--- title: "How to Name a Substitute When You Request Time Off" description: "Learn how to choose a substitute in an absence request in the Vitextra My Absences web part: when the substitution is created, why the colleague has to confirm it, what happens if the request is rejected or cancelled, and how it differs from assigning a substitute in the Substitutions web part." url: https://vitextra.com/en/support/kb/10332 language: en published: 2026-10-28 modified: 2026-10-28 products: - "Absence & Coverage" author: "Lidija Reising" tags: ["name a substitute absence request", "choose substitute vacation request", "substitute confirms substitution", "who covers me while on leave", "My Absences substitute", "SharePoint Online absence substitute", "vacation cover colleague", "Vitextra Absence & Coverage"] --- # How to Name a Substitute When You Request Time Off Learn how to choose a substitute in an absence request in the Vitextra My Absences web part: when the substitution is created, why the colleague has to confirm it, what happens if the request is rejected or cancelled, and how it differs from assigning a substitute in the Substitutions web part. ## Overview When you go on leave, someone usually has to pick up your work. The **New absence request** panel of the **My Absences** web part lets you name that person while you request the time off. You choose one colleague in the **Substitute** field; the web part then creates a substitution for the same dates, and your colleague confirms it in the **Substitutions** web part. Naming a substitute is optional. You can also leave the field empty and let your manager assign a substitute later, or assign one yourself in the Substitutions web part. --- ## Choose a substitute in the request 1. In **My Absences**, click **New request**. 2. Select the **Absence type** and the dates as usual ([KB10325. How to Request Time Off in My Absences](https://vitextra.com/en/support/kb/10325)). 3. In the **Substitute** field, start typing a name and pick the colleague from the suggestions. The field accepts one person only. 4. Add a **Comment** if the approver or the substitute needs context, and click **Submit request**. ![The Substitute field in the New absence request panel](https://static.vitextra.com/articles/10332/new-request-substitute-en.png) *The Substitute field in the New absence request panel* You cannot name yourself: the panel shows *You cannot be your own substitute.* and does not save the request ([KB10331. Why You Cannot Submit an Absence Request: Messages and Solutions](https://vitextra.com/en/support/kb/10331)). --- ## When the substitution is created The substitute is stored on your request. The substitution itself, a **Temporary** substitution for the dates of the request, is created at the moment your request is approved: | Your request | When the substitution appears | Its status | |:---|:---|:---| | The absence type needs approval | When the approver clicks **Approve** | **Waiting for confirmation** | | The type needs no approval, or you are your own approver | Immediately, when you submit | **Waiting for confirmation** | Until then, the request is **Pending approval** and the substitution does not exist. The approver sees your choice in the **Approvals** tab, in the line *Substitute: …*, and can approve or reject the request with that in mind ([KB10334. How to Approve or Reject an Absence Request](https://vitextra.com/en/support/kb/10334)). --- ## The substitute has to confirm A substitution is not active until the colleague accepts it. In the **Substitutions** web part the colleague sees the new row on the **I cover** tab, with a number in the tab badge, and the buttons **Accept** and **Decline**. No e-mail or Teams message is sent, so tell your colleague that the request is waiting for them ([KB10347. How to Accept or Decline a Substitution](https://vitextra.com/en/support/kb/10347)). | What the colleague does | What happens | |:---|:---| | Clicks **Accept** | The status becomes **Accepted**. Before the first day it is shown as **Planned**, during the absence as **In progress**. | | Clicks **Decline** | The status becomes **Declined**. Your absence stays approved, but it has no confirmed substitute. | | Does nothing | The substitution stays **Waiting for confirmation**. | ❗ **Important** An unconfirmed substitute is still shown as covering you in the **Covered by** line of the *Away today* block of the Team Absence Calendar. Make sure that your colleague really accepts. --- ## If the request is rejected or cancelled The substitution is tied to your request. If the approver clicks **Reject**, the request ends and no substitution is created, because it would only have been created at approval. If you use **Cancel request**, every substitution tied to the request gets the status **Cancelled**, including one that has already been accepted. The colleague no longer sees it in the **I cover** tab. See [KB10330. How to Cancel an Absence Request](https://vitextra.com/en/support/kb/10330). --- ## Who sees the substitute | Who | Where | |:---|:---| | You | In the row of your request: *Substitute: …*; on the **Covering me** tab of the Substitutions web part once the substitution exists | | The approver | In the **Approvals** tab: *Substitute: …* | | The substitute | On the **I cover** tab of the Substitutions web part | | Your manager | On the **No substitute** tab, an absence of a direct report shows the pill **Waiting for {name}** or **{name} declined** until a substitute accepts | | Colleagues | In the Team Absence Calendar: *Substitute: …* in the tooltip and **Covered by** in the *Away today* block | --- ## Naming a substitute in the request and assigning one separately You can also create a substitution without a request, with the **Assign a substitute** button in the Substitutions web part ([KB10337. How to Assign a Substitute to Your Direct Report](https://vitextra.com/en/support/kb/10337)). The two ways differ: | | In the absence request | **Assign a substitute** | |:---|:---|:---| | Dates | Taken from the request | Entered by you | | Kind | **Temporary** | **Temporary** or **Handover of duties** | | **Responsibilities** text | Not available in the request panel | Available | | Link to the request | Tied to the request: rejected or cancelled together with it | Independent, unless started from the **No substitute** tab with **Assign** | | Who can create it | The employee who requests the time off | Anyone, for any absent person | 📝 **Note** If your colleague declines, or you forgot to name a substitute, your manager sees the absence on the **No substitute** tab and can use **Assign** there ([KB10338. How to Find Absences Without a Substitute](https://vitextra.com/en/support/kb/10338)). ![A substitution waiting for confirmation on the I cover tab](https://static.vitextra.com/articles/10332/substitution-waiting-for-confirmation-en.png) *A substitution waiting for confirmation on the I cover tab*