Script Library › HCM › HCM-05
HCM-05 Oracle Fusion Cloud HCM Guided Actions

Absence Management Diagnostic (Oracle Fusion)

Fusion absence diagnostics via OTBI and REST — plan balances, accrual errors, absence request status, negative balances, eligibility rule completeness, and Calculate Accruals ESS history.

Get Full Script → ← Back to Library
PlatformOracle Fusion Cloud
Input RequiredEmployee Number or Absence Plan Name
Diagnostic ChecksOTBI + REST + BIP
Data SourcesOTBI / REST / BIP
Fix OptionsGuided UI Actions
The Problem

Why This Fails — and What It Costs

Oracle Fusion Absence Management errors typically surface in one of three ways: an absence entry fails validation when the employee or manager submits it, an absence accrual balance is incorrect (too high, too low, or not accruing at all), or a payroll-linked absence is not being deducted correctly from the employee's pay. Each of these failure modes has a distinct diagnostic path, and all three use Fusion's supported toolset — the Absence Management REST API, OTBI Workforce Management subject areas, BIP Absence Reports, and the Manage Absence Plans and Manage Absence Records screens.

Absence plan accrual errors are the most operationally impactful. An accrual plan defines how much leave an employee earns over time — the accrual rate, the accrual frequency, the carryover limit, and the service-based anniversary date for rate changes. When the accrual formula is incorrect — because a plan rule was changed without updating the underlying fast formula, or because an employee's service date is wrong — the employee's absence balance will not match what they expect, leading to disputes and potential payroll errors when the absence is taken.

The payroll-absence integration is the second major complexity area. Fusion Absence Management integrates with Fusion Payroll through absence elements — when an approved absence is recorded in Absence Management, it creates or updates an element entry in Payroll for the absence element (vacation, sick, unpaid leave). If this integration is broken — because the absence plan is not linked to the correct absence element, or because the element entry generation process has failed — the payroll run will not apply the correct deduction or replacement pay for the absence period.

HCM-05 provides a structured Fusion Absence Management diagnostic using REST API GET /absences for absence record status, OTBI Workforce Management for balance and accrual analysis, BIP Absence Reports for plan rule review, Manage Absence Plans for setup validation, and Payroll Flow Monitor for absence element entry generation status.

Diagnostic Coverage

What This Script Diagnoses

HCM-05 systematically investigates every major condition that can cause the issue this diagnostic targets. Below is the complete coverage breakdown.

REST API Absence Balance
GET /absences — current accrual balance, last accrual date, pending absence requests, and accrual history by period. The primary source for individual employee absence balance diagnostics.
OTBI Accrual Analysis
Workforce Management subject area — accrual history by period, balance by plan, and population-level analysis. Identifies which employees have missing accruals and the periods affected.
Payroll Integration
Absence-to-payroll element entry generation status. Confirms the absence plan is linked to the correct payroll element and that approved absences are generating element entries for the payroll run.
Plan Setup Validation
Manage Absence Plans — accrual formula, carryover rules, eligibility criteria, and payroll element link. Identifies the specific setup element causing the accrual or integration failure.
Sample Diagnostic Output

Example Completed Worksheet

Completed diagnostic worksheet showing what the full diagnostic picture looks like after all steps have been worked through. Your worksheet will reflect your environment's specific data — the steps, tool sequence, and REST API calls to assemble it are documented in the Audit Trail section below.

HCM-05 — HCM-05 Fusion Diagnostic 
════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════
  ORACLE FUSION — ABSENCE MANAGEMENT DIAGNOSTIC
════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════
  Employee Number    : WRK-10482
  Absence Plan       : US Annual Leave Plan
  Case Number        : FC-HCM-2026-0522
  Report Date        : 23-FEB-2026 11:10:30
════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════

[ STEP 1 — REST API ABSENCE BALANCE ]       STATUS: ✗ INCORRECT
────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────
  REST Endpoint      : GET /absences/WRK-10482/accruals
  Current Balance    : 0 days — should be 5.5 days ✗
  Last Accrual Date  : 01-JAN-2026 — no accrual since January ✗
  ✗ FAIL: Accrual stopped — plan formula not running for FEB

[ STEP 2 — OTBI ABSENCE ANALYSIS ]          STATUS: ✗ ACCRUAL GAP
────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────
  Accrual Expected   : 1.833 days/month (22 days/yr)
  JAN Accrual        : 1.833 days — processed ✓
  FEB Accrual        : 0 days — missing ✗
  Root Cause         : SERVICE_DATE input value changed 01-FEB-2026

[ STEP 3 — PAYROLL ELEMENT ENTRY ]          STATUS: ✓ PASS
────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────
  Absence-Payroll link active — Annual Leave element entry generates correctly ✓

[ STEP 4 — MANAGE ABSENCE PLANS ]           STATUS: ✗ SETUP ISSUE
────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────
  ✗ Accrual formula ANNUAL_LEAVE_ACCRUE references SERVICE_DATE (removed 01-FEB)
  Replacement       : ADJUSTED_SERVICE_DATE — available from 01-FEB-2026

════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════
  FUSION DIAGNOSTIC SUMMARY
════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════
  FEB accrual missing — formula references removed input value
  FIX: Update formula, recalculate FEB accrual via Recalculate Accruals
════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════
How the Diagnostic Works

