Absence Requests
Absence Requests
Job Aid for all employees
Last Updated: Sep 19, 2025
Contact Information
For more information about absence balances, time off types, and accruals, contact payroll@uni.edu.
For more information about leave types and FMLA, contact hrs-leaves@uni.edu.
Table of Contents
- 2 Table of Contents
- 3 Overview
- 4 Key Terminology
- 5 Request Time Off
- 6 Request Leave of Absence
- 7 Request Intermittent FMLA Leave
- 8 Manage Absence
- 9 Edit or Cancel Absence Requests
- 10 View Absence Requests
- 11 View Absence Balance
- 12 View Maximum Time Off Balances
- 13 Time Off Types
- 14 Sick Reasons
- 15 Leave of Absence Types
- 16 FMLA Reasons
- 17 Intermittent FMLA Absences
Overview
This job aid assists benefit-eligible employees with submitting an Absence Request. Absence requests may be created, changed, and submitted by the employee, their manager, departmental timekeeper, or the absence partner in Human Resource Services (HRS). A complete glossary of Absence Types is included at the end of this job aid. An Absence Request must be completed for an employee to receive paid time off.
Key Terminology
UNI Works Term | Legacy Term | Definition |
Time Off | Absence | Short time away from work with a clear start date, return date, and quantity of hours. Time Off is generally a few hours per day, a full work day, or up to five consecutive business days. There is no visible status change in UNI Works when taking time off. |
Leave of Absence | Leave | Time away from work for medical, family member care, or military-related reasons where the return date may not be known. The absence is typically longer than five consecutive business days. For continuous leaves of absence there is a visible status change in UNI Works where "On Leave" will be displayed after an employee's name. |
Intermittent FMLA | Leave | Periodic absences for qualifying family, medical, or military-related reasons during a 12 month period under the Family & Medical Leave Act (FMLA). These periodic absences count toward an eligible employee’s annual FMLA leave entitlement. |
Request Time Off
Step 1: From the Menu, select Request Absence from the Apps tab or type “Request Absence” in the search bar to access the micro calendar.
Support
If the Request Absence app isn’t listed in your Menu, click the Add Apps button to find and add the app.
Support
View Balances allows you to see your available accruals as of today’s date. Select a different “as of” date to view your updated balances and submitted absence requests for that date. If you are salaried, the balances will also reflect any additional accruals you will have earned, including sick leave conversion, as of that date.
View Teams shows your team memeber absences for certain dates.
Step 2: Click the Date(s) you would like to request then click Continue. To unselect, click the date(s) again.
Step 3: In the Type of Absence field, select from Time Off, Leave of Absence, or Intermittent FMLA Leave. Then select the subtype of absence from the dropdown list.
Step 4: Select your Position if you have more than one. Requests for Sick time off require you to select a Reason.
Step 5: Type the Start Time and End Time for your absence(s). Be sure to change AM to PM as needed. When multiple days are included in one absence request, the same start and end time will populate on each day.
Support
The total hours of your request are based upon the start and end times entered and include meals and breaks. Example: Entering 8:00-4:30 totals 8.5 hours so you will need to adjust the start or end time to reflect 8 hours.
Step 6: Click Edit Individual Days to change information, add or delete days, or to request different time off types on the same date.
Step 7: To add days, click Add>Date>Type of Absence>Reason>Start Time>End Time>Submit Request.
Step 8: To delete dates from the absence request, select the date and click Delete.
Step 9: Review the Total Request Amount for accuracy, then click Submit Request.
When multiple time off types are part of one request, the Available Balance and Remaining Balance will display for each type when clicking on the date(s) of the absence.
What Happens Next
Your Absence Request will route to your manager for approval and you will receive notification when your request is approved. You can check the Archive tab in My Tasks to see the next steps in the process. You can also see the status of your requests on the Manage Absence calendar. Submitted absence requests are displayed gray and will display green when approved. Requests that are sent back to you to modify will be highlighted.
Request Leave of Absence
When your absence will last longer than one week and the return date might not be known, you should submit a leave of absence request. All employees approved for leave will need to be "returned from leave" in UNI Works.
