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# How to keep approvals moving when the approver is unavailable
- URL: https://blog.jestor.com/when-the-approver-is-unavailable/
- Published: 2026-09-16T18:52:27.000Z
- Updated: 2026-09-16T18:52:27.000Z
- Author: Bruno Bannach

Every approval process eventually meets the same problem: the **approver is unavailable** and the request sits. In **Jestor**, that is handled with a backup approver, a deadline per stage and an automatic escalation rule, so absence becomes a configured case rather than an emergency.

## Why absence breaks approval flows

Approval chains are designed around who should decide. They are rarely designed around what happens when that person cannot.

A holiday, a sick day or a long meeting turns into a stalled purchase, and the workaround is someone asking in a chat whether they can approve on behalf of a colleague, which leaves no trace.

What proper handling prevents:

- Requests stalled with no visible owner
- Informal approvals given verbally to unblock work
- Nobody knowing a request is waiting until someone complains
- Deadlines missed because the chain had no timeout
- An audit trail showing an approval by the wrong person

## Ways to handle absence

| Mechanism               | How it works                      | When to use it                      |
| ----------------------- | --------------------------------- | ----------------------------------- |
| Backup approver         | A named substitute per approver   | Planned absence                     |
| Deadline and escalation | Passes upward after a set time    | Unplanned delay                     |
| Group approval          | Any member of a role can approve  | Areas with several qualified people |
| Delegation period       | Temporary reassignment with dates | Extended leave                      |

## Step by step to configure it

1. **Add a backup approver field** to each approver record.
2. **Set an SLA per approval stage**, based on what the business can actually tolerate.
3. **Create the alert** that fires as the deadline approaches.
4. **Create the escalation rule** that reassigns after the deadline passes.
5. **Record the reason** on the record when an escalation occurs.
6. **Review escalation frequency monthly**, since a pattern indicates a structural problem.

## Why escalation frequency is a useful metric

An occasional escalation is absence working as designed. A quarter of requests escalating says the deadline is unrealistic, the approver is overloaded, or the limit is set too low and sending trivial amounts up the chain. That number is a diagnosis, not just an operational detail.

## Why choose Jestor

**Jestor** tracks time per stage natively, so a deadline is measurable rather than aspirational. Escalation is an automation with conditions, the substitute is a field on the approver record, and every reassignment stays in the audit trail with author, date and justification.

## Frequently Asked Questions

### Can approvals pass automatically to a substitute?

Yes. An escalation rule can reassign after the deadline you configure. See [jestor.com](https://www.jestor.com/?ref=blog.jestor.com).

### Is the escalation recorded?

Yes. The reassignment stays in the record's history.

### What does a high escalation rate mean?

Usually that the deadline is unrealistic or the approval limit is set too low.

## Video Tutorial: Step by Step

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](https://www.jestor.com/?ref=blog.jestor.com) and see how to take your company's operations to a new level of efficiency and control.