How To Add A New Leave Management Policy

Danielle

Updated January 10, 2026 00:08

Goal

How to create a new policy to track employees' hours/dollars

Environment:

Push Web App

Process:

There are four different ways Leave Management can be setup to help you track time off for your employees. Each section below guides you through setting up a policy based on how you want time off to be tracked.

Employees earn time off based on a percentage of the hours they work.
Employees earn time off based on a percentage of their gross earnings.
Employees earn time off at a flat rate, depending on the number of hours worked.

Accrue % of Hours Set Up

Click the Company Name in the top right-hand corner.
In the drop-down menu, click Company Setup.
On the left-hand navigation bar, click Leave Management.
From the main home page, click the + New Policy on the right side.
Under Select Policy Type, a list of different time-off options will be available (e.g., Paid Vacation or Unpaid Time Off). Click Continue that corresponds with the specific Policy you wish to create.
Under Policy Name, input the title of the Policy.
Under Accrual Method, click the checkbox that corresponds with % of Hours.
Under Accrual Rate, input the percentage of hours employee will accrue (i.e. 4%).
Under Accrual Presets, click the checkbox that corresponds with either All Presets or Custom Presets.
1. If Custom Presets is selected, in the pop-up, click the checkbox(es) that correspond with the specific Earning/Deduction Preset(s) associated with the accrual.
Under Ignore Unpaid Hours, click the checkbox that corresponds with either Yes or No.
Under Max Annual Accrual, input the total hours that can be accrued in a specific time frame (the time frame will be based on what is selected as the Reset Frequency).
Under Annual Redemption Limit, click the checkbox that corresponds with either Yes or No.
1. If Yes is selected, under Annual Redemption Limit, input the total hours that the employee is allowed to request time off from in a Reset Period.
Under Carry Forward Limit, click the checkbox that corresponds with either Yes or No.
1. If Yes is selected, under Max Carry Forward, input the total hours employees are able to bring into the next Reset Period.
  1. For example, if they have 24 hours but want to take 40, you can allow it by setting a 40-hour limit. If disabled, they can only request time they’ve already earned, and the system will block any excess.
2. Under Negative Balance, click the checkbox that corresponds with either Yes or No.
  1. If Yes is selected, under Max Negative Balance, input the total hours employees are able to go into the negative when requesting time off.
3. To control what happens at the policy reset, next to Negative Balances Do Not Carry Forward choose one of the following:
  1. Check the box to zero out negative balances at the reset period. This starts each new period with a clean slate.
    ⚠️ | Warning: We do not recommend this option. Zeroing out negative balances removes the record that an employee took more time off than they had available, which can result in inaccurate balance tracking and reporting.
  2. Leave the box unchecked to allow negative balances to carry forward into the next reset period. This requires employees to earn back the negative balance over time and maintain an accurate record of time taken.
Under Starting Balance, select the checkbox that corresponds to one of the following:
1. No Starting Balance: Select this option if employees should start at zero and earn time off only through eligible processed in payroll.
  💡 | Example: If your vacation policy accrues 4% of earnings, employees will start with 0 hours and gradually build their balance as payroll is processed.
2. Fixed Starting Balance: Select this option if all employees should receive the same starting balance, regardless of when they join the company. Under Starting Balance input the total hours you wish to give.
  💡 | Example: If you set a fixed starting balance of 8 hours, every employee will receive 8 hours at the start of the policy period, even if they were hired later in the year.
3. Prorated Starting Balance: Select this option if you want to adjust starting balances based on the hire date. Under Starting Balance, you can simply input the total hours you'd like to allocate, which will then be prorated based on the employee's hire date.
  💡 | Example: If the starting balance at the reset period is 40 hours, an employee hired halfway through the year may receive approximately 20 hours, while an employee hired earlier in the year would receive more.
Under Waiting Period, click the checkbox that corresponds with either Yes or No.
1. If Yes is selected, under Length Of Waiting Period, input the total days that an employee must wait before being able to request time off (Note: while the balance/policy will not be available to the employee, the system will still accrue after every pay period that is processed)
Check/Uncheck the box that corresponds with Employees Accrue A Balance During The Waiting Period
1. If Unchecked, employees will not have a balance start accruing until after the Waiting Period designated under step 16.
2. If Checked, employees will have a balance start accruing during the Waiting Period designated under step 16 but will not be able to submit a time off request until after.
Under Minimum Advanced Notice, click the checkbox that corresponds with either Yes or No.
1. If Yes is selected, under Minimum Advance Notice (Days), input the required number of days
  1. i.e. if you enter 14, employees must submit their time-off request at least 14 days before the requested date. Otherwise, an administrator will be required to create the request.
2. If No is selected, employees will be able to submit requests at any time, including for past dates.
Under Paid Policy, click the checkbox that corresponds with either:
1. Yes: employees will be paid for any approved time off.
2. No: employees will not be paid for any approved time off.
Under Payouts, click the checkbox that corresponds with either:
1. Yes: employees are able to request a payout from their balance/policy without taking time off.
2. No: employees will not be able to request a payout from their balance/policy.
Under Policy Units, click the checkbox that corresponds with either Hours or Days.
1. If Days is selected, under Requestable Amounts, check/uncheck the boxes for any of the following: Unpaid, Half Paid, and/or Full Paid.
  ⚠️ | Warning: We do not recommend enabling Unpaid as a requestable amount within a paid time-off policy. Requests submitted as unpaid will not reduce the employee’s balance, which can result in inaccurate time-off tracking. For clearer reporting and proper balance management, we recommend creating a separate unpaid time-off policy instead.
Under Reset Frequency, click the checkbox that corresponds with either of the following: January 1 Of Every Calendar Year, Employee's Hire Date, Employee's Birth Date, Custom Date, or The Balances Don't Reset.
1. If Custom Date is selected, under Month and Day, click the drop-down menu and select the relevant information.
Once done, click Save & Continue.
After clicking Save & Continue, the page will load to Step 2: Add Milestones.
To add a Milestone, please follow the steps listed in this article: How To Add Milestones To Brand A Leave Management Policy.
After clicking Save & Continue, the page will load to Step 3: Add Employees.
To Add Employees to the Leave Management Policy, please follow the steps listed in this article: How To Add Employees To A Brand New Leave Management Policy.
Once done, click Save & Continue.
The page will refresh to the setup of the Leave Management Policy once completed!

