How to build a remote work request workflow with manager review

Build a clear, trackable approval flow for remote work requests

In this guide, you’ll build a Remote Work Request Workflow where employees submit requests, managers review and approve/deny them, and the HR team tracks decisions in one place.
This is ideal for distributed teams, hybrid work policies, or companies that require a paper trail for remote work approvals.

📘 Learn more: Create your first form, app, or portal in a flash

Why this helps

• Ensures consistent, documented approval for all remote work requests.
• Eliminates back-and-forth emails, everything is tracked in one database.
• Managers receive instant notifications and can review requests directly in the table.
• HR gets a live dashboard that shows approvals, denials, and upcoming remote days.
  📘 Learn more: Build personalized and time-saving flows with logic and automation

Step 1 – Create your remote work request form

You can start from scratch or use a template from our Template Gallery (e.g., Daily report or Remote work survey).
You can also use Magic Create, try this prompt:
“Remote work request form with employee info, request date(s), reason, and manager assignment.”

Add these core fields

• Employee name
• Employee email
• Department
• Manager (dropdown or lookup from HR directory)
• Type of remote work (Single day / Multiple days / Recurring)
• Requested date(s)
• Reason for remote work
• File upload (optional doctor’s note or supporting documentation)
• Status (hidden to employees — default: Submitted)
• Manager decision (Admin-only field: Approve / Deny)
• Manager notes (Admin-only)

💡 Tip: Use multi-page design to separate employee info and request details for a cleaner flow.
📘 Learn more: Form editor and field types

Step 2 – Add conditional logic for cleaner employee experience

Keep the request simple for employees by showing fields only when relevant. For example:

• If “Type of remote work = Multiple days” → Show multi-date picker
• If “Type of remote work = Single day” → Show single date field

💡 Tip: Use conditional logic to keep forms short and boost completion rates.
📘 Learn more: Show or hide questions based on previous answers

Step 3 – Set up manager review using On Submit logic

Now add automation so managers are notified right away.

Add On Submit rules:

• When form is submitted → Send email to Manager field
  Include key fields such as:
  Employee name (@field_ID), requested date(s), reason, and link to the submission.
• Assign submission to the manager
  This lets managers filter and review requests right inside the HR panel.

📘 Learn more: What is “On Submit” logic and how it works

Step 4 – Enable status-based workflow for approvals

Managers should update status inside the table after review. You’ll use On Update logic to trigger follow-up automations.

Add these statuses:

• Submitted
• Under review
• Approved
• Denied

Add On Update logic:

• If Status changes to Approved → Send approval email to employee
• If Status changes to Denied → Send denial email with manager notes
• If Status changes to Under review → Notify HR

💡 Tip: This keeps the workflow simple—only admins/managers can see the status field, avoiding confusion for employees.
📘 Learn more: What is On Update logic and how it works

Step 5 – Add a manager/HR dashboard

Turn the form into a mini HR system with filtered views.

Use:

• Tables: All requests
• Kanban Board: Group by Status
• Charts: Approvals vs. denials, requests by department, monthly remote work volume

📘 Learn more: How to showcase charts based on form responses

Step 6 – Optional: Create an internal portal for employees

Turn your workflow into a portal where employees:

• Submit new remote work requests
• View their previous requests
• See approval status

And HR/managers get:

• Manager-only pages
• Reports
• Filters for department
• Secure access via roles

📘 Learn more: How to create a portal and manage users’ access

Pro Tips

💡 Pro Tip 1: Allow managers to upload final decision documents
For example, HR-reviewed PDF approval letters.
📘 Learn more: Customize your form/app layout and design

💡 Pro Tip 2: Add Slack notifications for urgent, same-day requests
📘 Learn more: Build personalized and time-saving flows with logic and automation

Real-world example

A hybrid software company implemented this flow to handle 50+ monthly remote work requests.
Before Formaloo, approvals took days and managers used email threads.
After setting up the workflow:

• Requests routed directly to managers
• Average decision time dropped from 48 hours to 6 hours
• HR gained instant visibility into all upcoming remote days
  📈 See more examples: Formaloo use cases

FAQ

1. Can managers review requests without editing the full form?

Yes. They can approve/deny directly inside the table or kanban board using admin-only fields.
❓ Learn more: How to customize tables

2. Can employees see only their own submitted requests?

Yes, enable portal mode and restrict pages based on user login.
🔒 Learn more: How to turn your app into a portal

3. Can HR override manager decisions?

Absolutely. Admins can update status anytime, triggering all downstream logic automatically.
🛠️ Learn more: What is On Update logic and how it works

4. Can we track remote work usage over time?

Yes, create charts and dashboards that visualize trends by month, department, or employee.
📊 Learn more: How to showcase charts

What you’ve built & next steps

You now have a full remote work request workflow, employees submit, managers review, HR tracks.
Next, expand your HR system by adding:

• Time-off workflow
• Expense approvals
• HR portal with centralized access

🎉 Learn more: Customize your form/app layout and design

Last updated November 2025