Guide: Substitute Approver

Cover leave decisions while you're away. Requests route automatically for the window you set.

3-minute read

A Substitute Approver is the person who takes over leave decisions while the main Approver is away. Set it up before you go, and during the configured window, every leave request that would have come to you routes to your substitute instead. When you're back, approvals flow back to you automatically.

Why it exists

Approvers go on leave too. Without a substitute, every request they receive while away either piles up in a dormant inbox or has to be juggled by an Admin who may not know the team. Either option delays decisions and pushes work onto someone else at exactly the wrong moment. Substitute Approver removes that bottleneck: the team doesn't wait on you to come back from your own vacation, and no one else has to scramble to cover.

How it works

• You pick the substitute: any Approver or Admin in the workspace can stand in for you. They don't need to be on the same Department.
• You set the dates: a start date and an end date define the window. Outside that window, you handle requests as usual.
• Routing is automatic: any leave request submitted during the window goes to the substitute. They approve or deny it; the User never has to ask "who's covering?"
• Return is automatic too: when the window ends, approvals flow back to you with no action needed on your part.
• You stay in the loop: when you return, you can see what was approved or denied while you were away.

What each role can do

• Administrator: can set a Substitute Approver on behalf of any Approver, useful for unplanned absences or when an Approver forgets. Admins can also act as substitutes themselves.
• Approver: sets their own substitute before going on leave. Can also be assigned as someone else's substitute, gaining temporary approval power for the configured window.
• User: doesn't see or set substitutes. They just submit leave as usual, and the request reaches the right person automatically.

When to use one

• Any vacation of two or more days where you're the sole Approver of a Department. Even a short absence can create a queue if requests come in.
• Extended leave (parental leave, sabbatical, sick leave): the substitute prevents everything from routing to an overloaded Admin.
• Cross-team coverage: when your co-lead approves for your team while you're out and vice versa, mutual Substitute Approver setups keep both teams flowing.
• Public holidays and off-hours: workspaces with global teams sometimes use a substitute to ensure a leave request submitted during your night doesn't wait 12 hours for you to see it.

What to think about when setting one

• Pick someone who knows the team. The substitute should have enough context to make sensible calls on coverage and timing, not just click Approve on everything.
• Match the window to your actual absence, with a small buffer on either side so late-arriving requests don't fall through.
• Have a backup for the backup. If your substitute also goes on leave, they can set their own substitute. Approvals never fall into a hole.

Common Questions