---
title: "HiBob integration: Absences"
slug: "hibob-integration-absences"
updated: 2026-10-23T15:29:02Z
published: 2026-10-23T15:29:02Z
canonical: "help.cintra.co.uk/hibob-integration-absences"
---

> ## 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.

# HiBob integration: Absences

Absences come from HiBob through the main sync. Your HiBob user records them in HiBob, and they're added to the employee's calendar in payroll on the next sync.

## Before absences can sync

Every employee must have a sick leave policy assigned in HiBob. If an employee doesn't have one, none of their absences come into payroll, not just their sickness. We recommend making it a mandatory step when you onboard new employees in HiBob.

If your company doesn't have a company sick pay policy, assign a statutory sick pay policy instead.

Your HiBob admin also needs to set up the company sick pay report during setup. See [HiBob integration: Setting up](/payroll/docs/hibob-integration-setting-up).

## Absence types

Cintra maps each absence type (called a policy type in HiBob) to an attendance category in payroll during setup, using the list your HiBob admin provides.

- If you create a new absence type in HiBob, tell Cintra so they can map it. Until it's mapped, absences of that type don't come into payroll, and no error appears.
- Don't change the attendance category codes in payroll. The mapping relies on them. See [Adding absence categories to the lookup table](/iq/docs/how-do-i-add-absence-categories-to-the-lookup-table).

## Company sick pay

The integration uses your company sick pay report to find out which sick pay policy each employee is on. The name of the company sick pay policy in payroll must match the name of the sick leave policy in HiBob. See [Occupational sick pay](/iq/docs/sickness).

Company sick pay is the only absence policy the integration applies in payroll.

## Parental leave

Parental leave absences are added to the employee's calendar in payroll, but the parental leave policy isn't. Your payroll user needs to add the policy once all the parental details are known, for example the baby's due date. See [Parental payments: Overview](/payroll/docs/parental-payments).

## Which absences each sync brings in

| Sync | Brings in |
| --- | --- |
| First sync | Absence changes that started within the last 30 days |
| Every sync after that | All absence changes made since the last successful sync |

Absences come into payroll as whole days or half days (morning or afternoon). Absences recorded in HiBob in hours or minutes aren't imported.

## Holiday entitlement

Holiday entitlement isn't synced. Keep it in HiBob, where employees request their holiday.