Overview #
Overview #
One of the core design principles of HRSimplified is flexibility.
Every organisation has its own HR policies, leave rules and reporting requirements. Rather than enforcing a single way of recording leave, HRSimplified provides configurable leave categories that allow your organisation to manage leave according to your own policies.
This flexibility also applies to Parental Leave.
Depending on your company’s requirements, Parental Leave can be recorded using one of several leave types already available within HRSimplified.
Choosing the Best Leave Type #
There is no single “correct” leave type for recording Parental Leave.
The appropriate option depends entirely on how your organisation administers and reports on employee leave.
The three most common approaches are:
Family Leave #
Some organisations choose to record Parental Leave as Family Leave, particularly where this aligns with their existing leave policies or historical processes.
Special Leave #
Many organisations prefer using Special Leave to distinguish Parental Leave from other leave categories while still maintaining a dedicated record for reporting purposes.
Unpaid Leave #
Other organisations choose Unpaid Leave as a simple way to record Parental Leave without affecting leave balances.
Unlike the configurable leave types, Unpaid Leave:
- Does not have a leave balance
- Does not have a leave cycle
- Does not accrue leave
- Does not automatically reset
It simply records the leave taken and includes it in leave reporting.
Each of these approaches is fully supported by HRSimplified, allowing your organisation to choose the option that best fits its HR policies and payroll processes.
Granting Additional Leave Days #
If your organisation records Parental Leave using one of the configurable leave types (such as Family Leave or Special Leave), you can simply grant the employee additional leave by updating their Current Balance.
As illustrated below, only the Current Balance field should normally be adjusted.
The remaining configuration fields:
- Leave Days per Cycle
- Cycle Duration (Months)
- Increase per Cycle (Days)
should generally remain unchanged unless you are changing the employee’s long-term leave policy.
How the Leave Cycle Works #
When the employee reaches the next leave cycle, HRSimplified automatically recalculates the leave balance using the configured cycle values.
This means that any temporary leave days that were manually added to the Current Balance will automatically be removed when the next leave cycle is reached, returning the employee to their normal leave allocation.
This provides a simple way to grant additional leave without permanently changing the employee’s leave entitlement.
Important Consideration #
Before allocating additional leave days, it is important to check when the employee’s next leave cycle begins.
HRSimplified automatically processes leave cycles based on the employee’s configured leave cycle (typically linked to the employee’s employment start date).
If the employee reaches their leave cycle anniversary before taking the additional leave, the leave balance may be reset as part of the normal leave cycle, resulting in the temporary allocation being removed.
For this reason, we recommend considering the employee’s leave cycle date before manually increasing their leave balance.
Extended Periods of Leave #
Some organisations choose to make employees Inactive during extended periods of leave.
Others prefer to leave employees Active throughout the leave period.
HRSimplified supports both approaches.
Making an employee inactive is not required by the system. It is simply an option available to organisations whose internal policies require it. Some companies use this approach to pause leave accrual or reduce active employee licensing while an employee is away for an extended period.
Summary #
HRSimplified is designed to support your organisation’s HR policies—not dictate them.
Whether your organisation records Parental Leave as Family Leave, Special Leave, or Unpaid Leave, the system provides the flexibility to configure leave in the way that best supports your operational processes and reporting requirements.
Note: HRSimplified is a configurable HR management system. It provides the tools to implement your organisation’s HR policies but does not prescribe or enforce country-specific labour legislation. Where legislative interpretation is required, we recommend consulting your HR or legal advisor.
