---
title: "Updating or cancelling an absence request"
slug: "updating-or-cancelling"
updated: 2026-06-10T11:26:25Z
published: 2026-06-10T11:26:25Z
canonical: "help.cintra.co.uk/updating-or-cancelling"
---

> ## Documentation Index
> Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://help.cintra.co.uk/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.

# Updating or cancelling an absence request

> [!NOTE]
> You should seek approval from the employee before submitting on their behalf If you are the manager submitting on behalf of an employee, it will be approved automatically.

### Updating an absence request

If you are looking to book an Absence that is not holiday related, you can do so through the Calendar or Team calendar views within Self-Service’s Sickness & Absence module. An Absence Request may be due to illness, maternity leave, paternity leave, or shared parental leave etc. If your system is set up for approvals, then the request must be reviewed or approved by your manager.

You can update a request before and after you submit it for approval in Approvals. The process is the same for both except:

1. When you update an Absence Request, the status in the Calendar and Team calendar remains as Booking Request. An email is sent to your manager to approve the request as normal.
2. When you update an approved booking request, the Approved Booking status reverts back to Booking Request and an email is sent to your manager to re-approve the request.
3. When you update a rejected booking request, the Rejected Booking status reverts back to Booking Request and an email is sent to your manager to re-approve the request.

> [!NOTE]
> A warning appears in the Absence Request form if you did not enter a Return To Work date in the previous request, once you returned to work.

1. Sign in to **Self-Service**.
2. Navigate to the Sickness & Absence page by clicking the **Sickness & Absence** menu option.
3. Open the desired request. The **Absence Request** form appears with the Absence Type inactive.
4. Update the request where necessary. The **Date Requested** and the request's **Status** is displayed.
5. Click the **Re-Submit** button.
6. Click the **Confirm** button. The request is re-submitted to your manager for approval.
7. You can make as many changes as you wish before submitting the request for approval.

### Cancelling an absence request

If you are looking to cancel an already approved absence (other than holiday) booking, you can submit a cancellation request to your manager through Cintra's Self-Service Sickness & Absence module.

The request can then be reviewed and approved by your manager(s). Who approves your request depends on your company's tiered approval structure. Once the request is in the system, you can see its status in the Calendar and Team calendar for that month. For more information about who approves the request, see How do I know who approves my absences?

Once a request is submitted and/or approved, it can still be cancelled. The process is the same for both except:

- When you cancel an unapproved request, the request immediately disappears from both Calendar and Team calendar.
- When you cancel an approved request, the status within Calendar and Team calendar changes from Approved Booking to Cancellation Request.

#### To cancel an unapproved request

1. Sign into Self**-Service**.
2. Navigate to the Sickness & Absence page by clicking on the **Sickness & Absence** menu option.
3. Click the date on the Calendar that is colour-coded with the Booking Request colour. The **Edit Sickness & Absence** form appears.
4. Click the **Delete** button.
5. Click the **Confirm** button. The request is removed from the system.

#### To cancel an approved holiday request

1. Click the date on the Calendar that is colour-coded with the Approved Booking colour. The request form appears.
2. Click the **Submit Cancellation** button.
3. Click the **Confirm** button. The Calendar and Team calendar are updated to display the dates colour coded as Cancellation Request. The Cancellation Request is also sent to the manager(s).
  - Once the cancellation is approved, the request is removed from the system.

### Reusing a rejected absence request

1. Sign in to **Self-Service**.
2. Navigate to the Sickness & Absence page by clicking on the **Sickness & Absence** menu option.
3. Open the Absence Request coloured-coded Rejected Booking. The **Edit Sickness & Absence Request** form appears.
4. Make the necessary changes.
5. Click the **Re-Submit** button.
6. Click the **Confirm** button. The request’s status within the Calendar and Team calendar is returned to Booking Request. The request is also sent to the manager for approval.