Step 1: From the Menu, select Request Absence.
Step 2: Select Date Range>Start Date>End Date>Continue.
Step 3: In the Type of Absence field, select Leave of Absence then the appropriate leave type and click Continue.
Step 4: Review your request for accuracy then click Submit.
Support
For FMLA leave requests, a Reason for the leave will need to be selected. When the leave reason is the birth of a child or adoption of a child, you should also select the expected due date and/or the child’s actual birth date or adoption placement date, if known.
What Happens Next:
When you submit your request, a documentation process will be initiated in UNI Works that requires action from you so be sure to check your task box. Your request will route to the HRS Absence Partner for approval. When you are approved for continuous leave, Time Off requests also need to be submitted for each work day of your leave so you remain in paid status. You can check the Archive tab in My Tasks to see the next steps in the process.
Request Intermittent FMLA Leave
Periodic absences for qualifying FMLA reasons require an initial approval process through HRS. To submit notification of your need for intermittent FMLA leave, follow the steps below.
Step 1: From the Menu, click the Requests app.
Support
If the Requests app isn’t listed in your Menu, click the Add Apps button to find and add the app.
Step 2: Under Actions, click Create Request>All>Intermittent FMLA Leave>OK.
Step 3: Complete the questionnaire then click Submit.
What Happens Next
Your request will route to the HRS Absence Partner for review and you will receive a notification when the review has been completed. HRS will follow up with you regarding any paperwork or additional information that may be needed for approval. After intermittent FMLA leave is approved, you and your manager will receive an email with further guidance. Absences should be submited by selecting the Intermittent FMLA absence type and then the subtype of FMLA time off appropriate to your situation.
Manage Absence
The Manage Absence calendar allows you to perform several tasks in one location. You can view the status of your absence requests at a glance; request, edit, or cancel absences; view your Balances; review your absence Requests; and access other essential tasks through the Actions button.
Edit or Cancel Absence Requests
Follow these steps to edit an absence request after it has been approved or sent back to you for changes as well as cancel an absence request before or after it has been approved. Edited and canceled requests must be resubmitted for approval in order for accrual balances to be properly adjusted.
Support
Leave of Absence requests cannot be edited so you will need to contact hrs-leaves@uni.edu for assistance if you need to make changes to your leave request.
Step 1: From the Menu, click Manage Absence to view your absence calendar.
Step 2: Select the absence entry you want to modify from the calendar. The pop up screen will show the details and status of the request. Click Cancel Absence or Edit.
Step 3: To Cancel a request before or after it has been approved, click the OK button. You may be required to type a comment before you can submit.
Step 4: To Edit a request, you can modify the type of absence, the reason, start and end times, or delete dates. The Total Request Amount will also update at the bottom of the request after you make changes.
Step 5: Review the information for accuracy then click Submit Request.
What Happens Next
The edited or canceled request will route to your manager for approval. This can be viewed in the Archive Tab in My Tasks. You will receive a notification once your manager takes action.
View Absence Requests
The Manage Absence calendar allows you to see the status of your absence requests from the past six months and for the next 12 months by clicking on the Requests tab.
You can also view a history of your absence requests in more detail by following the steps below.
Step 1: From your Manage Absence calendar, click Actions, then select My Absence from the dropdown list.
Step 2: Under the Absence Requests tab you will see a history of your requests.
View Absence Balance
The Manage Absence calendar allows you to view your Balances as of a specific date. To see more detailed information regarding your absence balances, follow the steps below.
Step 1: From your Manage Absence calendar, click Actions, then select My Absence from the dropdown list.
Step 2: Click the Absence Balances as of Current Date tab.
Step 3: Your balances will be displayed and may differ from the example shown below, based on your employment classification. The date used to determine the Beginning Year Balance varies based on the Time Off Plan.
