Manager approval accounts require pre-approval before employees can submit claims for certain expenses. For instance, this may be necessary for a professional development account. This process ensures that employees discuss those expenses with their managers beforehand, helping to ensure alignment with company policy and preventing the submission of non-compliant claims.
The demographics file your team sends to Forma lists who the manager and back-up manager contacts are for each employee.
When an employee submits a pre-approval request, the manager will receive an email notification upon submission and a reminder email on day 5 if no action has been taken yet. If there is no response to the pre-approval request within 14 days, an email will be sent to the back-up manager.
To respond to a pre-approval request, follow the steps below:
- Log into your Forma account
- From the “Home” screen, click the “Pending Tasks” button
- Under “Action required” you will see any pre-approval tasks that are awaiting a response. Click “Review Details” for more information about the request.
- After reviewing the details of the request, select “Approve” or “Reject”
An email will be sent to the employee with your decision.
If the pre-approval request is rejected, you will be required to enter a comment. That comment will appear on the email sent to the employee. If the request is approved, no comment is entered.
After a Pre-Approval is Approved
If a pre-approval request is approved, the employee may submit a claim for reimbursement after completing the course or program.
Please note the following:
- One claim per pre-approval: Only one claim can be submitted per approved request.
- Unused funds: If the final expense is less than the approved amount, any remaining funds will be returned to the employee’s “available to request” balance.
- Timing matters: Reimbursement is applied based on the year the claim is submitted, not the year the pre-approval was granted.
How timing impacts employee balances
If an employee receives pre-approval in one year but submits their claim in the following year, the reimbursement will be deducted from the current year’s balance.
Example:
- In Q4 2026, an employee has $5,250 available to request and receives a $4,000 pre-approval.
- The $4,000 is allocated to the employee’s “available to spend” balance.
- If the claim is submitted in 2027, the $4,000 will be deducted from the 2027 balance, not 2026.
As a result:
- The employee’s 2027 “available to request” balance will be reduced to $1,250
- The employee will not have the full $5,250 available to request again in 2027