# How Your Balance Changes

Every point at which a figure moves, from applying through approval to a cancellation.

A balance moves at four moments and no others. Knowing which one you are at explains almost every figure that looks wrong.

1. **You apply**: Days move into Pending
2. **Manager decides**: Approved: Pending becomes Used
3. **Or declines**: Pending returns to Remaining
4. **Or you cancel**: Pending returns to Remaining

| When | Used | Pending | Remaining |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| You submit a request | No change | Goes up by the days requested | Goes down by the same days |
| The request is approved | Goes up | Goes down | No further change |
| The request is rejected | No change | Goes down | Goes back up |
| You cancel before a decision | No change | Goes down | Goes back up |

## Seen from the leave form

The Apply Leave screen shows the same balances in a rail beside the form, so you can see what a request will cost before you submit it.

![The leave balance table, with columns for Leave Type, Used, Remaining, Total and Pending. Seven rows are listed: Annual Leave (AL) 8 used, 17 remaining of 25, with 5 pending; Sick Leave (SL) 0 of 10; Parental Leave (PAR) 0 of 0; Compassionate Leave (CMP) 2 used, 3 remaining of 5; Time Off in Lieu (TOIL) 0 of 0; Jury Service (JUR) 0 of 10; and Unpaid Leave (UNP) 0 of 0.](https://www.sorviai.com/help/worklink/my-leave-balance/balance-summary.png)

*Remaining over total, per type. The leave type list on the form repeats the remaining figure in brackets.*

## Accrual and what crosses into next year

Entitlement is granted by the leave policy behind each type, and policies differ in how they hand it out. Some grant the year's allowance at once, some accrue it monthly. Some let a capped number of unused days carry into the next year, and some let none.

> **Note:**
>
> **Carry forward is a policy setting, not a request**
>
> You cannot ask for days to be carried over. Whether any are, and how many, is decided by the policy your administrator applied to your leave type, and it happens automatically at the year end.

> **Tip:**
>
> **A balance that will not add up is usually a half day**
>
> Leave is recorded to a half day, so a request that looks like it cost one day may have cost one and a half. The Days column in My Leaves shows the figure to one decimal place for exactly this reason.