Accrue % of Gross Earnings Set Up

Click the Company Name in the top right-hand corner.
In the drop-down menu, click Company Setup.
On the left-hand navigation bar, click Leave Management.
From the main home page, click the + New Policy on the right side.
Under Select Policy Type, a list of different time-off options will be available (e.g., Paid Vacation or Unpaid Time Off). Click Continue that corresponds with the specific Policy you wish to create.
Under Policy Name, input the title of the Policy.
Under Accrual Method, click the checkbox that corresponds with % of Gross Earnings.
Under Accrual Rate, input the percentage employee will accrue every pay period (i.e. 4%).
Under Accrual Presets, click the checkbox that corresponds with either All Presets or Custom Presets
1. If Custom Presets is selected, in the pop-up, click the checkbox(es) that correspond with the specific Earning/Deduction Preset(s) associated with the accrual.
Under Negative Balance, click the checkbox that corresponds with either Yes or No.
1. If Yes is selected, under Max Negative Balance, input the total hours employees are able to go into the negative when requesting time off.
To control what happens at the policy reset, next to Negative Balances Do Not Carry Forward choose one of the following:
1. Check the box to zero out negative balances at the reset period. This starts each new period with a clean slate.
  ⚠️ | Warning: We do not recommend this option. Zeroing out negative balances removes the record that an employee took more time off than they had available, which can result in inaccurate balance tracking and reporting.
2. Leave the box unchecked to allow negative balances to carry forward into the next reset period. This requires employees to earn back the negative balance over time and maintain an accurate record of time taken.
Under Waiting Period, click the checkbox that corresponds with either Yes or No
1. If Yes is selected, under Length Of Waiting Period, input the total days that an employee must wait before being able to request time off (Note: while the balance/policy will not be available to the employee, the system will still accrue after every pay period that is processed)
Check/Uncheck the box that corresponds with Employees Accrue A Balance During The Waiting Period
1. If Unchecked, employees will not have a balance start accruing until after the Waiting Period designed under step 16
2. If Checked, employees will have a balance start accruing during the Waiting Period designated under step 16 but will not be able to submit a time off request until after
Under Minimum Advanced Notice, click the checkbox that corresponds with either Yes or No
1. If Yes is selected, under Minimum Advance Notice (Days), input the required number of days
  1. i.e. if you enter 14, employees must submit their time-off request at least 14 days before the requested date. Otherwise, an administrator will be required to create the request.
2. If No is selected, employees will be able to submit requests at any time, including for past dates.
Under Paid Policy, click the checkbox that corresponds with either:
1. Yes: employees will be paid for any approved time off
2. No: employees will not be paid for any approved time off
Under Payouts, click the checkbox that corresponds with either:
1. Yes: employees are able to request a payout from their balance/policy without taking time off
2. No: employees will not be able to request a payout from their balance/policy
Under Policy Units, click the checkbox that corresponds with either Hours or Days
1. If Days is selected, under Requestable Amounts, check/uncheck the boxes for any of the following: Unpaid, Half Paid, and/or Full Paid
  ⚠️ | Warning: We do not recommend enabling Unpaid as a requestable amount within a paid time-off policy. Requests submitted as unpaid will not reduce the employee’s balance, which can result in inaccurate time-off tracking. For clearer reporting and proper balance management, we recommend creating a separate unpaid time-off policy instead.
Once done, click Save & Continue
After clicking Save & Continue, the page will load to Step 2: Add Milestones
To add a Milestone, please follow the steps listed in this article: How To Add Milestones To Brand A Leave Management Policy
After clicking Save & Continue, the page will load to Step 3: Add Employees
To add employees to the Leave Management Policy, please follow the steps listed in this article: How To Add Employees To A Brand New Leave Management Policy
Once done, click Save & Continue
The page will refresh to the setup of the Leave Management Policy once completed!

