How to keep approvals moving when the approver is unavailable
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
- Add a backup approver field to each approver record.
- Set an SLA per approval stage, based on what the business can actually tolerate.
- Create the alert that fires as the deadline approaches.
- Create the escalation rule that reassigns after the deadline passes.
- Record the reason on the record when an escalation occurs.
- 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.
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
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