> ## Documentation Index
> Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://planmyrounds.com/docs/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.

# Applying for leave

> Submit a leave request in PlanMyRounds, add shifts to avoid, attach supporting notes, and resolve roster conflicts — as an admin or a doctor.

There are two ways a leave request can be created in PlanMyRounds:

* An **admin** can add leave on behalf of any doctor.
* A **doctor** with a linked account can submit their own request from **My Leaves**.

The form is the same in both cases — only the starting point changes.

## Submit a request as an admin

<Steps>
  <Step title="Open the doctor or Leave Applications">
    Go to **Doctors** in the sidebar and open the doctor's profile, or navigate to **Leave Applications**.
  </Step>

  <Step title="Start a new entry">
    Select **Add Leave**.
  </Step>

  <Step title="Pick the leave type">
    Choose a **Leave Type** — for example, *Annual Leave* or *Sick Leave*. Only [active leave types](/docs/leave/leave-types) appear here.
  </Step>

  <Step title="Choose the dates">
    Select a **From** date and a **To** date. You can request up to **90 days** in a single range.
  </Step>

  <Step title="Choose a shift type">
    Pick **Full day**, **Day shift**, or **Night shift** depending on what's being covered.
  </Step>

  <Step title="Add a reason (optional)">
    Add a brief **Reason** if helpful — up to 50 characters.
  </Step>

  <Step title="Stage and submit">
    Select **Add Leave Request** to stage the entry, then select **Send for Approval** to submit it.
  </Step>
</Steps>

<Note>
  You can stage **multiple date ranges** in the same submission — keep adding entries before hitting **Send for Approval**.
</Note>

## Submit a request as a doctor

If you have a linked PlanMyRounds account, you can request your own leave:

1. Go to **My Leaves** in the sidebar.
2. Select **Add Leave**.
3. Fill in the same fields described above and submit.

Your request goes straight to **Pending** and waits for admin approval.

## Mark shifts to avoid

In the same form there is a separate section called **Shifts to Avoid**. Use this for dates when a doctor would *prefer* not to be on duty but isn't strictly unavailable — for example, a family event or a study day.

Select a date range and a shift type, then select **Add Shift to Avoid** before submitting.

<Tip>
  Shifts to avoid are **soft preferences**. The scheduler tries to honour them where possible but they are not a hard block, unlike approved leave.
</Tip>

## What happens after you submit

Your request appears under **Leave Applications** with a **Pending** status.

* An admin reviews it and either [approves or rejects](/docs/leave/approval-workflow) the request.
* Once approved, those dates are automatically excluded from future duty assignments.
* If plans change before review, the request can be [cancelled](/docs/leave/cancelling-leave).

## If there's a date conflict

<Warning>
  If a date you submit already has a pending or approved entry, a conflict warning appears. You can either submit only the non-conflicting dates or cancel and revise your request.
</Warning>

This stops duplicate entries from cluttering the team's leave history.

## Next steps

<CardGroup cols={2}>
  <Card title="Approve or reject leave" icon="circle-check" href="/docs/leave/approval-workflow">
    Review pending requests from the admin side.
  </Card>

  <Card title="Cancel a pending request" icon="circle-xmark" href="/docs/leave/cancelling-leave">
    Withdraw a request before it's reviewed.
  </Card>
</CardGroup>