Accrue Flat Rate

📌 Note: If an employee works multiple positions within the same pay period and is assigned to a Flat Rate accrual policy, the flat rate will accrue for each position where the policy’s thresholds are met. This means an employee can earn flat rate accruals multiple times in a single pay period when working more than one role.

Click the Company Name in the top right-hand corner.
In the drop-down menu, click Company Setup.
On the left-hand navigation bar, click Leave Management.
From the main home page, click the + New Policy on the right side.
Under Select Policy Type, a list of different time-off options will be available (e.g., Paid Vacation or Unpaid Time Off). Click Continue that corresponds with the specific Policy you wish to create.
Under Policy Name, input the title of the Policy.
Under Accrual Method, click the checkbox that corresponds with Flat Rate.
Under Accrual Rate, set the parameters to determine how many hours an employee can accrue for a certain number of hours worked. Click Add Flat Rate if you need to add multiple thresholds.
1. Example: 1.5 Hours earned after 40 Hours worked.
Under Accrual Presets, click the checkbox that corresponds with either All Presets or Custom Presets.
1. If Custom Presets is selected, in the pop-up, click the checkbox(es) that correspond with the specific Earning/Deduction Preset(s) associated with the accrual.
Under Ignore Unpaid Hours, click the checkbox that corresponds with either Yes or No.
Under Max Annual Accrual, input the total hours that can be accrued in a specific time frame (the time frame will be based on what is selected as the Reset Frequency).
Under Annual Redemption Limit, click the checkbox that corresponds with either Yes or No.
1. If Yes is selected, under Annual Redemption Limit, input the total hours that the employee is allowed to request time off from in a Reset Period.
Under Carry Forward Limit, click the checkbox that corresponds with either Yes or No.
1. If Yes is selected, under Max Carry Forward, input the total hours employees are able to bring into the next Reset Period.
Under Negative Balance, click the checkbox that corresponds with either Yes or No.
1. If Yes is selected, under Max Negative Balance, input the total hours employees are able to go into the negative when requesting time off.
To control what happens at the policy reset, next to Negative Balances Do Not Carry Forward choose one of the following:
1. Check the box to zero out negative balances at the reset period. This starts each new period with a clean slate.
  ⚠️ | Warning: We do not recommend this option. Zeroing out negative balances removes the record that an employee took more time off than they had available, which can result in inaccurate balance tracking and reporting.
2. Leave the box unchecked to allow negative balances to carry forward into the next reset period. This requires employees to earn back the negative balance over time and maintain an accurate record of time taken.
Under Starting Balance, select the checkbox that corresponds to one of the following:
1. No Starting Balance: Select this option if employees should start at zero and earn time off only through eligible processed in payroll.
  💡 | Example: If your vacation policy accrues 4% of earnings, employees will start with 0 hours and gradually build their balance as payroll is processed.
2. Fixed Starting Balance: Select this option if all employees should receive the same starting balance, regardless of when they join the company. Under Starting Balance input the total hours you wish to give.
  💡 | Example: If you set a fixed starting balance of 8 hours, every employee will receive 8 hours at the start of the policy period, even if they were hired later in the year.
3. Prorated Starting Balance: Select this option if you want to adjust starting balances based on the hire date. Under Starting Balance, you can simply input the total hours you'd like to allocate, which will then be prorated based on the employee's hire date.
