Table of Contents
- Roles and access
- What is a transfer?
- When does the balance reset — and what happens to unused days?
- Transfer absence days
- Delete a transfer
- When transfer is not available
- FAQ
- Watch these videos to learn how to make a transfer and to verify that your settings are correctly configured.
Roles and access
| Access | Role |
|---|---|
| Transfer absence days | System role: Absence → Absence management or User role: See and edit → Absence |
What is a transfer?
A transfer moves unused absence days from one period to another, typically from the previous year to the current year. This is done manually in Huma; days are never transferred automatically.
💡 All vacation policies have "Allow days to be transferred" enabled by default. You can check or change this under Absence → Settings → the relevant policy.
🔗 Read more about absence policies.
When does the balance reset — and what happens to unused days?
Whether unused absence days disappear or carry over depends on your policy settings.
Calendar year (fixed period)
The balance resets on the policy's start date each year, for example January 1st. Any unused days that have not been manually transferred before this date will be lost.
Rolling time period
There is no fixed reset date. Days become available again on a rolling basis — for example, self-certification days used on June 1st 2024 will become available again on June 1st 2025 when they fall outside the rolling window.
💡 Days are never transferred automatically in Huma. If your organisation allows employees to carry over unused vacation days to the next year, make sure to complete all transfers before the policy reset date.
Transfer absence days
- Go to the People module and open the employee's profile
- Navigate to the "Absence" tab
- Click the three dots next to the absence type you want to transfer days for
- Click "Transfer days"
- Select the period to transfer from and the period to transfer to
- Enter the number of days to transfer
- Optionally add a note, this will be visible to the employee
- Click "Save"
💡 The employee will automatically receive a notification when a transfer is saved.
Delete a transfer
You can delete a transfer at any time. The employee will automatically receive a notification when a transfer is deleted.
- Go to the People module and open the employee's profile
- Navigate to the "Absence" tab
- Click on the absence type balance to open the balance details
- Find the transfer in the list
- Click "Remove" next to the transfer
- Confirm the removal
⚠️ Deleting a transfer is permanent and cannot be undone.
When transfer is not available
The policy does not allow transfers
If "Allow days to be transferred" is not enabled on the policy, the "Transfer days" option will not be available. Enable it under Absence → Settings → the relevant policy → Edit.
The policy has no day limit set
Transfer is only available for policies with a defined number of days. If "Limit number of days" is disabled on the policy, meaning employees can register unlimited absence, the "Transfer days" option will not be available.
The policy uses a rolling time period
Transfers are not possible for policies with a rolling time period. Rolling time periods do not have a fixed reset date, so there is no defined "previous period" to transfer from.
The employee has not been on the policy for the full period
To transfer days from one period to another, the employee must have been assigned to the policy for the entire duration of the period you want to transfer from.
Example: To transfer unused vacation days from 2025 to 2026, the employee must have been assigned to the vacation policy from January 1st 2025. If they were assigned later in the year, the transfer will not be available for that period.
💡 If you need to transfer days for an employee who was not on the policy for the full period, use a manual balance adjustment instead.
🔗 Read more about manual balance adjustment.
FAQ
Are days transferred automatically at the end of the year?
No. Days are never transferred automatically in Huma. Transfers must always be done manually, either from the employee's profile or from the Absence module.
Can I transfer days to a future period?
Yes. You can transfer days to any period the employee has an active policy for, including future periods.
Can I transfer days between different absence types?
No. Days can only be transferred within the same absence type, for example from one vacation period to another.
The employee received a notification about a transfer — can I turn this off?
No. Transfer notifications are sent automatically to the employee and cannot be turned off.