How to apply leave in greytHR: quick answer
To apply leave in greytHR, open the app and go to Explore > Leave > Apply Leave, choose the leave type, set the start and end dates with their sessions, add a reason and tap Apply. On the ESS web portal the path is Leave > Leave Apply, and the button is Submit. Your request then waits as Pending until your manager or reviewer acts on it.
Attend Mitra isn't affiliated with greytHR; we build a competing attendance and leave app, and every step here is taken from greytHR's help centre as checked in October 2026. Which leave types you see (casual, sick, earned, comp off, maternity, restricted holiday) is decided by your company's leave policy in greytHR.
Apply leave in the greytHR app, step by step
The mobile flow is the quickest way to apply leave on the go. You can also start it from Action > Apply Leave, or from the Leave Balance screen for a specific leave type.
- Go to Explore > Leave > Apply Leave and tap Apply Now on the Apply for Leaves card.
- Choose the leave option, then the leave type, for example Annual, Sick or Maternity Leave.
- Pick the start date and its From session, then the end date and its To session, so a half day is counted correctly.
- Check the approver under Applying to and add colleagues to CC if they should know.
- Add a reason, contact details and, if needed, a document with the + icon (a medical certificate for sick leave, for example).
- Tap Apply; the request shows as Pending until it's approved or rejected.
Apply leave on the greytHR ESS web portal
On a laptop the fields are the same, with a few extra ones your admin may switch on. The page also shows how many days you're applying for once both dates and sessions are set.
- Log in to the ESS portal and click Leave > Leave Apply.
- On the Apply tab, choose from the Leave type dropdown.
- Select From date and To date, and the session for each.
- Confirm or change the reporting manager in Applying to, and use Add (+) to CC others.
- Fill Contact details and Reason, and click Attach file for documents.
- If shown, choose a Stand-in Employee or answer the leave salary advance question; both appear only if your admin configured them.
- Click Submit and look for the success message.
How to check leave balance in greytHR
In the app, tap Explore > Leave > Leave Balance (or Action > Leave Balance) and tap the arrow on a leave type card. The Balance tab shows opening balance, leave granted and leave availed with a monthly graph, and the Transactions tab works like a passbook of every credit and debit for the year, with expiry dates. You can tap Apply from there. On the web portal, balances for each leave type appear on the Leave Apply page.
If a balance looks wrong (say earned leave didn't accrue after a month of LOP), raise it with HR rather than applying against it. Managers can check a team member's balance from the same screen by searching the employee's name or ID. For how earned leave is usually credited, see our explainer on earned leave rules and calculation.
How to apply comp off in greytHR
Comp off in greytHR is a two-step process. First you ask for a comp off grant for the holiday or weekly off you worked; once it's approved, the Compensatory Off balance can be used like any other leave.
- In the app, go to the Apply screen and tap the Comp Off Grant card; on the web, click Leave > Leave Apply > Leave Grant.
- Select Compensatory Off as the leave type.
- Choose the dates and sessions you worked and enter the number of days.
- Check the approver, add CC if needed, write a reason and tap Apply (Submit on the web).
- If your overtime policy allows a cumulative grant, click View Details on the web, tick the eligible dates and click Confirm Selection; days and reason fill in on their own.
- After approval, apply leave as usual and pick Compensatory Off as the type.
How to apply WFH, OD and permission in greytHR
greytHR handles short absences and work-from-home through Permissions in the attendance module, not through leave. greytHR's app help gives late-in, early-out and work-from-home as examples of permission types; the exact list in your dropdown is set by your company. On duty (OD) has no dedicated greytHR help article: depending on the setup, OD may appear as a permission type, as a leave type or be handled through attendance regularization, so check the options you see or ask HR.
- In the app, go to Explore > Attendance > Permissions and tap Apply Now on the Let's plan your absence card.
- Pick a single date or a range (future dates are allowed) and tap Save.
- Choose the permission type, such as Work From Home, late-in or early-out.
- Set the From and To times under Duration, add a reason and tap Apply.
- On the web portal, open Attendance > Regularization & Permission, click a date on the Apply tab (or Quick Add for past exception days), choose the Permission Type, enter From Time, To Time and Reason, and click Apply.
- Attachments on the web can be JPEG, JPG, PNG or PDF up to 15 MB.
Cancel, withdraw or track a greytHR leave request
A request that's still pending can be withdrawn: open the Pending tab on the Apply screen and tap Withdraw, then Confirm. A leave that's already approved needs a cancellation instead, which goes to your approver.
- Cancel approved leave in the app: tap the Leave Cancel card, find the leave, tap its arrow, enter a reason and tap Cancel Leave.
- Cancel on the web: Leave > Leave Apply > Leave Cancel, select the application, add remarks and click Submit.
- Restricted holiday: tap the Restricted Holiday card (web: Restricted Holiday on the Leave Apply page), choose the holiday and apply.
- Leave encashment, where allowed: on the web, Leave Apply > Leave money back, then year, leave type and days.
- History: approved and withdrawn applications sit under the History tab.
greytHR leave application problems and manager options
If a leave type you expect isn't in the list, your admin may not have ticked the option that lets employees apply for it; greytHR's admin settings control this per leave type. If you have zero balance, look for a Future Eligibility option, which lets some leave types be applied against upcoming accrual. Maternity leave fills the end date automatically at 182 days. Managers can also apply leave on a team member's behalf from Leave > Leave Apply on the web portal, which helps when someone was absent without applying. Setting these rules well matters more than the tool; our guide to a leave policy for private companies in India is a good starting point.
Applying for leave in Attend Mitra, and when it fits better
greytHR's leave module is deep, with grants, encashment and restricted holidays, and it sits inside a payroll suite. Small teams that mainly want attendance plus straightforward leave approval may prefer Attend Mitra's leave management module at ₹9 per employee per month before 18% GST. For the attendance side of greytHR, read signing in and regularizing in the greytHR app; for its plans, see greytHR's prices and free trial; and compare other tools in the same how-to for other HR apps.
For comparison, the Attend Mitra flow is covered in the help article on requesting and approving leave:
- Open Leave in the Attend Mitra employee app and tap Request Leave.
- Choose the dates, leave type and reason, then submit.
- Edit or cancel while it's still pending; your manager approves from Leaves / Requests on the web console.