# Set up absence types and holidays

_Skileo Human Resources › Time off · Who can do this: Business owner, Member_

In Settings, Time off, choose the absence types your employees can ask for and how each works. In Settings, Holidays, add the days off your company doesn't count as working days.

## The absence types

Every time off request has an absence type. Skileo sets up six types for you, in your company's language: holiday, sick leave, parental leave, compassionate leave, unpaid leave and other.

Open “Settings”, then the “Time off” tab. The “Absence types” section lists them.

## Add or change a type

1. Click “Add new”, or the “Edit” button of a type.
2. Fill in:
   - “Name of the absence type”;
   - “Colour”: the colour of the type;
   - “Does it discount time”: whether its days are taken from the employee's allowance;
   - “Needs approval”: choose “No, it's auto-approved” to approve its requests at once;
   - “Make attached document mandatory?”: the request then needs a file, for example a medical certificate;
   - “Paid?”
3. Click “Save”.

Drag the types to change their order. The “Delete” button (a bin) deletes a type. Some of the types Skileo set up can't be deleted: they have no bin.

With the types Skileo sets up, only holidays count against the allowance, and a sick leave is approved at once but needs a document.

## Holidays

Your company's holidays are not counted as working days in time off requests.

1. Open “Settings”, then the “Holidays” tab.
2. Click “Add new”.
3. Enter the “Holiday name” and the “Date”.
4. Click “Save”.


## Common questions

### Who can change these settings?

The “Business owner”, and a “Member” with the “Time off” permission set to “Edit”. With “View”, they can only look. See [Who can see and change time off](https://www.skileo.com/help/en/who-can-see-time-off).

### What happens to the balances when I change a type?

Skileo counts the balances again with the type's new setting, approved requests included. For example, if a type stops counting against the allowance, its approved days are given back.

### Where do I set the number of days per year?

In the same “Time off” tab, in “Paid leave”. See [Time off allowance and balance](https://www.skileo.com/help/en/time-off-allowance).

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https://www.skileo.com/help/en/set-up-absence-types · Updated: 2026-11-09