21. Employee leave

Screenshots show the Turkish interface of Prozence with fictional "Örnek Teknoloji A.Ş." data; the English interface has the same layout.

You send your leave requests from your phone, and you see your remaining annual leave and the approval step your request is at. A request goes first to your manager, then to human resources (HR). For approved leave, a printable leave form with a QR code is prepared; your leave is finalized when you hand in the signed form to HR.

This chapter is for employees and for managers who approve their team's leave. For leave settings, balances and HR tasks, see 30. Employee leave management.

Who: Employee · Manager (approver)

In this chapter

• My leave box
• Paid and unpaid leave types and their rules
• Requesting annual leave
• Requesting a half day of leave
• Requesting travel leave
• Using a leave advance
• Selecting the person who covers for you
• Following and cancelling a request
• Printing and signing the approved leave form
• Verifying the form with the QR code
• Signing and handing in the form, and "Finalized"
• Approving leave as a manager

Before you start: The leave module is off by default in the company. If you do not see the My leave box, ask HR. The sample screens in this chapter use data from the fictional company "Örnek Teknoloji A.Ş.".

Seeing your remaining leave and your requests

Who: Employee · Where: Tools → My Space → My leave (on a computer, Board → My Space)

What it does: Shows at a glance your remaining annual leave, the date of your next entitlement, the leave types that have their own yearly allowance and your open requests.

1. Tap Tools in the bottom menu and select My Space in the strip at the top. You can also get there by tapping the My leave tile at the top of the Today screen.
2. In the My leave box, the large number is your Annual leave remaining in days.
3. Read the rows below it:
   • "04.10.2027 tarihinde 20 gün hak eklenecek (6. kıdem yılı)." ("20 days of entitlement will be added on 04.10.2027 (6th year of service).") — the entitlement that is added on your next work anniversary.
   • "Pending approval: … days" — the total of your requests that wait for approval.
   • "Advance leave: up to 5 days (available including advance: 19 days)." — if your company turned on the leave advance (see Using a leave advance).
   • Types that have their own yearly allowance (e.g. "Personal leave 2 days / 3 days": the allowance left after pending requests are subtracted / the total allowance for this year, including carried-over days).
4. Your open requests are listed with their statuses. Tap a request to open its details.
5. The buttons are Request leave and My requests. If you are an approver, Awaiting approval (N) also shows; if you are in HR, All requests, Balances and Receive signed form also show.

Request statuses: Awaiting manager · Awaiting HR · Signed form pending · Finalized · Approved · Rejected · Cancelled. If your company turned off signed form tracking, approved leave shows only as Approved.

Tip: If the box says "Your opening balance hasn't been entered yet; it becomes final once HR enters it.", your balance has not been entered yet. If your balance looks wrong, contact HR.

Paid and unpaid leave types and their rules

Who: Employee · Where: My leave → Request leave → Leave type

What it does: Shows which leave you can request and with which rules. Your company can turn off some types or change their rules; the rule line in the form always shows your company's current rule.

1. Tap Request leave.
2. Select the type in the Leave type list.
3. The rules of the type show on a line below the list, e.g. "Remaining this year: 2 days (yearly 3 days) · Max 2 times a year (1 this year)" or "Max 4 days at a time". If your company set the type to be deducted from your annual leave, the line says "Deducted from your annual leave".

How is it counted? For types counted in working days, weekends and public holidays are not counted. For types counted in calendar days, every day is counted.

Important:

• A request that does not follow the rules is not sent, and the reason is shown, e.g. "Mazeret izni bir yılda en çok 2 kez alınabilir; 2026 için 2 talebiniz var (onaylı ya da onay bekleyen)." ("Personal leave can be taken at most 2 times a year; you have 2 requests for 2026 (approved or pending).") or "Mazeret izni için 2026 hakkınız yetmiyor: kalan 1 gün, istenen 2 gün." ("Your 2026 allowance for personal leave is not enough: 1 day left, 2 days requested.").
• Sick leave / medical certificate, maternity leave and leave for a disabled child are private types: on the calendar, in the directory and for viewers, they show only as "on leave" or "Private leave".
• The leave type is never shown on the calendar or in the directory; your teammates see only "On leave".

