---
key: add-time-off-for-a-team-member
title: Add time off for a team member
audience: staff
section: operations
routes: ["/schedule/availability/calendar", "/schedule/availability/calendar/new"]
permissions: ["schedule.availability.exceptions.manage"]
features: ["schedule.core"]
since: 0.0.1
updated: 0.0.1
status: published
summary: Put time off, an unavailable block or an available override on a team member's or crew's schedule from the Time Off & Availability calendar.
keywords: [vacation, sick day, day off, block out time, unavailable, holiday, PTO, availability, cover a shift]
related: [request-time-off, review-time-off-requests, add-a-closure, reschedule-a-work-order]
---

In the sidebar, open **Operations**, then **Availability**, then **Time Off & Availability**. The page address is `/schedule/availability/calendar`.

## Before you start

- Your admin has to give your role permission to manage availability exceptions. Without it the button reads **Request time off** instead of **Add time off**, and you can only ask for your own days off. See [[request-time-off]].
- The person or crew has to exist as a resource or crew in Nova. You can add one from inside the picker if your role can create resources or crews.

## Steps

1. Press **Add time off** at the top of the calendar, or click an empty slot on the calendar to start with that time already filled in.
2. Under **Workflow**, choose what you are adding:
   - **Request time off** enters a request for someone that still goes through approval.
   - **Add unavailable block** blocks the time straight away, with no approval.
   - **Add available override** opens time the person would normally be off, so work can be scheduled there.
   - **Request extra availability** asks for that same override on someone's behalf.
3. For a block or override, set **Lane Type** to **Resource** or **Crew**. A request is always for one resource.
4. Under **Resource** (or **Crew**), pick the person or crew.
5. Leave **All day** on and set **Start date** and **End date**. The end date is included. Turn **All day** off to set an exact **Start** and **End** instead.
6. Optional: pick a **Leave Policy** so the days come out of that balance, type a **Leave Type** such as vacation or training, and a **Public Label** that shows on the calendar. The **Leave Balance Context** card shows what the person has available and pending.
7. Optional: add a **Private Note** for the person and an **Internal Note** for dispatchers and managers.
8. Press **Submit request** for a request, or **Create block** for a block or override.

## What you see

The item appears in the person's or crew's lane on the calendar. A block shows straight away; a request carries a **Pending** chip until someone approves it (see [[review-time-off-requests]]). The Schedule treats unavailable time as blocked and available overrides as open.

Click any item to open it. You can change its dates and press **Save changes**, or remove it with **Delete block**. A request opens with **Approve**, **Deny** and **Cancel request** when your role can review requests.

Use the view menu in the toolbar (**Day**, **3 Day**, **Week**, **Work Week**, **Month**) to change the range, and **Filters** to narrow the lanes by **Branch**, **Lane**, **Request State**, **Request Type**, **Source** or **Leave Type**. **Only my items** shows just your own.

## If something looks different

- **Workflow** is missing: only one kind is available to your role, so the panel skips the choice.
- An **Allow scheduling overrides** switch is shown: your role manages override locks. Turn it off to stop this item from being overridden while booking or scheduling.
- A block cannot be edited: it comes from the holiday policy, not from this page.
- The panel says the time off is for you and offers **Enter time off for someone else**: you opened the form from your own calendar. Press that button to come back here.