Glossary

Negative Leave Balance

When an employee takes more leave than they have accrued, dropping below zero.

A negative leave balance happens when approved time off exceeds the amount an employee has earned so far — effectively borrowing against future accrual. Some employers allow it up to a limit; others block requests that would go negative.

Allowing negatives can improve flexibility but creates risk if the employee leaves before earning the time back, so policies usually set a cap.

Example: An employee with 2 days accrued who is approved for 5 ends at minus 3 days.

In Orvella: Each Orvella leave type can allow or forbid negative balances, and the engine warns before a request would go below zero.

Related terms

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