This article explains how leave projections are calculated and displayed in Humanforce WFM, including what projection methods are available, how projected values are determined, and why projected balances may appear unchanged over time.
Leave projections estimate future leave accruals and are used when employees view balances or request leave dated in the future.
What a leave projection represents
A leave projection is an estimate of how much leave an employee is expected to accrue between today and a future date, based on the accrual rules configured for the leave type.
Projected values may be included when:
- Employees view leave balances
- Employees request leave in advance
- Managers review leave requests
Leave projections do not represent confirmed payroll balances. They are an estimate only.
Projection end date
Leave projections are calculated up to the date of the furthest approved or requested leave, not indefinitely into the future.
This means:
- The projected value may appear the same on multiple days
- The projection only updates when the furthest leave date changes
- This behaviour is expected and does not indicate an issue
Projection calculation methods
Leave projections are configured at the Shift Type Settings level. Each leave type can use a different method.
See Set up shift type settings in Humanforce WFM for set up details.
Per hour (hours worked)
When the calculation method is set to Hours worked, projections are calculated using a daily accrual rate derived from weekly hours.
Weekly hours source (used in order)
The system determines weekly hours from the first available value below:
- Total employee default hours (Back Office only)
- Total profile default hours
- Roster max hours (used as a weekly value)
Daily accrual calculation
Daily accrual = (Weekly hours ÷ 7) × Accrual rate
The daily accrual is then multiplied by the number of days between:
- The projection start date (current pay period start or last imported date), and
- The projection end date (furthest leave request)
Example
- Weekly hours:
38 - Accrual rate:
0.077 - Days projected:
10
0.077 × (38 ÷ 7) × 10 = 4.18 hours projected
Per pay
When the calculation method is set to Per pay:
- A fixed accrual amount is applied per pay period
- For projection purposes, the per-pay value is converted to a daily rate
- The system does not adjust projections based on actual hours worked
This method is best suited to employees with consistent contracted hours.
If accruals should vary based on hours worked, use the Hours worked method instead.
Per year
When the calculation method is set to Per year:
- The annual accrual value is distributed evenly across the year
- Projections are calculated daily using the annual rate
- This method assumes consistent accrual across the year
Why the number 7 is used in calculations
The value 7 represents the number of days in a week.
Even when:
- A pay period is fortnightly, or
- Weekly hours are imported as a total (for example, 76 hours)
The system still converts hours to a daily rate using:
Weekly hours ÷ 7
To avoid inflated projections:
- Ensure weekly hours reflect a true weekly value (for example, 38 instead of 76)
- Use award profile overrides where required
Imported balances and projections
When leave balances are imported from an external payroll system:
- Imported balances remain the source of truth
- Projections are added on top of imported balances
- Discrepancies may occur if accrual rates differ between systems
If projections appear too high or too low, confirm that:
- Accrual settings in Humanforce match payroll
- Weekly hours values are consistent
- Projection methods are appropriate for the employee group
Disabling leave projections
If leave projections are disabled:
- Employees can still request future leave
- Requests are limited to the balance available at the time of request
- Future accruals are not considered unless override permissions allow it
How to confirm projections are working correctly
Leave projections are working as expected when:
- Projected values align with configured accrual rates
- Projections stop at the furthest leave request date
- Employees cannot exceed balances unless access permissions allow it
- Imported balances update independently of projections