If you work, or plan to work, beyond your scheduled shift, you can apply for excess hours so that the extra time can be paid once your supervisor approves it. You can also see the excess hours your supervisor has assigned to you, and cancel requests you no longer need.

Go to Attendance → Excess Hours → My Excess Hours. The screen lists your own requests with these columns: Associated Shift Date, Shift Duration, Applied Duration, Status, Comments, Attachments and Actions.

The screen opens showing requests from 1 January of the current year to 31 December of the following year. You can change this range in the filter.

The Associated Shift Date is the date whose shift the excess hours belong to. It can differ from the date you picked. For example, if your overnight shift runs Monday 20:00 to Tuesday 03:00 and you apply for Tuesday 03:00 – 05:00, the request belongs to Monday.

Note: Excess Hours is available from 8.2.2 onwards. Whether approved excess hours change your pay depends on your organisation's pay settings. Your HR Admin can tell you how it applies to you.

View Your Requests

Step 1 - On My Excess Hours, click the filter button. The Filter My Excess Hours window opens.

Step 2 - Select the From Date and To Date.

Step 3 - Optionally, select one or more statuses in Status. When none is selected, every status is shown.

Step 4 - Click Search. The list shows the matching requests.

Click the comment or attachment icon in a row to see the comments and files on that request.

Apply for Excess Hours

When your request is approved, the hours act as a limit, not as extra pay. You’re paid for the time you actually work, up to the approved amount. For example, if you’re approved for 3 extra hours but work only 2, you’re paid for 2. You don’t have to work at the exact times in your request.

Your supervisor or HR Admin can also assign excess hours to you in advance. Assigned excess hours appear in your list with the status Approved, and you’re notified when they’re added.

If a shift is later added or changed so that it overlaps your request, even partly, the whole request is cancelled automatically and you’re notified. If you still need the time, apply again.

You’re notified whenever someone else approves, rejects or cancels one of your requests. If you use the OrangeHRM mobile app, you also get these as push notifications. Tapping one opens your Excess Hours list, filtered to that request.

A few dates can’t be used. If your attendance sheet for a date was approved within the last two years, that date is greyed out in the calendar and you can’t select it.

The time you apply for must sit outside your scheduled shift. For example, if your shift ends at 17:00, you can apply for 17:00 – 19:00 but not for 16:00 – 19:00. If the times overlap your shift, you’ll see the message “The selected time range overlaps with a scheduled shift.”

Your shift and the excess hours together can’t be more than 24 hours. A new request also can’t overlap any of your other requests that are Pending Approval or Approved.

Step 1 - Go to Attendance → Excess Hours → My Excess Hours.

Step 2 - Click Apply Excess Hours. The Apply Excess Hours window opens.

Step 3 - Select the Date. You can choose a past or a future date. The window shows a panel for that day with the Associated Shift Date, the Shift Time(s), any Excess Hours already approved, and any Holiday / Leave(s).

Step 4 - Select the Start Time. Times are in 24-hour format, in 15-minute steps.

Step 5 - Select the End Time. An end time on the following day is marked - Next Day. The Duration is calculated for you.

Step 6 - Optionally, enter Comments (up to 255 characters).

Step 7 - Optionally, add up to 5 Attachments (up to 5MB each), for example a note from your manager.

Step 8 - Click Apply. The system shows "Successfully Saved". The request appears in your list with the status Pending Approval, and your supervisor is notified.

Add Comments or Attachments to a Request

Step 1 - On My Excess Hours, click the request row. The Edit Excess Hours window opens. The date and times cannot be changed.

Step 2 - Enter a comment, or add an attachment.

Step 3 - Click Save. The system shows "Successfully Saved".

Note: You can add comments and attachments to a request in any status. You can remove only attachments that you uploaded, and only while the request is Pending Approval.

Cancel a Request

Step 1 - On My Excess Hours, find the request.

Step 2 - Click Cancel in the Actions column. The status changes to Cancelled.

Note: You can cancel a request that is Pending Approval. You can cancel an Approved request only if its date is later than today. A past-dated or today's Approved request can be cancelled only by a supervisor or HR Admin.

Note: A rejected request cannot be resubmitted. If the time is still needed, apply again with a new request.

Notes & Important Behaviour