Skip to main content
Documentation
Documentation
Administrator Guide
Last Updated: 2026-06-12
Concept: Absence Tables Conditional Cascading

Concept: Absence Tables Conditional Cascading

When workers request time off that spans multiple time off plans, you can group the request into tiers of an absence table. Each tier comprises a different time off plan, but all tiers manage the same type of absence. You can configure conditional cascading on absence tables to allocate a quantity of time off units per tier based on absence occurrences. This feature helps you to support regulatory requirements such as waiting periods for time off due to sickness. Example: You set up a waiting period tier to delay payment until employees use a certain number of time off units at the beginning of each new absence occurrence.
Allocating units to tiers based on absence occurrences:
  • Removes balance period restrictions.
  • Reduces the need for manual adjustments and time off data corrections.
To use this feature, you must:
  • Enable quantity per occurrence on absence table tiers on the
    Edit Tenant Setup - HCM
     task.
  • Configure absence occurrences, selecting the
    Enable for Absence Occurrences
     check box beside each absence table that applies.
    This feature doesn't apply to absence tables that are part of a custom type.
You can use the
Quantity per Occurrence
 value on tiers to configure a numeric calculation that:
  • Determines when to cascade to the next tier.
  • Overrides any
    Maximum Unpaid Time Off Units Allowed
     validations and available time off plan balance on individual tiers.
You can enter an amount, or select conditional calculations based on the number of absence occurrences:
  • In the current balance period.
  • Starting in the current balance period.
  • Starting in the prior 12 months.
The
Quantity per Occurrence
 value on a tier takes precedence over the available balance for the tier. Workday doesn't apply:
  • Maximum Unpaid Time Off Units Allowed
     validation on tiers that have a
    Quantity per Occurrence
     value.
  • Quantity per Occurrence
     values when you disable occurrences for an absence table.

Reevaluation

Workday reevaluates absence table tiers and quantity-per-occurrence values when corrected or revised time off requests either:
  • Join with existing entries into an absence occurrence.
  • Split occurrences.
Revaluation can affect how Workday splits time off units for existing entries against absence tables with
Quantity per Occurrence
 values. When a scheduled job recalculates flagged absence occurrences, Workday reevaluates the absence table for impacted time off entries.
You can configure Workday to automatically reevaluate absence tables by selecting the
Enable Reevaluation
 check box on 1 of these tasks:
  • Create Absence Table
  • Edit Absence Table
Workday doesn't run absence table reevaluation on absence table entries when:
  • The table is part of a custom occurrence type.
  • You trigger the recalculate absence occurrences job using either the
    Configure Absence Occurrences
     or
    Recalculate Absence Occurrences
     task.

Reports

When workers access these reports and time off entry options, Workday supports balance-splitting time off units between absence table tiers, based on
Quantity per Occurrence
 values:
  • Enter Time
  • Enter Time by Week
  • High-Volume Time Entry
  • Request Absence
  • Revise Time Off
  • Revise Time Off Correction
You can view quantity-per-occurrence values for individual tiers on the
All Absence Tables
 report. Workday displays the
Absence Table Tier Quantity per Occurrence
 column:
  • Only when there's a tier with a calculation in this field.
  • Regardless of the
    Enable Quantity per Occurrence on Absence Table Tiers
     tenant setting.
When workers correct, enter, request, or revise time off against an absence table, Workday:
  • Uses all of the quantity-per-occurrence value on a tier before using any balance from the next tier.
  • Displays the number of units for each tier on the
    Absence Tier Time Off Entry Details
     report.
When workers exhaust their balance midway through a request for a day, Workday splits the balance over the quantity per occurrence and the next available tier. Example:
Tier A
 has a
Quantity per Occurrence
 value of 4 hours. When a worker requests 8 hours for a specific day against an absence table, Workday splits the balance and allocates 4 hours to
Tier A
 and 4 hours against the next available tier.