Available for the following plans: Employment Lite, Employment Plus, Employment Unlimited
Available for the following HR Classic plans: Standard, Premium, Platinum
Available for the following user access level: Admin
Blackout Periods allow admins to define specific date ranges during which employees cannot submit or edit time off requests. This feature will automatically block employee submissions for blackout dates and disable editing of existing requests that fall within a blackout window (unless edited by an admin).
This helps reduce manual effort and communication for managers and admins, while enforcing consistent time off rules across the organization. Override capabilities are provided for admins who need to manage exceptional cases. The feature supports per-location blackout rules, allowing for flexibility across different regions or business units.
Getting started
- Click the Settings menu.
- Under Time & Attendance, click Blackout Period.
- Click the + Blackout Period button.
- Complete the following:
- Name: Each blackout period name should be unique.
- Date start and end.
- Block these time off categories: You can select multiple time off categories.
- Click the Save button.
- In the Assign Employees to Blackout Period popup, choose among the following:
- Assign to all employees.
- Apply based on employment details: Location, Employment Type, or Team.
- Restrict to only those specifically assigned.
- Click the Save button.
Click on the blackout period you want to edit, make the necessary changes, and click Save.
Click on the blackout period, click the Assign Employees button, make your changes, and click Save.
Click on the blackout period you want to delete and then click the Delete button.
Further information
If an employee tries to submit a time off request that falls within a blackout period, the system will not allow the submission and will display a notification informing them that they cannot submit time off for those dates.
Yes, admins have the ability to override a blackout period and submit or edit a time off request on behalf of an employee.
Yes, managers are blocked from submitting or approving time off requests during a blackout period unless they have admin-level permissions.
Related to:
- admin
- hr