The Approval Queue is where you manage employee requests — time-off, shift swaps, and open shift claims. Review pending requests, approve or deny them individually or in batches, and keep your team's schedule running smoothly.

![Approval Queue Overview](/images/support/articles/schedule_approvals_overview.png)

*The Approval Queue showing summary cards, filter buttons, and the "All Caught Up!" empty state.*

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## Getting There

Navigate to **Scheduling** > **Approval Queue** from the admin sidebar, or use the side navigation panel on any scheduling page and click **Approvals**.

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## Interface Layout

| Area | Purpose |
|------|---------|
| **Summary Cards** | Counts for Total Pending, Time Off, Shift Swaps, and Time Overrides |
| **Filter Buttons** | All, Time Off, Swaps, Overrides |
| **Request List** | Individual request cards with details and action buttons |
| **Side Navigation** | Quick links to Calendar, Approvals, Availability, Audit History, and Settings |

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## Request Types

### Time Off Requests

Employees submit time-off requests through the mobile app or self-service portal. Each request includes:

- **Date range** — Start and end dates
- **Type** — Vacation, sick, personal, bereavement, jury duty, etc.
- **Notes** — Employee's reason or context

### Shift Swap Requests

When an employee wants to trade shifts with a coworker:

- **Original shift** — The shift the requesting employee wants to give up
- **Target employee** — Who they want to swap with
- **Target shift** — The shift they'd receive in return
- **Status** — Whether the other employee has accepted

### Open Shift Claims

When employees claim unassigned open shifts:

- **Shift details** — Date, time, and position
- **Employee** — Who is requesting the shift
- **Qualification** — Whether they match the required position

### Time Overrides

Manager override requests for clock actions outside normal windows:

- **Employee** — Who needs the override
- **Action** — Clock in, clock out, or break
- **Reason** — Why the override is needed

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## Filtering Requests

Use the filter buttons to narrow the list:

| Button | Shows |
|--------|-------|
| `All` | Every pending request across all types |
| `Time Off` | Only time-off requests |
| `Swaps` | Only shift swap requests |
| `Overrides` | Only time/clock override requests |

The summary cards at the top always show the total counts for each category, regardless of which filter is active.

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## Approving and Denying Requests

### Individual Actions

Each request card has action buttons:

1. Click **Approve** to accept the request
2. Click **Deny** to reject the request
3. Optionally add a note explaining your decision

### Batch Actions

For high-volume periods, use batch processing:

1. Select multiple requests using the checkboxes
2. Click **Approve Selected** or **Deny Selected**
3. All selected requests are processed at once

> **Tip:** Review shift swap requests carefully — approving a swap affects two employees' schedules simultaneously.

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## Request Context

Before making a decision, you can view additional context for each request:

- **Schedule conflicts** — Does approving this create a scheduling gap?
- **Coverage impact** — Will there be enough staff if this is approved?
- **Employee history** — Recent request patterns and time-off balance

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## Quick Actions

The side navigation includes a **Quick Actions** section:

- **Create Time-Off** — Managers can create time-off entries directly (for bereavement, jury duty, or other manager-initiated leave) without waiting for an employee request

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## Best Practices

- **Check daily** — Pending requests pile up and employees wait for answers
- **Review context** — Look at the schedule impact before approving time off
- **Communicate denials** — Always add a note when denying requests so employees understand why
- **Watch for patterns** — Frequent override requests may indicate a clock rules issue (see Scheduling Settings)

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## Related Articles

- [Schedule Calendar](/support/articles/schedule-calendar)
- [Timesheets](/support/articles/timesheets)
- [Availability Management](/support/articles/availability-management)
- [Scheduling Settings](/support/articles/scheduling-settings)