Time-Off Request¶

Category: Human Resources | Version: 2.0 | Status: Active

Overview¶

Manage leave requests, approvals, and coverage planning at BrainSAIT—ensuring smooth operations while supporting work-life balance for our healthcare AI team.

Channel Structure¶

Time-Off Channels¶

Channel	Purpose	Visibility
`#time-off-requests`	Submit leave requests	All employees
`#team-calendar`	Company-wide leave visibility	All employees
`#coverage-planning`	Handover and coverage	Team leads
`#hr-approvals`	HR approval queue	HR + Managers

Leave Types¶

Leave Categories¶

Type	Days	Approval	Notice Required
Annual Leave	Per contract (21+ days)	Manager	2 weeks
Sick Leave	As per labor law	HR + Medical certificate	Same day
Emergency Leave	Up to 3 days	Manager (post-facto OK)	ASAP
Hajj Leave	10-15 days (once)	HR + Manager	1 month
Maternity	70 days	HR	4 weeks
Paternity	3 days	Manager	1 week
Marriage	5 days	HR	2 weeks
Bereavement	3-5 days	Manager	Same day
Study Leave	Case by case	Manager + HR	2 weeks
Unpaid Leave	Case by case	VP + HR	1 month

Saudi National Holidays¶

Holiday	Typical Dates	Days
Saudi National Day	September 23	1
Founding Day	February 22	1
Eid Al-Fitr	Varies	4
Eid Al-Adha	Varies	4

Request Workflow¶

Leave Request Process¶

Employee submits request
    ↓
Slack notification to Manager
    ↓
Manager reviews (24-48h SLA)
    ├── Approved → HR notified → Calendar updated
    ├── Needs Discussion → 1:1 scheduled
    └── Declined → Reason provided → Alternative offered
    ↓
Employee notified
    ↓
Coverage plan confirmed
    ↓
Out-of-office setup

Approval Matrix¶

Leave Duration	Approver
1-3 days	Direct Manager
4-10 days	Manager + Department Head
10+ days	Manager + HR
Unpaid Leave	VP + HR

Key Messages¶

Leave Request Template¶

## Time-Off Request

**Employee:** @[name]
**Department:** [Department]
**Manager:** @[manager-name]

### Leave Details

**Type:** Annual / Sick / Emergency / Hajj / Maternity / Paternity / Marriage / Bereavement / Study / Unpaid

**Dates:**
- From: [Start Date]
- To: [End Date]
- Total Days: [X] working days

**Reason:** [Brief reason - optional for annual leave]

### Coverage Plan

**Critical Tasks:**
| Task | Covering | Notes |
|------|----------|-------|
| [Task 1] | @[name] | [Instructions] |
| [Task 2] | @[name] | [Instructions] |

**Customer Coverage:**
- @[name] will handle [Customer A]
- @[name] will handle [Customer B]

**On-call/Support Rotation:**
- [ ] Removed from rotation for these dates
- [ ] Backup: @[name]

### Contact During Leave

- [ ] Fully offline
- [ ] Available for emergencies only
- [ ] Checking messages daily

**Emergency Contact:** [Phone - optional]

### Pre-Leave Checklist

- [ ] Tasks handed over
- [ ] Out-of-office set in email
- [ ] Slack status updated
- [ ] Calendar blocked
- [ ] Team notified

Manager Approval Message¶

✅ Leave Approved

Employee: @[name] Dates: [Start] - [End] ([X] days) Type: [Leave type]

Coverage confirmed: - [Task] → @[covering]

Notes: [Any conditions or notes]

Enjoy your time off! 🌴

Leave Declined Message¶

❌ Leave Request - Discussion Needed

Employee: @[name] Requested Dates: [Start] - [End]

Reason: [Explanation - e.g., critical deadline, coverage gap, etc.]

Suggested Alternatives: - [Alternative dates] - [Partial leave option]

Let's discuss: @[name] please book time with me this week.

Out-of-Office Notification¶

🏖️ Out of Office: @[name]

Away: [Start Date] - [End Date] Returns: [Return Date]

Coverage: - For [Topic A]: Contact @[name] - For [Topic B]: Contact @[name] - Urgent customer issues: #support-escalation

Agent-specific coverage: - ClaimLinc matters: @[name] - PolicyLinc matters: @[name]

For emergencies only: [Emergency contact if provided]

Team Calendar¶

Monthly Leave Overview Template¶

## Team Leave Calendar - [Month Year]

### Department: [Department]

| Employee | Dates | Type | Coverage |
|----------|-------|------|----------|
| @[name] | [Dates] | Annual | @[cover] |
| @[name] | [Dates] | Training | @[cover] |

### Coverage Summary

**Week 1 ([Dates]):**
- [X] team members out
- Critical coverage: ✅ Covered

**Week 2 ([Dates]):**
- [X] team members out
- Critical coverage: ✅ Covered

### Holidays This Month

- [Holiday Name] - [Date] - Company closed

### Notes

- [Any blackout periods]
- [Critical deadlines requiring coverage]

Leave Balance Reminder¶

📊 Leave Balance Reminder - Q[X]

Hi team! Here's a quick reminder of typical leave balances:

Check Your Balance: Use /timeoff balance or visit [HR Portal] to see your current balance.

Reminders:

Use your annual leave - it's important for wellbeing!

days max carry-over to next year

Book popular times early (Eid, summer, year-end)

Upcoming Blackout Periods:

[Date Range]: [Reason - e.g., product launch, audit]

Planning Help: Talk to your manager about leave planning for the quarter.

Customer-Facing Coverage¶

Implementation Team Coverage¶

When implementation team members are out:

## Implementation Coverage Plan

**Team Member Out:** @[name]
**Dates:** [Start] - [End]
**Active Customers:** [Customer A], [Customer B]

### Customer-Specific Coverage

**[Customer A]:**
- Primary cover: @[name]
- Status: [Phase of implementation]
- Next milestone: [Date] - [Milestone]
- Risk level: Low/Medium/High
- Actions before leave:
  - [ ] Status call scheduled
  - [ ] Customer notified of coverage
  - [ ] Handover document shared

**[Customer B]:**
- Primary cover: @[name]
- [Same structure]

### Escalation Path

1. @[cover-name] (primary)
2. @[backup-name] (if primary unavailable)
3. @[manager] (escalations)

Support Team Coverage¶

## Support Coverage Plan

**Team Member Out:** @[name]
**Dates:** [Start] - [End]

### Ticket Reassignment

| Ticket Type | Reassign To |
|-------------|-------------|
| ClaimLinc | @[name] |
| PolicyLinc | @[name] |
| DocsLinc | @[name] |
| General | @[name] |

### Open Tickets Handover

| Ticket | Customer | Status | Owner |
|--------|----------|--------|-------|
| [#XXX] | [Customer] | [Status] | @[new-owner] |

### On-call Rotation

- [ ] Removed from on-call: [Dates]
- [ ] Backup assigned: @[name]

Best Practices¶

Time-Off at BrainSAIT

Plan Ahead: Book leave 2+ weeks in advance when possible
Coverage First: Ensure clear handover before leaving
Disconnect: Actually rest - we'll handle it!
Customer Care: Never leave customers uncovered
Fair Distribution: Be mindful of peak times and team balance
Return Prep: Block 2 hours post-return for catch-up

Integration Points¶

HR System: Leave balance and history
Google Calendar: Team leave calendar
Slack: TimeOff bot for requests
PagerDuty/Opsgenie: On-call rotation updates
Notion: Coverage documentation