![Approve time off](/files/help/shot-leave.png)

A waiting time-off request is a **Leave Application** with status **Open**. On the employee portal the same request shows as **Pending**. Approve it from **Approvals**, or from the **Leave Application** list.

## Approve from the portal

**Approvals** is in the employee portal when you review other people’s requests. The page says **Requests waiting on you.**

1. Open **Approvals**.
2. Choose **Leave**. The tab includes a count when someone is waiting.
3. A waiting request shows the person, the dates, the type, the days, and the reason. The control shows **Waiting**, **Approved**, and **Denied**.
4. Choose **Approved**.

You should see **Leave approved**. The request leaves **Approvals**. On the employee’s **Time off** page, under **Your requests**, the status becomes **Approved**.

If the dates say **cancel request**, the control shows **Cancel leave** and **Keep leave**. That is a request to take back time that was already approved. See [Cancel a request](/hrms/leaves/cancel-time-off).

If nobody is waiting, the page says **No leave waiting**, with **Time-off requests that need you will appear here.**

If you do not see **Approvals**, your portal is the employee view only. Ask someone who reviews requests to open **Approvals**.

## Approve from Leave Application

1. Open **Leaves**, then **Leave Application**.
2. While **Status** is **Open**, the row shows **Open**, **Approved**, and **Denied**.
3. Choose **Approved**.
4. The dialog is **Approve request**, and it asks **Approve this leave application?**
5. Confirm with **Approve**.

The row then shows **Approved**. **Status** on the edit dialog stays read-only.

## If something looks wrong

On **Leave Application**, a failed decision says **Could not approve this request**. The status stays **Open**. A more specific message can appear instead:

- **You cannot review your own time-off request.**
- **This leave request cannot move to that status.**
- **This leave has already been paid and cannot be changed.**
- **Insufficient leave balance**, with the days available.

On **Approvals**, a failed decision says **Approval failed**. You may also see **You are not the leave approver for this employee** or **Leave application is not pending**. The request stays on the list.

## Next

To turn the request down, see [Deny time off](/hrms/leaves/deny-time-off). Waiting requests are listed under [Pending requests](/hrms/leaves/pending-requests).