Leave Balances Not Syncing

Overview

If an employee's leave balance in ZEP doesn't match NetSuite, the difference may be caused by an expected leave accrual, an incomplete leave entitlement setup, or a sync that hasn't finished yet. Work through the checks below before contacting support.

Symptoms

• The leave balance shown in ZEP is different from the balance in NetSuite.
• A recent leave request, adjustment, or pay run update isn't showing in ZEP.
• Annual leave for an employee who started partway through the year looks incorrect.
• Sick leave accruals don't match your own calculations.
• A leave request is still pending, or doesn't appear after being approved.

Before you start

1. Compare the same employee and leave type in both places:
   • NetSuite: Open the Employee record > Leave Info tab and note the balance for the leave type.
   • ZEP: Start entering a leave request for the same employee and leave type, and note the balance shown on the request screen.
2. Record the balance shown in each system, along with the date and time you checked it.
3. Confirm the employee's details are correct in NetSuite: start date, employment status, work pattern, and assigned leave entitlement rules.
4. Allow time for the sync to complete after making any change.

Note: Leave balances can change when a leave accrual takes effect. For example, an employee may receive their full annual entitlement on their anniversary date. A balance that increases after that date is expected and is not a sync error.

Troubleshooting

In NetSuite

1. Check the employee and leave entitlement setup
   • Go to the Employee record > Payroll tab and review the work pattern and employment status.
   • Go to the Employee record > HR tab and review the hire date.
   • Go to the Employee record > Leave Info tab and confirm the anniversary date and that the correct leave entitlement rules are assigned.
   • Employees who start partway through the year may receive a prorated entitlement. If the setup doesn't match your organisation's leave rules, the balance may differ from your manual calculation.
2. Check for duplicate or conflicting entitlements
   • On the Employee record > Leave Info tab, look for more than one entitlement covering the same leave type or period.
   • Check for overlapping annual leave or sick leave records.
   • Check whether an old or unused entitlement is still active.
   • Do not delete a leave accrual record unless your payroll administrator has confirmed it's safe to do so. Where appropriate, mark an obsolete record inactive instead, so the history remains available for audit.
3. Confirm the leave type is active and set up correctly
   • Confirm the leave type assigned to the employee is active and has a valid accrual setup.
   • Custom leave types that are inactive or set to a zero accrual rate won't calculate or sync as expected.
4. Review the accrual settings on the leave entitlement rules
   • If the entitlement rules are set to accrue on leave, confirm all required settings and configuration are filled correctly.
5. Review related leave records
   • On the Employee record > Leave Info tab, review the records that make up the balance:
     • Leave accrued
     • Leave taken
     • Manual adjustments
     • Effective dates of each record
   • Look for any record that's missing, duplicated, dated incorrectly, or not yet in effect. This often explains the difference even when the sync is working correctly.

In ZEP

1. Check pending leave requests
   • Review recent leave requests for the employee.
   • Confirm each request is approved, has the correct dates and leave type, and isn't held up by an older pending request.
   • Correct any invalid or incomplete request before checking the balance again.
2. Allow the sync to complete
   • After correcting anything in NetSuite, manually trigger a sync and wait for it to complete before comparing balances again.
   • For steps, see How to Manually Sync ZEP.
   • Avoid making repeated changes to the same records while the sync is in progress, as this can make the issue harder to trace.

When to contact support

Contact your payroll administrator or support team if the balance is still incorrect after completing the checks above and allowing the sync to finish. Include:

1. Employee name or internal employee ID
2. Leave type and leave entitlement rules assigned
3. Balance shown in NetSuite (Employee record > Leave Info tab) and in ZEP
4. Date and time each balance was checked
5. Employee start date, anniversary date, and work pattern, if relevant
6. Details of recent leave requests, adjustments, or pay runs
7. Screenshots showing the discrepancy (remove any sensitive information not needed for the investigation)
8. Any error message or status shown in either system

Important: Don't make manual balance adjustments just to force the two systems to match. Confirm the entitlement setup and leave records first. An adjustment can hide the underlying setup issue and create a further payroll discrepancy.

Expected outcomes

Frequently asked questions

How long should I wait before comparing balances again?
After making a change, manually trigger a sync and wait for it to complete. For steps, see How to Manually Sync ZEP. If the balance still hasn't updated afterwards, collect the details listed above and contact support.

Why doesn't the balance match my own calculation?
The balance may include prorating, anniversary-based entitlements, work pattern rules, effective dates, approved leave, or manual adjustments that a simple calculation doesn't account for. Review the related leave records on the Leave Info tab to see what's included.

Can I delete a duplicate leave record?
Not without guidance from your payroll administrator or support team. Marking an obsolete record inactive usually preserves the audit history and avoids creating another discrepancy.

Why can't support just update the balance in ZEP?
The balance in ZEP comes from NetSuite. Support may need to correct the entitlement setup or leave records in NetSuite first, because changing the balance without fixing the source data can cause the issue to return.