My Delegation

Overview

My Delegation is a feature in Optima Orbit that allows you to temporarily transfer your approval responsibilities to another team member.

When you are on leave, traveling, or otherwise unavailable, work can quickly pile up waiting for your approval. By creating a delegation, Optima Orbit will automatically route any new approval requests to your chosen delegate during the specified timeframe, ensuring your team's work continues uninterrupted.

Why My Delegation Exists

Imagine the following scenario:

You are a manager who needs to take a two-week annual vacation. Normally, your team submits Leave Requests, Expenses, and Timesheets to you for approval. If you are away, these requests will stall, delaying reimbursements and stalling payroll.

Using My Delegation:

1. Before you leave, you open My Delegation.
2. You create a new delegation, selecting a trusted peer as your delegate.
3. You set the dates to match your vacation.
4. You select the "All Modules" scope (or specific modules like "Timesheet").
5. While you are away, any timesheets your team submits are automatically routed to your delegate's inbox.
6. When you return, the delegation expires, and new timesheets are once again routed to you.

Understanding Delegation

Term	Meaning	Example
Delegator	The person giving away temporary responsibility.	You (the manager taking vacation).
Delegate	The person receiving the responsibility.	Your trusted peer who will approve requests for you.
Delegation Period	The exact Start and End dates during which the delegation applies.	From Monday the 1st to Friday the 12th.
Module Scope	The specific type of approvals being delegated.	Only "Timesheet" approvals, or "All" approvals.

How to Access My Delegation

To access this feature, you must have the required permission.

1. Click on your User Profile / Avatar in the top right corner of the navigation bar.
2. Select My Delegation from the dropdown menu (indicated by a user checkmark icon).

Before Creating a Delegation

Before you create a delegation, consider the following:

• [ ] Identify the right delegate: Ensure the person you select understands the policies for approving the requests they will receive.
• [ ] Determine the dates: Know exactly when you will leave and when you will return.
• [ ] Decide the scope: Will this person handle all your approvals, or only Timesheets while another peer handles Leave Requests?

Creating a Delegation

Optima Orbit makes it easy to assign your approval duties.

1. Open My Delegation.
2. Click the New Delegation button in the top right.
3. A drawer will open. Fill out the required fields (Delegate, Module Scope, Start Date, End Date).
4. Add an optional reason for your records.
5. Click Create Delegation.

Delegation Fields Explained

Field	Required?	What to Enter/Select	Why It Is Needed
Delegate To	Yes	Choose the person who should temporarily handle your approvals. You cannot select yourself.	This is the person who will receive your routed approvals.
Module Scope	Yes	Select the specific module (e.g., Timesheet, Expense) or All modules.	Ensures your delegate only receives the approvals they are authorized to handle.
Start Date	Yes	The first day your delegate should take over. Cannot be in the past.	Optima Orbit needs to know when to start routing approvals.
End Date	Yes	The final day your delegate will handle approvals. Must be after the Start Date.	Ensures your approval responsibilities automatically return to you.
Reason	No	A short note (e.g., "Annual vacation").	Helps you and the delegate remember why the arrangement was made.

Selecting the Delegation Period (Dates)

When choosing your dates, note the following system rules:

• Start Date in the Past: Not allowed. You cannot backdate a delegation.
• End Date Before Start Date: Not allowed. The end date must logically follow the start date.
• Immediate Delegation: If you set the Start Date to today, the delegation becomes active immediately upon saving.

What Can Be Delegated?

When you create a delegation, you are not handing over the keys to your entire Optima Orbit account.

You are only delegating the routing of approval requests.

Using the Module Scope dropdown, you can restrict this further. For example, if you manage a project, you can delegate Timesheet approvals to your project lead, while delegating Expense approvals to the finance team.

What Delegation Does Not Transfer

• Your Role: Your organizational role (e.g., Manager, Director) does not change, nor does the delegate receive your title.
• Your Tasks: Items assigned to you in My Work are not delegated. Delegation only applies to approvals.
• Your Data Access: The delegate does not gain the ability to view your private workspace, personal timesheets, or personal payslips.

Does Delegation Change Permissions?

No. Creating a delegation does not permanently copy your permissions to the delegate. The system simply intercepts approval requests destined for you and temporarily routes them to the delegate's inbox during the active period.

What Happens After Creating a Delegation?

While the Delegation is Active

During the timeframe you selected:

• The delegate will receive the approval requests that would normally go to you (based on the Module Scope).
• The delegate can view these requests in their own approval queues (e.g., Timesheet Approvals, Expense Approvals) and approve or reject them as if they were you.

Managing Existing Delegations

The My Delegations page uses a tabbed layout to separate your delegations:

1. Delegated to Me: Shows any approval responsibilities that other users have temporarily assigned to you.
2. Delegated by Me: Shows the delegations you have created, assigning your approvals to others.

Deleting a Delegation Early (Revoking)

If you return from leave earlier than expected, you can immediately end a delegation so that new approvals route back to you.

1. Navigate to the Delegated by Me tab.
2. Locate the delegation card.
3. Click the Trash (Delete) icon on the right side of the card.
4. The system will prompt: "Remove this delegation? The original approver will resume approval duties."
5. Confirm the deletion.

Note on Editing

Optima Orbit does not currently support editing the dates or scope of an existing delegation. If your plans change, simply delete the existing delegation and create a new one.

Troubleshooting

Problem	Likely Cause	What To Do
I cannot see My Delegation in the menu.	You lack the org.delegation.manage permission.	Contact your administrator to grant you delegation rights.
I cannot find the person I want to delegate to.	You cannot delegate to yourself.	Ensure you are searching for a different active team member.
I cannot select my End Date.	You have selected an End Date before the Start Date.	Adjust the Start Date first, then select an End Date after it.
My delegate isn't receiving my approvals.	The Start Date is in the future, or the wrong Module Scope was selected.	Review the delegation card. If the module is wrong, delete it and create a new one with the correct scope.

Technical Reference

Route: /org/me/delegation

Primary Components:

• DelegationPage.tsx: Handles the layout, tabs, and data fetching for the My Delegations screen.
• CustomSelect: Used for selecting the Delegate and Module Scope.
• MUI DatePicker: Used for Start and End date selection, enforcing chronological constraints.

Permissions:

• Accessing the page and the User Dropdown link requires the org.delegation.manage permission.

API Endpoints:

• GET /org/delegations: Fetches two arrays (to_me and from_me) containing the user's delegations.
• GET /org/users: Fetches the list of active users to populate the Delegate dropdown.
• GET /org/modules: Fetches the list of available modules (e.g., TIMESHEET, EMPLOYEE_EXPENSE) for the Scope dropdown.
• POST /org/delegations: Submits a new delegation with delegate_user_id, module_code, start_date, end_date, and an optional reason.
• DELETE /org/delegations/:id: Removes a delegation, instantly returning approval duties to the delegator.

Data Flow Architecture:

Related Features

• Approve Leave
• Expense Approvals
• Timesheet Approval
• Request Approvals

Who can approve on your behalf, and for how long.