Open-ended Absences

For qualification plans, you can record an open-ended absence when the employee isn't sure about the end date of the absence. This open-ended option is applicable for some absences, such as maternity or illness.

When you select the Open-ended check box, the end date is no longer available. You can enter an estimated end date, but this date is not used in entitlement calculation. Instead, the entitlement is calculated for 365 days. If the absence requires an extension beyond one year, a Pending Evaluation record is created, which denotes that the absence can be extended by 90 days when the Evaluate Absences process is run.

When an end date is entered on the absence, the entitlement is recalculated based on the actual end date.

Calculation of Qualified Entitlements for Open-ended Absences

The applicable payment percentage defined during plan setup determines the entitlement calculation for open-ended absences.

For example, an employee is eligible for qualified entitlements for 365 days. When the employee schedules an open-ended absence, the calculation displays as follows in the Entitlements section of the Plan Use tab:

Absence Duration	Qualified Entitlement Display
365 days	Displays the absence in a new row with the activity as Qualified Entitlement.
Exceeds 365 days	Displays the absence in a new row with the activity as Pending evaluation. This denotes that the absence can be extended by 90 days when the Evaluate Absences process is run.

After the employee enters an end date, a new row is generated with an Entitlement exceeded entry for the unpaid days.