  💡 | Example: If the starting balance at the reset period is 40 hours, an employee hired halfway through the year may receive approximately 20 hours, while an employee hired earlier in the year would receive more.
Under Waiting Period, click the checkbox that corresponds with either Yes or No.
1. If Yes is selected, under Length Of Waiting Period, input the total days that an employee must wait before being able to request time off (Note: while the balance/policy will not be available to the employee, the system will still accrue after every pay period that is processed).
2. If No is selected, employees can request time off immediately—there’s no waiting period in place.
Check/Uncheck the box that corresponds with Employees Accrue A Balance During the Waiting Period.
1. If Unchecked, employees will not have a balance start accruing until after the Waiting Period designed under step 16.
2. If Checked, employees will have a balance start accruing during the Waiting Period designated under step 16, but will not be able to submit a time off request until after.
Under Minimum Advanced Notice, click the checkbox that corresponds with either Yes or No.
1. If Yes is selected, under Minimum Advance Notice (Days), input the required number of days
  1. i.e. if you enter 14, employees must submit their time-off request at least 14 days before the requested date. Otherwise, an administrator will be required to create the request.
2. If No is selected, employees will be able to submit requests at any time, including for past dates.
Under Paid Policy, click the checkbox that corresponds with either:
1. Yes: employees will be paid for any approved time off.
2. No: employees will not be paid for any approved time off.
Under Payouts, click the checkbox that corresponds with either:
1. Yes: employees are able to request a payout from their balance/policy without taking time off.
2. No: employees will not be able to request a payout from their balance/policy.
Under Policy Units, click the checkbox that corresponds with either Hours or Days.
1. If Days is selected, under Requestable Amounts, check/uncheck the boxes for any of the following: Unpaid, Half Paid, and/or Full Paid.
  ⚠️ | Warning: We do not recommend enabling Unpaid as a requestable amount within a paid time-off policy. Requests submitted as unpaid will not reduce the employee’s balance, which can result in inaccurate time-off tracking. For clearer reporting and proper balance management, we recommend creating a separate unpaid time-off policy instead.
Under Reset Frequency, click the checkbox that corresponds with either of the following: January 1 Of Every Calendar Year, Employee's Hire Date, Employee's Birth Date, Custom Date, or The Balances Don't Reset
1. If Custom Date is selected, under Month and Day, click the drop-down menu and select the relevant information
Once done, click Save & Continue.
After clicking Save & Continue, the page will load to Step 2: Add Employees.
To Add Employees to the Leave Management Policy, please follow the steps listed in this article: How To Add Employees To A Brand New Leave Management Policy.
Once done, click Save & Continue.
The page will refresh to the setup of the Leave Management Policy once completed!

Additional Information

You will be able to add a new policy (previously known as Rules) to existing Policies (previously known as Balances) in your Push account.

Once a Policy is created/adjusted, the changes will not be reflected to employees unless you run an Off Run or Payroll to trigger the adjustments.

Note that you cannot change or edit the Accrual Method (i.e., % of Hours to % of Gross Earnings) or the Reset Frequency in a Policy Rule once it is saved. If you require changes, please create a new Policy Rule.

Please note that only Super Administrators have access to make changes to Policies under Leave Management.

The Leave Management feature is currently available on the Premium Subscription or Pro Subscription with the Leave Management Add-On. In addition, Leave Management requires the Payroll Add On.

If you do not have this feature and are interested, please feel free to contact Push Support at support@pushoperations.com to connect you with the relevant team.