The Overtime and Absences area in the administration bundles all master data and configuration elements around absence and overtime management — settings, absence reasons, holidays, mail templates and special times. Reachable via the main menu under Administration > Overtime and Absences. Detail workflow is described in the Absences and Overtime collection.

The five subareas control how absences, leave applications and overtime work in ZEP. They form the basis of the detail workflows in the Absences collection and affect the approval workflow, the target-hours calculation and the calendar display for all employees company-wide.

General settings for absence and overtime administration such as default annual leave entitlement, overtime capping, carry-over rules to the following year, activation of the approval workflow as well as deputy rules during absences. These settings have a system-wide effect and form the basis for calculating the remaining leave as well as overtime balances in the employee reports.

List of absence reasons that employees can choose when entering an absence, for example vacation, sickness, education or unpaid leave. Per absence reason, designation, color, calculation logic (reducing leave entitlement, reducing target hours, both or neither) and approval obligation can be maintained. Absence reasons appear as selection in absence entry and in reports.

List of statutory and company-specific holidays. Per holiday, designation, date, repetition rule (annually same, movable, one-time) and regional validity (such as federal state) can be maintained. Holidays act automatically in the target-hours calculation, in the calendar and in the display of available working days per period.

Templates for automatic mails around absences and overtime, for example confirmations on submitted requests, notifications to superiors for approval, status mails after approval or rejection as well as reminders to deputies. Per template, subject, main body and placeholders can be maintained, separately per language for multilingual recipients.

Special working times such as bridge days, half days or company-specific special regulations. Per special time, date, designation, target-hours reduction and scope (all employees or specific departments) can be maintained. Special times act automatically in the target-hours calculation and complement the regular holidays with company-individual special regulations.

The absence master data affects the self-service article Absences and appointments in the Personal area. Approval workflows concern superiors and deputies, and the target-hours calculation affects Invoicing for time-based accounting.