Requesting annual leave

Who: Employee · Where: Tools → My Space → My leave → Request leave

What it does: You send your leave request from the app. The request goes first to your manager and, after your manager approves it, to HR.

1. In the My leave box, tap Request leave. On a phone, Request leave on the + button at the bottom right opens the same window (see 00. Getting started).
2. Select Annual leave in the Leave type list.
3. Select the Start date.
4. Select the End (last day of leave) date. This is the last day you are on leave; it is not the day you return to work.
5. Read the calculation line, e.g. "5 days (working days) · your annual leave remaining 14 days · up to 19 days with advance".
6. If you want, select a teammate in the Cover person (optional) list.
7. If you want, write a Description (optional). You do not have to write a private reason such as health.
8. Read the approval order at the bottom of the form (e.g. "Your manager (Murat Çelik) approves first, then HR.").
9. Tap Send request. The message "Your request was sent to your manager." appears and the details of the request open.

Result: The request shows in My leave as Awaiting manager. When your manager approves it, it becomes Awaiting HR. At the final approval, you get a phone notification ("İzniniz onaylandı — formu imzalayıp İK'ya teslim edin" — "Your leave is approved — sign the form and hand it to HR") and an email with the form attached as a PDF. If the request is rejected, you get the notification "Your leave request was rejected"; the reason for rejection is in the request details.

Common errors and warnings:

• "Choose a start date." — the start date is empty.
• "No working days in the selected dates (weekend or public holiday)." — the days you selected are already holidays.
• "Bu tarihlerde zaten bir izin talebiniz var (…)." ("You already have a leave request on these dates (…).") — you cannot send a second request for the same days.
• "En çok 30 gün geriye izin girilebilir; daha eskisi için İK ile görüşün." ("Leave can be entered at most 30 days back; for earlier dates, talk to HR.") — the limit for past dates (a company setting).
• "Your annual leave balance is not enough: … days left, … days requested." — the balance is not enough. If the leave advance is on, the end of the message shows the maximum number of days you can take including the advance.

Important: If you have no manager set, the form says "You have no manager set, so the request goes straight to HR."

Requesting a half day of leave

Who: Employee · Where: Request leave → Duration

What it does: You request a half day of leave for one day, in the morning or in the afternoon; the leave counts as 0.5 days. If the type has a balance (annual leave or a type with its own yearly allowance), 0.5 days is deducted from the balance.

1. Tap Request leave and select the Leave type (e.g. Personal leave or Annual leave).
2. Select the same day for Start and End (last day of leave). Only then does the Duration field appear.
3. Select Half day (morning) or Half day (afternoon) in the Duration list.
4. Make sure that the calculation line says "0.5 days (working days)".
5. Tap Send request.

Tip: In request lists, a half day of leave shows as "9 Ekim (yarım gün) · 0,5 gün" ("9 October (half day) · 0.5 days").

Requesting travel leave

Who: Employee · Where: Request leave → Leave type → Travel leave (unpaid)

What it does: If you will spend your annual leave in another city, you request unpaid travel leave for the journey there and back. Under the Turkish Labour Law (Law No. 4857, Art. 56), travel leave is up to 4 days in total and is not deducted from your annual leave balance.

1. Tap Request leave.
2. Select Travel leave (unpaid) in the Leave type list. The rule line says "Max 4 days at a time".
3. Select the Start and End (last day of leave) dates. Travel leave is counted in calendar days; weekends are counted too.
4. You can write where you are going in the Description (optional) box.
5. Tap Send request.

Important: Travel leave longer than 4 days is not sent: "Yol izni (ücretsiz) en çok 4 gün olabilir." ("Travel leave (unpaid) can be at most 4 days."). Your company can change this limit. Travel leave is unpaid; in the export to the payroll software, it is counted in a separate column (travel leave).

