What to Do When an Approver Is Unavailable

Deciding what happens when an approver is unavailable is a question most approval processes answer only after the first time it causes a problem.

The three bad options

Each one appears when nothing was planned.

Everything waits until they return
Someone else approves informally, with no record
The rule is bypassed entirely for urgent cases

Better approaches

Approach	Preserves control?
Reassign the cost centre owner	Yes — the record shows who approved
Multiple responsible users	Yes — either can approve, both are recorded
An escalation phase on delay	Yes — triggered by time, not by judgement
Informal approval	No — nothing is recorded

How to configure it in Jestor

Use a multiple-users field on the cost center record in Jestor so more than one person can approve.
Reassign the responsible person temporarily when someone is away, and reverse it on return.
Enable log metrics so time waiting in the approval phase is recorded.
Add an escalation phase triggered by dwell time rather than by someone noticing.
Review the SLA data afterwards to see whether cover actually worked.

Why choose Jestor for resilient approvals?

Deciding what happens when an approver is unavailable is simple here: because routing in Jestor reads the cost centre's responsible users, cover is a data change on one record rather than a reconfiguration of the process.

Whoever approves is recorded on the request either way, so temporary cover does not weaken the audit trail — which is the usual objection to allowing it.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can more than one person approve?

Yes, using a multiple-users field on the cost centre. See jestor.com.

Is the actual approver still recorded?

Yes, on the request with its history.

Can escalation trigger on delay?

Yes, using the dwell time recorded per phase.

Video Tutorial: Step by Step

Check out other practical tutorials on the Jestor YouTube channel.

Get to know Jestor

With Jestor, you can automate workflows, connect teams, and build internal systems your way — all without code and powered by AI. Discover Jestor at jestor.com and see how to take your company's operations to a new level of efficiency and control.

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