The Leave Limiter feature allows you to set the minimum number of employees who must be available to work each day. You can group this configuration by up to two layers (e.g. Company, or Department → Position) to better control workforce availability.
This is especially useful for businesses that require a minimum number of staff on duty during peak periods. With this feature, you can:
Set the minimum number of employees required each day
Apply grouping rules (e.g. by department or position)
Create exceptions for specific dates or periods without affecting the main setup
Note: This feature applies to the entire company, regardless of employees’ pay schemes.
💡 Scenario:
Abel, a café owner, has 10 employees. During weekends (Saturday and Sunday), customer traffic is high, so he needs at least 5 employees available to work.
Using the Leave Limiter feature, Abel can ensure that leave applications are restricted once the minimum requirement is reached.
This article covers:
A. Set Up Leave Limiter
Go to Leaves > Leave Settings from the side navigation
Scroll down to Leave Limiter
Toggle Leave Limiter ON
Additional configuration options will appear
Configure Grouping
Choose the First Layer (main grouping) to be included in this set up:
Company: Applies the rule to specific companies
Department: Applies the rule to specific departments
Outlet: Applies the rule to specific outlets
Position: Applies the rule to specific positions
Employee Tag: Applies the rule to employees with specific tags
(Optional) Choose a Second Layer under “Then by” to further refine:
a. If First Layer = Company/Department/Outlet → Second Layer options include Position or Employee Tag
b. If First Layer = Position → Second Layer = Employee Tag
c. If First Layer = Employee Tag → No second layer available
Set Minimum Employees
Enter the minimum number of active employees required for each day
(0 means no minimum requirement)
Click Save Changes
B. Set Up Leave Limiter Exceptions
Leave Limiter Exceptions allow you to temporarily override the default rules for specific dates or periods (e.g. holidays or low seasons), without modifying your main setup.
💡 Scenario:
Abel usually requires at least 5 employees to be available during normal periods. However, during peak holidays, customer traffic increases. To handle the higher demand, Abel sets an exception to increase the minimum requirement from 5 to 8 employees for that specific date range.
Steps to Set Up Exceptions
In the Leave Limiter section, scroll to Exceptions
Click + Add Exception
Step 1: Basic Details
Select Groups (based on your first layer)
Choose:
Start Date
End Date
Click Next
Step 2: Set Minimum Employees
Enter the minimum employees required for the selected dates
Click Add to confirm
Manage Exceptions
You can view all added exceptions in the list
To remove an exception, click the bin icon
C. Notes and Employee View
Once the Leave Limiter (and any exceptions) is configured:
Employees will not be able to apply for leave if the minimum required employees threshold has been reached
This applies regardless of leave status (pending, approved, etc.)
If a leave request is cancelled or rejected, the slot will become available again
There is no notification when a slot becomes available
Admin Override
Admins are not restricted by the Leave Limiter.
This means:
Admins can still apply or approve leave on behalf of employees, even if the limit has been reached
This ensures flexibility for urgent or exceptional situations
💡 Scenario:
Abel has 10 employees, requires at least 5 employees to work on weekends.
5 employees have already applied for leave
This means only 5 employees remain available (limit reached)
A 6th employee tries to apply → ❌ Application is blocked
However:
The employee has an emergency
Admin steps in and applies leave on their behalf → ✅ Allowed due to admin override
What Employees Will See
Mobile App
When submitting a leave request after the limit is reached:
An error message will appear indicating that the leave cannot be applied due to the limiter
Web Portal
The same error message will be displayed upon submission
Wonderful! You’ve now learned how to use the Leave Limiter feature to better manage workforce availability.
By setting minimum staffing requirements and applying exceptions when needed, you can maintain operational efficiency but at the same time, still allow flexibility for special or urgent situations.
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If you have any questions, feel free to reach out to us at support@gutsyhq.com. We'll get back to you from there.