Family Caregiving: anniversary of your benefits service date (View Profile>Job>Service Dates)
Sick: staff - January 1; faculty - start of the semester
All Others (Comp Time, Vacation, Banked Holiday, etc): January 1
Family Caregiving hours are deducted from your Sick accruals so the maximum amount of Family Caregiving hours you may use is limited by the amount of sick accruals in your balance. For example: if you earned 10.1 hours of Sick and used 36 hours for Family Caregiving, your accruals for the month would show as -25.9. To determine your total accruals available, take the total hours on the report and subtract the Family Caregiving amounts.
View Maximum Time Off Balances
Follow the steps below to view the maximum balances for your eligible Time Off Plans.
Step 1: Click View Profile>Absence>UNI Max Balance
Optional: Type Max Balance in the search bar, click the report link, then click OK on the popup screen.
The resulting report will show you the current and max balances for your time off plans that have a max balance.
Time Off Types
The Absence Type options available to you will depend on your employment classification.
Absence Type | Subtype | Description |
Time Off | Banked Holiday Used | Usage of Banked Holiday hours previously earned. |
| Blood Donation | Time off with pay for up to two consecutive hours in a workday may be granted (up to four times per calendar year) to serve as a voluntary blood donor. Written verification from a medical professional involved with the donation must be provided to Human Resource Services. |
| Blood Marrow Donation | Time off with pay for up to five workdays may be granted to serve as a bone marrow donor. Bone marrow is defined as the soft tissue that fills human bone cavities. Written verification from a medical professional involved with the donation must be provided to Human Resource Services. |
| Comp Time Used | Time not worked but paid through use of compensatory time previously earned. |
| Family Caregiving | Paid time off for the care of an ill or injured immediate family member. Family Caregiving is a use of accrued sick time. Employees may carry over up to 40 hours of unused family caregiving time off to the next anniversary year, for a maximum utilization of 80 hours in the next anniversary year. Usage and carryover limits are pro-rated for part-time positions. |
| Floating Holiday | Time off with pay granted in addition to regular UNI paid holidays. For example: instances when the governor grants two extra holidays to use in November and/or December. |
| Intermittent Parental Time Off | Time off with pay for up to one week (40 hours maximum) available to FMLA-eligible employees whose spouse or partner gives birth to their child. This time off type will count toward an employee’s FMLA leave entitlement and must be used within 12 months from the child’s date of birth. Employees will not see this time off type in their list of options until they go through the FMLA approval process with HRS. |
| Jury Duty | Excused duty while appearing as a subpoenaed witness or serving as a member of a jury in public or private litigation. Employees are entitled to regular compensation provided that any payment other than reimbursement for travel or personal expenses is surrendered to the University. The employee will remit this to the Cashier in the Office of Business Operations. |
| Military Time Off | Time off with pay for less than 30 days of intermittent military service per federal fiscal year for members of the active and Reserve components of the United States Armed Forces provided they are called for field training, active duty, or in connection with an emergency condition. |
| Parental Time Off | Time off with pay for up to four weeks (160 hours maximum) available to FMLA-eligible employees who give birth to a child or have a child placed with them for adoption. This time off type will count toward an eligible employee’s FMLA leave entitlement and must be used within 12 months of the child’s date of birth or placement. Employees will not see this time off type in their list of options until they go through the FMLA approval process with HRS. |
| Sick* | Paid time off due to illness or personal injury of an employee. *See reasons for Sick absences below. |
| Union Sponsored Paid | Time off with pay for union activities where the union reimburses UNI for the paid time off. |
| Union Sponsored Unpaid | Time off without pay for union conventions, conferences, or other functions. |
| Unpaid | Approved time off without pay. |
| Vacation | Paid time off. |
| Voting | Employees eligible to vote in a public election may be excused from regular duty with pay during voting hours on any election day for a period not to exceed 3 hours (including nonworking hours). Application for time off should be made to the staff member's department head prior to election day. The specific time off may be designated by the department head and granted only if the employee's work schedule does not allow a 3 consecutive hour period outside of working hours during which polls are open. |
