This article is for the people who approve requests: managers, HR, payroll managers, accounting. It describes the approvals inbox shared by every module, how to review a request, accept it, reject it or delegate it, and what each person receives.
Before you start #
Permissions are found in the WORKFLOWS section of the role matrix (see Permissions & roles).
| Permission (role matrix) | What it allows | Default |
|---|---|---|
| Approvals — List (all statuses) | Access: open the Approvals tab and the details of a request, write a comment | Administrator, Payroll Manager, Manager, HR Manager, Accounting, Auditor |
| Approve a request | Execute: accept when you are designated; Admin: decide at any step | Execute: Payroll Manager, Manager, HR Manager, Accounting; Admin: Administrator |
| Reject a request | Execute: reject when you are designated; Admin: at any step | Same |
| Delegate an approval | Execute: hand your decision over to someone else; Admin: at any step | Same |
| Filter by category / status | Access: the inbox filters | The six roles of the first row |
| Approval KPIs | Access: the counters at the top of the inbox | Administrator, Payroll Manager, Manager, HR Manager, Auditor |
| Approvals — Absences, Approvals — Expenses… | Access: see and handle the requests of this category, and open its menu entry | Administrator, Payroll Manager, Manager, HR Manager, Auditor (Accounting as well for Salary/Payroll and Expenses) |
Absences, attendance and expense reports are also decided according to the permissions of their module (for example “Approve / reject / delegate a request” for absences): see the articles of these modules.
Finding the requests to decide #
Open Workflows, Approvals tab. The number in brackets counts the requests waiting for your decision, delegations included; your own requests are not counted. The tab brings all categories together:
- the Pending, Approved and Rejected counters;
- the Approvals list, in three sections: Pending (what you must decide), Processed (what no longer awaits a decision) and My requests (your own requests, read-only);
- on the right, the details of the chosen request.
The menu entries (Workflows › Absences, Expense reports, Attendance…) open the tab specific to a category, which shows the module’s information. The link in a notification or an email opens the request directly.
Filtering the list #
- All categories and All statuses narrow down the list; Clear removes every filter.
- More filters adds Department, Site, Team, Employee and a period (From, To) that applies to the Date of the request or to the Dates of the absence. Department, site and team are read on the employee’s record or on one of their current contracts.
Reviewing a request #
Click a row. The details show:
- the Approval workflow timeline, with the steps passed, the current step and those to come;
- Trigger, Current step, Approver, Source (the workflow name), Start date and Time left, shown in red when less than 24 hours remain or the deadline has passed;
- the History: each decision with its author, date and comment, and the line of the pending step;
- the Comments thread, if the workflow allows them.
Deciding #
- Accept: the request moves to the next step, or is approved if it was the last one.
- Reject: enter the Rejection reason, which is mandatory, then Confirm rejection. The request is rejected and the reason is passed on to the requester.
- Delegate: choose the person in Delegate to, then Confirm. They become the only one to decide this step. They must themselves be able to decide on the request, otherwise Illizeo refuses the delegation.
The buttons only appear if your role holds the matching permission at the Execute level and you are designated at the current step.
Deciding several absence requests at once #
In the Approvals tab, the absence requests you can decide carry a checkbox. Tick them, then Approve selection or Reject selection; a grouped rejection needs a shared reason. A report lists the requests decided and those still pending, with the reason.
Commenting on a request #
When the workflow allows comments, the details show the Comments thread. Type your text in Write a comment… then Send. The thread is visible to the people who can open the request. A comment does not record any decision and sends no notification.
Following your own requests #
The My requests section lists your requests in progress and recently processed, with no decision buttons. Their status is shown on the badge: Pending, Approved, Rejected, Delegated, Escalated (passed to the approver’s manager for lack of an answer) or Cancelled (withdrawn by its author).
What each person receives #
| When | Who | How |
|---|---|---|
| A step awaits a decision | All the approvers of the step | Notification and “Demande de validation (workflow)” email |
| Delegation | The delegate, the person who was in charge and the requester | Notification and email |
| Escalation for lack of an answer | The approver’s manager | Notification and email |
| Final decision, human or automatic | The requester | Notification and “Workflow — décision rendue” email; an automatic decision mentions the rule applied |
Absences, attendance and expense reports send their own emails, described in the articles of these modules. Templates (names shown in French in every language) can be customised in Settings › Manage Illizeo › Email (see Emails).
Good to know #
- On a step with several approvers, all are notified. Depending on the Step with several approvers setting, the first decision is enough or all must approve (see Global settings, deadlines and automatic actions).
- An approver at the Admin level can decide at any step, even without being designated: this is how a request left without an approver is unblocked. This override is recorded.
- The grouped decision only applies to absence requests.
FAQ #
I can see the request but not the Accept and Reject buttons. #
You are not the approver of the current step, or your role does not hold “Approve a request” and “Reject a request” at the Execute level.
A request stays pending without an approver. #
No valid approver was found for the step (role without an active member, named person who has left, approver without the right to decide). An administrator can decide in their place, then fix the step in Settings › Manage Employees › Workflows.
