Digital Sick Leave Notifications in M365 — An Automated Process Instead of Email Chaos

Standardized fields, required information, and transparent statuses ensure quality and speed for all parties involved at .

Customer

Customer benefits

Technology stack

"Sick leave requests now go through smoothly—without any follow-up questions and with clear status updates. This saves the HR department a noticeable amount of time."

Michaela Wittwer

Office Manager

Challenges of the customer

Until now, the processing of employee sick leave requests has been handled through a combination of paper forms, emails, and chat messages. Unclear required fields led to follow-up questions; supporting documents had to be submitted later, and information had to be entered manually. At the same time, a solution was needed that did not require additional third-party software but still supported attachments, decision trees, and a clear HR overview. Data protection and access policies had to be taken into account; the interface needed to feel familiar, and approvals had to be possible directly in Outlook to minimize training requirements.

Our approach

Based on the existing template, the process was migrated to Microsoft 365. Forms handles fields and branching logic; Power Automate handles data collection and approval. Data is stored in a structured format in SharePoint and made available in Teams as an HR overview. Short feedback loops resulted in an expandable setup that has been well received.

Requirements Gathering & Process Outline

The existing template was analyzed, required fields and supporting documents were clearly defined at
, and branching logic (initial/follow-up certification) was modeled. The target state was documented as a BPMN sketch at
; interfaces, data stores, and roles were defined at
.

Form Using Forms (Conditional Logic)

A multi-step form was created. Required fields and file uploads were configured at
. Conditional visibility reduced data entry errors. Validations and help texts at
ensured consistent data quality.

Power Automate: Data Collection, Approval, Notification

Responses are stored in a SharePoint list. An approval workflow generates
approvals directly in Outlook and reflects decisions (Approve/Reject,
Comment). Escalations and reminders are set up.

SharePoint Lists & Calculated Fields

The list serves as a single source of truth. Calculated columns support
status changes, date logic, and deadlines. Filtered views (open, in
post-processing, accepted, completed) serve as the user interface.

Teams Integration & HR Dashboard

The list views have been integrated into the HR Channel as tabs. This means that
provides centralized access to overviews, editing, and approval. Expansions
(additional statuses, reports, notifications) are planned.

Results for the customer

Automates manual process steps during customer and project setup

approx. 0 %

From the first workshop to production use

2 Days

Further results:

Less administrative burden for employees per sick leave report
No additional software required—use existing Microsoft 365 licenses
Scalable: additional "completed" status, additional notifications, reports
Greater transparency for managers regarding absences (without unnecessary details)

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