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Administrator Guide
Last Updated: 2026-02-20
Create Absence Tables

Create Absence Tables

Review setup considerations for absence tables.
Configure time off plan and time offs. You can also configure new plans and time offs directly from the task. For each:
  • Time off plan, set the
    Time Off Plan Balance Lower Limit
     on the
    Calculation
     tab. Workday uses this value to determine when to move to another tier. You don't have to set this calculation for the final tier if the plan used is unpaid.
  • Time off, add the
    Maximum Unpaid Time Off Units Allowed
     validation to the
    Data Entry Validations
     section on the
    Validations
     tab. This validation helps calculate when to change tiers.
Security:
Set Up: Time Off (Calculations - Absence Specific)
 domain in the Time Off and Leave functional area.
You can create an absence table to manage time off requests that span multiple time off plans. You create a tier for each unique time off plan and time off combination, and assign a priority to each tier of the table. Workday evaluates eligibility settings, validations, and balances to determine which tier to use when satisfying the time off request.
Example: Your U.S. time off and leave package includes both a floating holiday and a vacation time off plan. Workers must use their floating holidays before vacation days. As the absence administrator, you create an absence table with 2 tiers:
  • Tier 1: Floating holiday time off plan.
  • Tier 2: Vacation time off plan.
You assign the higher priority to Tier 1. When a worker requests time off against the absence table, Workday processes time off entries against the Tier 1 balance until the worker exhausts the balance. Workday then jumps to Tier 2 to process the rest of the request.
  1. Access the
    Create Absence Table
     task.
    Workday recommends that you always enable Workday to identify and correct absence events automatically. So, for all new absence tables that you create, the
    Enable Reevaluation
     check box is selected by default.
    You can't clear the
    Enable Reevaluation
     check box to deactivate table reevaluation when the absence table is in use and has an approved, sent back, or submitted request against it. However, you can enable it.
    Reevaluation:
    • Occurs in response to the completion of business process events, such as
      Request Time Off
      ,
      Correct Time Off
      , and
      Enter Time
      , for new time off entries or corrections.
    • Doesn't occur upon entry or amendment of any time off, accrual adjustments, or overrides.
    When you enter time off requests or correct entries, reevaluation updates absence table events that occur on or after the time off requests or corrections. Example: Today is 02-11-2022 and a worker has a time off entry against an absence table from 02-07-2022 to 02-11-2022. If the worker enters time off against the table for 02-01-2022 to 02-04-2022, Workday reevaluates the approved time off entries from 02-07-2022 to 02-11-2022.
  2. (Optional) Select the
    Require Position on Time Off Request
     check box to restrict absence table entries to position-based time off plans or worker-based time offs that require a position in the request. Workday updates the prompts in the absence table tiers and the
    Validations
     tab to restrict the values that you can select based on this option. You can only select or deselect this option when there are no approved entries for the absence table.
  3. Add a new tier for each time off plan and unique time off combination.
    You can create as many tiers as you want. However, the more tiers, the more processing, which might impact performance.
    As you complete each tier, consider:
    Option Description
    Priority
    The alphanumeric entry must be unique for each tier.
    Time Off Plan
    Select an existing plan or create a new one. All plans in the table must:
    • Use the same unit of time.
    • Track balances.
    Time Offs
    Select a unique time off for each tier. Example: Tier 1 and Tier 2 can use the same time off plan, but must each use a different time off. Workday doesn't support intermittent time offs.
    Quantity per Occurrence
    (Optional) Displays when you enable quantity per occurrence on absence table tiers on the
    Edit Tenant Setup - HCM
     task.
    Select a constant value calculation for a static value, or create a calculation to allocate an amount of time off units to the tier per absence occurrence. Example: Create a conditional calculation that allocates time off units based on the results of value comparison calculations. You can use these instance value calculations (IVCs):
    • Count of Absence Occurrences Starting in Current Balance Period
    • Count of Absence Occurrences Starting in Prior 12 Months
    • Count of Absence Occurrences in Current Balance Period
  4. On the
    Details
     tab, specify whether workers can enter time off against the absence table in Absence Management, Time Tracking, or both. Select an
    Entry Option
    :
    • Enter through Time Off Only
       (using the
      Request Absence
       or
      Manage Absence
       tasks).
    • Enter through Time Tracking Only
       (using the
      Enter Time by Week
      ,
      Enter Time for Worker
      (High-Volume Time Entry), or
      Enter Time
       (Micro-Edit) tasks).
