Purpose
Unavailability requests can be submitted and approved within NHS At Work. This guide covers how to approve, edit, and cancel these requests.
Approving Leave Requests
Leave requests can be approved in one of two places:
1. Once a leave request has been submitted, the request will appear on the roster with a pending ‘sand timer’ icon , as below. Click on the unavailability ellipsis and select ‘Approve/Decline’.
OR
1. Within NHS At Work, navigate to ‘Manage Requests’ in the left-hand menu, then ‘Manage Leave’. Use the search or filters to find the leave request you want to review, click the ellipsis on the right-hand side, and select ‘Approve/Decline’.
2. Review the leave request details.
3. Where leave coincides with a rostered shift, you will have the option to create vacant shifts. Choose the required shifts from the dropdown menu and they will appear under the ‘Vacant Shifts’ section at the top of the roster once the leave has been approved.
4. Click the ‘Approve’ or ‘Decline’ buttons at the bottom of the form.
5. Notifications will be sent to the relevant recipients confirming the outcome of the request.
Editing or Cancelling Leave
Top Tip! Medics can edit or cancel their pending leave requests. Once approved, only a roster manager or leave approver can edit or cancel. This supports an informed decision and ensures arrangements to cover that leave are managed.
1. Navigate to ‘Manage Requests’, then ‘Manage Leave’.
2. Find the leave request you want to review, click the ellipsis on the right-hand side.
3. If editing, select ‘Edit Leave’, amend the relevant details on the leave form, and then click ‘Save’.
OR
3. If cancelling, select ‘Cancel Leave’, then click ‘Yes’ to confirm.
Version 1.0 - Approved 21/11/2025