Using a leave advance

Who: Employee · Where: Request leave → Annual leave

What it does: If you have not yet earned annual leave, or if it is not enough, you can take leave as an "advance" from your next entitlement, if your company allows it. When you earn the entitlement, the advance is deducted from your balance.

Before you start: Your company turns on the leave advance. If it is on, the row "Advance leave: up to … days (available including advance: … days)." shows in the My leave box.

1. Tap Request leave and select Annual leave.
2. Select the dates.
3. Read the calculation line, e.g. "2 days (working days) · your annual leave remaining -2 days · up to 3 days with advance · 2 days of this request are advance". "Your annual leave remaining" is the number of days left after your pending requests are subtracted; it can be negative.
4. Tap Send request. Your approver sees the warning "2 days of this request are advance (leave not yet earned)." on the request.

Result: The request details show the Advance row (e.g. "2 days"). When the request is approved, your remaining annual leave goes below zero; the entitlement added on your work anniversary covers the negative amount.

Important:

• The maximum advance you can use is the smaller of the days in the company setting and your next annual leave entitlement (e.g. at most 14 days for an employee in the first year).
• When the advance is used up, the request is not sent: "Your annual leave balance is not enough: … Including advance you can take at most … days (advance up to … days; it cannot exceed your next annual entitlement)."
• The advance applies only to types that are deducted from annual leave.
• When you leave the company, HR offsets the advance you used in payroll.

Selecting the person who covers for you

Who: Employee · Where: Request leave → Cover person (optional)

What it does: You state who takes over your work while you are on leave. The person you select shows on the request, on the approval card, on the leave form and in the "on leave" information in the directory.

1. In the Request leave form, tap the Cover person (optional) list.
2. Select a teammate in the list. If you do not want to select anyone, leave it as None.
3. Send the request.

Result: The request details show the Covering row, and the manager's approval card says "Covering: …". When your leave starts, the person who covers for you shows together with "On leave" in the directory and on your profile (see 08. Directory and organization).

Important: You can select only an active teammate: "Select an active teammate as the person covering." Tell the person yourself; the selection alone is not an assignment.

Following and cancelling a request

Who: Employee · Where: My leave → tap the request (or My requests)

What it does: You see which approval step your request is at, who approved it and the status of the signed form; if necessary, you withdraw the request.

1. In the My leave box, tap the request. For all your requests, tap My requests.
2. The details show the Employee, Date, Duration, Status, Manager, Covering, Description and (if approved) Signed form rows.
3. Under History, the steps are listed: Requested, Manager approved, Approved, Signed form received; each with the time and the person.
4. To withdraw the request, tap Cancel and confirm ("Cancel this request?" or, for approved leave, "Cancel the approved leave? It is removed from the calendar and the balance is restored.").

Important: You can cancel approved leave yourself only before it starts. Only HR can cancel leave that has started or is in the past: "Only HR can cancel leave that has started or ended."

Printing and signing the approved leave form

Who: Employee · Where: Leave details → Leave form

What it does: An A4 leave form is prepared for each approved leave. You, your line manager and HR sign the form; it is kept in your personnel file. If your company turned on signed form tracking, your leave is finalized when the signed form is handed in.

Before you start: The form exists only for approved leave. The Leave form button does not show on a request that waits for approval.

1. When the final approval is given, the PDF of the form also comes to your email (subject: "İzniniz onaylandı — imzalı form bekleniyor (IZ-…)" — "Your leave is approved — signed form pending (IZ-…)"). You can print the attachment in the email or follow the steps below.
2. In My leave, tap your approved leave.
3. Tap Leave form. The form opens in a new tab.
4. Check the form: Çalışan ("employee"), İzin ("leave": type, start, end, return to work, duration, covering person, description), Yıllık izin bakiyesi (onay anında) ("annual leave balance at the time of approval"), Onay geçmişi (sistem kaydı) ("approval history (system record)"), the three signature boxes (Çalışan, Birim yöneticisi ("line manager"), İnsan kaynakları ("human resources")) and, at the bottom, the QR code and the verification code. The form page shows only in Turkish.
5. Tap Yazdır / PDF olarak kaydet ("print / save as PDF"). The button and the note at the top are not printed.
6. Sign the form, have your manager sign it and hand it in to HR (see Signing and handing in the form, and "Finalized").