    • Enter through Time Tracking or Time Off
      .
  5. (Optional) Select the check boxes that apply, depending on the
    Entry Option
     value. This table indicates whether you can select each one for days or hours-based absence tables.
    Check Box
    Description
    Entry Option
    Days-Based
    Hours-Based
    Display Start and End Time
    To enable workers to enter start and end times for time off requests.
    Enter through Time Off Only
    Yes
    Yes
    Enter through Time Time Tracking Only
    No
    No
    Enter through Time Tracking or Time Off
    No
    No
    Start and End Time Required
    To require workers to enter start and end times on time off requests.
    Enter through Time Off Only
    Yes
    Yes
    Enter through Time Time Tracking Only
    No
    No
    Enter through Time Tracking or Time Off
    No
    No
    Calculate Quantity Based on Start and End Time
    To prevent workers overriding the number of hours for the daily quantity. This option ensures that:
    • The quantity of time that workers request per day equals the duration of time between the start time and end time.
    • Workday ignores the daily quantity default.
    Enter through Time Off Only
    No
    Yes
    Enter through Time Time Tracking Only
    No
    Yes
    Enter through Time Tracking or Time Off
    No
    Yes
    Default Start and End Time from Schedule
    To automatically populate the
    Start Time
     and
    End Time
     fields for each day from the worker's schedule. Workday uses either the worker’s published schedule from Workday Scheduling, if one exists, or the worker’s assigned work schedule calendar. If neither exists, Workday leaves the start and end times empty.
    Enter through Time Off Only
    Yes
    Yes
    Enter through Time Time Tracking Only
    No
    Yes
    Enter through Time Tracking or Time Off
    No
    Yes
    Enable Crossing Midnight
    To enable workers to enter time off that starts and ends on consecutive days. This enables Workday to process time off requests that cross midnight as a single time off entry.
    Enter through Time Off Only
    Yes
    Yes
    Enter through Time Time Tracking Only
    No
    Yes
    Enter through Time Tracking or Time Off
    No
    Yes
  6. On the
    Validations
     tab, add a row in the table for each validation that you need.
    Values that you enter must be compatible with the unit of time in the time off plan on each absence table tier.
    Option Description
    Consecutive Day Maximum
    Specify the maximum numbers of consecutive days of time off workers can request. Example: You enter 3 to prevent workers from requesting more than 3 consecutive days of time off.
    Minimum
    Specify the minimum amount of time off workers can request for each time off entry, not the sum of time off entries each day. Example: Select a constant value, such as 4 hours or 0.5, or a calculation that returns different values for full-time and part-time workers.
    Maximum
    Specify the maximum amount of time off workers can request.
    Example: Select a constant value, such as 8 hours or 1 day, or a calculation that returns different limits based on a worker's work schedule calendar, holiday schedule calendar, or both.
    You can set limits dynamically based on the number of hours the worker is scheduled to work on the time off date. Example: 8 hours Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday, 12 hours on Friday, and zero hours on holidays.
    Specify whether the maximum applies to:
    • Each request (
      Individual Time Off Entry
      ).
    • All time off entries for the same date.
    • Requests for the same date for the time offs you select in the
      Time Off Validation Set
       field.
    Increments
    Specify the increments for entering time off. Example: Select a constant value, such as 4 hours or 0.5, or a calculation that returns different values for full-time and part-time workers.
    Hide Default Validation Text
    Select to hide the default validation text when a worker enters a time off request if you define custom text on the validation.
    Workday displays the validations from the effective dated snapshot of the time off plan when the worker entered their time off request. Updates in subsequent snapshots don't display.
Workers can select the absence table in their absence request when eligible for 1 or more time off plans in the table.
At Alice's company, workers can request up to 15 days of time off. Alice requests 10 days and selects the
Vacation
 absence table. She has these balances:
  • Tier 1 balance: zero days.
    The
    Maximum Unpaid Time Off Units Allowed
     validation on the Tier 1 time off is set to 8 Days.
  • Tier 2 balance: 10 days.
Alice can select the absence table because she’s eligible for both time off plans in the table. Workday takes 8 days from the Tier 1 balance because the validation lets Alice take 8 unpaid days. Workday jumps to Tier 2 and takes the 2 final days.
Test whether a worker is eligible for time off plans, accruals, or time offs.