Delegation Rules
Delegation rules let one employee approve requests on behalf of another — useful when a manager is on leave, on a long-term assignment, or wants to share approval load. While a rule is active, the delegate receives all matching approval requests instead of the delegator.
What you can do here:
- Create delegation rules when an approver is unavailable or wants to share workload
- Pick Temporary (date-bounded), Permanent (until revoked), or One-time (single request) delegations
- Limit the rule to specific modules, or let it cover everything
- Add a reason and optional notes for an audit trail
- Revoke rules early when the situation changes
Understanding Delegation
A delegation is a temporary transfer of approval authority. (Delegation = temporarily assigning your approval authority to someone else.)
Two roles:
| Role | Description |
|---|---|
| Delegator | The original approver whose work is being delegated |
| Delegate | The person who will approve in their place |
When a request reaches a step where the delegator would normally approve and a matching active delegation exists, the system reroutes the request to the delegate automatically.
Delegation Types
| Type | Active when | Use case |
|---|---|---|
| Temporary | Between configured Start and End dates | Vacation coverage, short-term absence |
| Permanent | Indefinitely until manually revoked | Role changes, ongoing co-approval arrangements |
| One-time | Until the first matching request is processed, then auto-revokes | A single specific request that needs different approval |
Delegation rules are processed automatically. If a request reaches a step where the approver has an active delegation, the system routes it to the delegate without manual intervention.
Active Rules List
The main page shows every delegation rule that has been created. Each card displays:
| Element | Description |
|---|---|
| Delegator → Delegate | Two avatars + names showing who delegated to whom |
| Status badge | Active (currently in effect), Expired (past end date), Revoked, or other state |
| Type badge | Temporary, Permanent, or One-time with a matching icon |
| Date range | For Temporary rules, the configured Start–End range (e.g., “13/03 – 20/03”) |
| Module badges | The modules the delegation covers (e.g., Attendance, Leave); none means it covers all modules |
| ⋯ menu | Edit or revoke the rule |
The About Delegation Rules card at the bottom of the page summarises the three delegation types as a quick reference.
How to Create a Delegation Rule
- Go to Settings > Workflows > Delegation Rules
- Click + Add Rule in the top-right
- Fill in the three tabs in order: People, Duration, Details
- Click Create Rule
Step 1 — People
| Field | Description | Required |
|---|---|---|
| Delegate from | Pick the employee whose approval tasks will be delegated. Helper text: “This person’s approval tasks will be delegated”. | Yes |
| Delegate to | Pick the employee who will receive and act on the approval requests. Helper text: “This person will receive the approval requests”. | Yes |
Pick a delegate who has comparable authority and context to make appropriate decisions. Usually that’s a peer manager, a deputy, or the delegator’s own manager.
Step 2 — Duration
Delegation Type
Three button cards. Pick exactly one:
| Type | Behaviour | Extra fields |
|---|---|---|
| Temporary (default) | Activates on Start Date, deactivates on End Date | Start Date, End Date |
| Permanent | Stays active until manually revoked | None |
| One-time | Auto-revokes after the first matching approval is processed | None |
For Temporary delegations:
| Field | Description | Default |
|---|---|---|
| Start Date | When the delegation becomes active | Today |
| End Date | When the delegation deactivates | One week after Start |
Modules
Eight checkboxes that limit the delegation to specific modules. Helper text: “Select specific modules or leave empty to delegate all”.
| Module | Covers |
|---|---|
| Attendance | Time and attendance requests (missing punch, late exception, overtime, etc.) |
| Leave | Leave and time-off requests |
| Expense | Expense claim approvals |
| Advance | Salary advance requests |
| Payroll | Payroll-related approvals |
| Document | Document signing and review approvals |
| Hiring | Hiring requests, candidate approvals |
| Exit | Offboarding / exit clearance approvals |
Leave all checkboxes empty to delegate every module. Tick specific modules only when you want the delegate to handle only that subset.
Step 3 — Details
| Field | Description | Required |
|---|---|---|
| Reason | A brief explanation of why this delegation is being created. Placeholder: “e.g., Annual leave from Jan 15-25, 2026”. Used for audit and reporting. | Yes |
| Notes (optional) | Free-form additional instructions or context for the delegate (e.g., escalation guidance, special handling notes). | No |
How to Revoke a Delegation
To end a rule before its scheduled end date:
- Find the rule in the Active Rules list
- Click the ⋯ menu on the rule’s card
- Select Revoke
Revoking takes effect immediately. Any pending approvals that were routed to the delegate are returned to the delegator’s queue. Already-approved requests are not affected.
How to Edit a Delegation
- Find the rule in the Active Rules list
- Click the ⋯ menu
- Select Edit
- Update the People, Duration, or Details tabs as needed
- Click Save Changes
You can edit Active and Permanent rules. Expired rules are kept for audit purposes — to reapply an expired delegation, create a new one rather than editing the old.
Best Practices
-
Set up delegations in advance — create the rule a day or two before the absence begins, so that requests submitted just before you leave still route correctly.
-
Inform the delegate — let them know they’ll be receiving requests, what kind, and any guidance you’d like them to follow.
-
Be specific with modules — if the delegate only needs to handle Leave during your vacation, tick only Leave. Don’t delegate Payroll or Hiring approvals unless they have authority for those.
-
Document the reason clearly — “Annual leave 15–25 Mar” is more useful in audits than “Out of office”.
-
Review permanent delegations annually — they don’t expire on their own. Audit them once a year to remove ones that are no longer needed.
-
Don’t chain delegations — if A delegates to B and B is also out, set up two separate rules (A→C and B→D) instead of relying on cascading delegations.
Delegation vs. Approval Chains
| Feature | Delegation Rules | Approval Chains |
|---|---|---|
| Purpose | Temporary transfer of approval authority | Define who should approve and in what order |
| Scope | Personal — one delegator → one delegate | Org-wide — applies to all matching requests |
| Duration | Temporary, Permanent, or One-time | Always active once published |
| Configuration | Two people + dates + modules + reason | Multiple steps, conditions, escalations, reminders |
| Who creates it | The approver (or HR on their behalf) | HR / workflow admins |
Use Delegation Rules when a specific approver is unavailable. Use Approval Chains to define your organisation’s standard approval routes.