Result: Until the form is handed in, your leave is Signed form pending. The My leave box shows the warning "The signed form of 1 approved leave(s) is pending: print, sign and hand it to HR; your leave is finalized on delivery."

Reminder: Until the form is handed in, you get a reminder every working day at 09:30: a phone notification ("İmzalı izin formu bekleniyor" — "signed leave form pending"), an email with the PDF attached and (if your company set up an SMS provider) an SMS. No reminder is sent on the day of approval, on weekends or on public holidays. Your company selects the channels.

Important:

• The form of leave approved before 0.99.2 has no balance section.
• If the leave changes after you print the form (e.g. the dates), the old form cannot be received; print the current form and sign it again.

Verifying the form with the QR code

Who: Employee, manager, anyone who sees the form · Where: The QR code at the bottom of the form

What it does: Shows whether the paper form is the same as the approved record in the system.

1. Scan the QR code on the form with your phone's camera.
2. The page that opens needs no sign-in and shows only summary information: Form no ("form number"), Şirket ("company"), Çalışan (first name and the initial of the surname), İzin, Tarih ("date"), Süre ("duration"), Onay ("approval"). The page shows only in Turkish.
3. Read the title of the page:
   • Geçerli izin formu ("valid leave form") — "Bu form sistemdeki onaylı izin kaydıyla aynıdır." ("This form is the same as the approved leave record in the system.")
   • Bu izin iptal edildi ("this leave was cancelled") — the leave was cancelled after the form was issued; the form is not valid.
   • Form doğrulanamadı ("the form could not be verified") — the leave record changed after the form was issued; print the current form.

Important: For sick leave / medical certificate, maternity leave and leave for a disabled child, the verification page does not show the leave type; it says only "İzin".

Signing and handing in the form, and "Finalized"

Who: Employee · Where: Paper form to HR

What it does: When you give the signed form to HR, HR takes a photo of the form; your leave is recognized from the QR code and marked as "received". Your leave is then finalized.

1. Give the signed form to HR.
2. When HR receives it, you get the phone notification "İzin formunuz teslim alındı" ("your leave form has been received").
3. In My leave, tap your leave. The Status row says Finalized, and the Signed form row says "Teslim alındı · tarih · teslim alan" ("received · date · received by").
4. If you want, tap View signed form to open the photo that HR took.

Tip: The history says "Karekodla tanındı" ("recognized from the QR code") or, if HR matched the form manually, "matched manually".

Approving leave as a manager

Who: Manager (a person who has a team in the organization chart), approver · Where: My Space → My leave → Awaiting approval (N)

What it does: You approve or reject your team's leave requests. A request you approve goes on to HR approval.

1. Tap the notification or the email "Leave request awaiting your approval". Or, in the My leave box, tap Awaiting approval (N). Pending requests also show in the bell (Waiting for you) (see 09. Notifications).
2. In the Leave awaiting approval window, each card shows the person, leave type, dates, number of days, department, remaining annual leave, description and the person who covers. For a request with an advance, the warning "… days of this request are advance (leave not yet earned)." appears.
3. Tap Approve. The message "Approved; now with HR." appears.
4. To reject, tap Reject, write the reason in the box that opens (it is sent to the employee) and tap Reject again.

Common errors and warnings:

• "Write the reason for rejection; it is sent to the employee." — the reason for rejection is empty.
• "You cannot approve your own request." / "You are not allowed to approve this request."
• "This request is no longer awaiting approval." — someone else decided on the request, or it was cancelled.

Tip: For a request that waits for more than 2 days, you get the reminder "Pending leave request". If the manager of the request left the company or is not set, HR approves the request. For HR approval, see 30. Employee leave management.