Sick Reasons
Subtype | Reason | Description |
*Sick | Adoption | Up to 40 hours of accrued sick time, or a pro-rated part time equivalent, may be used by an employee per occurrence when adopting a child. |
| Funeral | Up to three days (24 hours) of accrued sick time per occurrence, or a pro-rated part time equivalent, when death occurs in an employee's immediate family. |
| Medical Appointment | Use of accrued sick time off for an employee's own doctor, dentist, or other medical appointment that occurs during work hours. |
| Pallbearer | Up to one day (8 hours) of accrued sick time off per occurrence, or a pro-rated part time equivalent, when an employee serves as a pallbearer or funeral attendant for someone who is not a member of their immediate family. |
| Self | Use of accrued sick time off for an employee's personal illness or injury. |
| Work Comp (Sick/Injury) | Use of accrued sick time off for treatment of an employee's work-related illness or injury. |
Leave of Absence Types
Absence Type | Sub-type | Description |
Leave of Absence | FMLA** | The Family & Medical Leave Act (FMLA) provides eligible employees with up to 12 weeks (480 hours) per 12-month period for qualifying family, medical, and military-related reasons. See FMLA Reasons below. |
| Military Leave | Up to 30 days (240 hours) of paid leave per federal fiscal year for members of the National Guard or Reserve component of the United States Armed Forces provided they are called for field training, active duty, or in connection with an emergency condition. |
| Non-FMLA Medical Leave | Medical leave of absence as an accommodation when an employee is ineligible for or has exhausted their FMLA leave entitlement. |
| Organ Donation Leave | Up to 30 days (240 hours) of paid medical leave to serve as a living organ donor. A living organ is defined as one of two kidneys, one of two lobes of a liver, a lung or part of a lung, part of the pancreas, or part of the intestines. |
| Pregnancy Leave | Medical leave of absence when pregnancy, childbirth, or related medical conditions prevent an employee from being able to work. This leave type is provided when an employee is not eligible for or has exhausted their FMLA leave entitlement. |
| Work Comp Leave | Medical leave of absence when employees are unable to return to work after a work-related injury or illness due to the occupational healthcare provider's orders or if their restrictions cannot be accommodated. |
FMLA Reasons
Subtype | Reason | Description |
**FMLA | Adoption of Child | Leave taken within 12 months from the first date of placement when a child is placed with an employee for adoption. |
| Birth of Child | Leave taken for the birth of a child within 12 months from the date of birth. |
| Bonding (Parental Leave) | Leave taken to bond with a newborn child within 12 months from the date of birth. |
| Family Care | Leave to care for a child, spouse or parent with a serious health condition. |
| Foster Care | Leave taken within 12 months from the first date of placement when a child is placed with an employee for foster care. |
| Military Caregiver | Provides eligible employees up to 26 weeks in a single 12-month period to care for a covered service member with a serious injury or illness. The service member must be the employee's spouse, child, parent, or next of kin. |
| Military Exigency | Leave for situations caused by the military deployment of an employee's spouse, child, or parent. |
| Organ Donation | Up to thirty 30 days (240 hours) of paid medical leave to serve as a living organ donor when the employee is concurrently eligible for FMLA leave entitlement. |
| Self | An employee's serious health condition that prevents them from working or performing at least one of their essential job functions. |
| Work Comp | This reason is selected when an employee is concurrently eligible for FMLA leave entitlement while on leave for a work-related injury or illness. |
Intermittent FMLA Absences
This absence type is used to designate periodic absences taken for qualifying FMLA reasons and requires initial approval from HRS. The subtype of time off available to you is based on your employment classification and will route to your manager for approval. The purpose of identifying time off as FMLA is to assist with keeping track of your FMLA leave entitlement.
Absence Type | Time Off Subtype | Description |
Intermittent FMLA | FMLA Family Caregiving | Use of the portion of sick accruals designated for the care of an ill or injured family member when concurrently approved for FMLA leave. |
| FMLA Sick | Use of sick accruals for FMLA covered absences related to an employee's own serious health condition. |
| FMLA Unpaid Time | FMLA covered unpaid time off when accruals are exhausted. |
| FMLA Vacation | Use of vacation accruals for FMLA covered absences. |
| FMLA Banked Holiday | Previously earned Banked Holiday hours used for FMLA covered absences. |
| FMLA Comp Time Used | Previously earned compensatory time used for FMLA covered absences. |