 11. The administrator then changes the date to August 11. Workday generates the return request for July 11.

When a Worker's Leave Ends

The
Automated Leave Processing
 service checks daily for workers who meet the conditions for ending the leave that the delay step specifies. For workers who meet these conditions, Workday generates:
  • A request to return the worker from leave. The value of
    Actual Last Day of Leave
     uses the sent date of the return request.
    Workday generates a return request if the manager placed the worker on leave or the leave cascaded from another leave type.
  • A request to start the next leave type if the worker meets its eligibility requirements. It displays the:
    • Leave Type
      .
    • Last Day of Work
      . The same date for all leaves in the sequence.
    • First Day of Leave
      . The
      Actual Last Day of Leave
       + 1 day. It considers
      Days to Include
       as defined for the next leave type.
    • Estimated Last Day of Leave
      . When you set up the leave type to track balances, Workday determines this date from the balance entitlement. Otherwise, Workday determines the estimated last day of leave from the preceding cascading leave request if greater than the
      First Day of Leave
       of the current request. If it is not, and Workday can't determine the estimated last day of leave from the cascading leave, Workday uses December 31 of the following year of the leave request.
    • Data entered under the
      Additional Fields
       section, if the previous request had the same fields.
    The reviewer enters the
    Leave Reason
    .
    Workday doesn’t copy the original leave reason to the next leave type. You can access the
    Leave Results for Worker
     report to view the original leave reason for the leave result item in the
    Reason
     column.
    Workday generates requests for the next leave with warnings if it has validation warnings or errors.

Preventing the Leave of a Worker from Cascading

To prevent the leave for a worker from cascading, you can:
  • Return the worker from leave before Workday generates the next leave request.
  • Deny the next leave request.
If your
Request Leave of Absence
 business process sets leave requests to the completion step without requiring approval, you can rescind the next leave.

Leave Request Routing

The initiator of the original leave request is the initiator of the return request and the next leave request.
Create a condition rule in the business process to identify requests for cascading leave that you want to route differently. You can use the
Leave Event is Part of Cascade
 report field as the condition rule.

Report Fields for Cascading Leaves

  • Cascading Leave Event - Succeeding
  • Leave Type for succeeding cascading Leave Event
  • Cascading Leave Event - Preceding
  • Leave Type for preceding cascading Leave Event
  • Leave Event is Part of Cascade

Viewing the Sequence of Leaves

To see the full sequence of leaves for a cascading leave, access either of these reports:
  • View Leave Family
  • All Leave Families