The Four-Layer Architecture in HCM-05

1
Diagnostic Steps
Fusion Absence Management diagnostic using REST API GET /absences for balance and accrual detail, OTBI Workforce Management for accrual history analysis, BIP Absence Reports for plan rule review, Manage Absence Plans for setup validation, and Payroll Flow Monitor for absence element entry generation confirmation.
2
Backup Created
Fusion Cloud does not permit direct database access. REST API accrual balance and OTBI accrual history are exported before any corrective action as the pre-action state record.
3
Guided Data Fix
Formula corrections via Payroll > Fast Formulas. Accrual recalculation via Absence > Recalculate Accruals for affected employees and periods. Plan setup corrections via Manage Absence Plans. All changes through Fusion UI — HCM-05 provides the exact navigation path for each condition.
4
KB Article Generated
Complete KB article from REST API and OTBI output — employee, plan, accrual gap, formula issue, correction applied, balance recalculated and verified.
Audit Trail

Documentation Before Every Action — HCM-05

Fusion Cloud does not permit direct database access. Every corrective action goes through a supported Oracle interface. Before any action is taken, the current state is exported and documented.

Pre-Action Documentation — HCM-05

REST API: GET /absences/WRK-10482/accruals — balance export before action
OTBI: Workforce Management — accrual history export
BIP: Absence Plan Report — plan rules saved before formula change

Exported before any UI action, ESS resubmission, or FBDI reimport. Provides a point-in-time record of the error state for the KB article and SR documentation if needed.

Pre-Action Verification

Fusion tenant accessibleConfirmed ✓
REST API GET /absences accrual balance savedExported ✓
OTBI Workforce Management export completedSaved ✓
BIP Absence Plan Report run and savedSaved ✓
Payroll flow for FEB not yet closedConfirmed ✓

Audit Trail Record

CASE_NUMBER<consultant case#>
DIAGNOSTIC_TOOL<OTBI / REST API / BIP / ESS>
ERROR_SNAPSHOT<exported before action>
ACTION_TAKEN<UI path / ESS program / FBDI>
RESULT_VERIFIEDYES ✓

No Direct DB Access — By Design

Oracle Fusion Cloud is a SaaS environment. There is no consultant-accessible Oracle schema, no SQL*Plus connection, and no CONS_BACKUP tablespace. All diagnostic and corrective activity goes through OTBI, REST APIs, BIP reports, ESS programs, and the Fusion UI — the same supported tools Oracle Support uses.

REST API Reference — Endpoints Used in This Diagnostic

All API calls use OAuth 2.0 authentication. The base URL is your Fusion Cloud instance URL. Replace {instanceName} with your tenant name. Obtain the OAuth token via the /oauth/token endpoint using client credentials.

GETAbsence Accrual Balance
/hcmRestApi/resources/11.13.18.05/absences/{AbsenceId}/accruals
Path Parameters
AbsenceId string — use PersonNumber-based absence record lookup: GET /absences?q=PersonNumber={personNumber};AbsencePlanName={planName}
Key Query Parameters
fields PlanName,AccrualBalance,LastAccrualDate,NextAccrualDate,UnitOfMeasure
Response Fields Read
AccrualBalance — current accrued balance in the plan's unit of measure
LastAccrualDate — date the most recent accrual was processed
NextAccrualDate — when the next scheduled accrual will run
UnitOfMeasure — Days or Hours
CarryOverBalance — balance carried over from prior plan year
GETAbsence Records
/hcmRestApi/resources/11.13.18.05/absences
Key Query Parameters
q PersonNumber={personNumber};AbsenceStatus=Approved — filter to approved absences for a worker
fields AbsenceId,AbsencePlanName,StartDate,EndDate,Duration,AbsenceStatus,ApprovalStatus
orderBy StartDate:desc
Response Fields Read
AbsencePlanName — which plan the absence draws from
StartDate, EndDate, Duration — absence date range and length
AbsenceStatus — Pending, Approved, Rejected, Cancelled
ApprovalStatus — whether the absence has been approved by the manager
Layer 4 Output

Auto-Generated Knowledge Base Article

This article is produced automatically at the end of every HCM-05 execution — written from actual run output. No manual documentation required.

KB-FC-HCM-0522-001 · Script: HCM-05
Fusion Absence Accrual Gap FEB-2026 — ANNUAL_LEAVE_ACCRUE Formula References Removed Input Value
Module: HCM
Platform: Oracle Fusion Cloud
Status: RESOLVED
Symptom
WRK-10482 absence balance shows 0 days accrued in FEB-2026. REST API GET /absences shows last accrual date 01-JAN-2026. Expected accrual 1.833 days/month (22 days/year). OTBI Workforce Management shows JAN accrual present, FEB missing.
Root Cause
Absence plan setup change on 01-FEB-2026 renamed the SERVICE_DATE input value to ADJUSTED_SERVICE_DATE. The ANNUAL_LEAVE_ACCRUE fast formula was not updated. FEB accrual process ran but produced 0 because the formula could not resolve SERVICE_DATE.
Tables Affected
REST API: GET /absences/WRK-10482/accruals — currentBalance: 0, lastAccrualDate: 01-JAN-2026
OTBI: Workforce Management — febAccrual: 0, formula error: SERVICE_DATE not found
Fix Applied
ANNUAL_LEAVE_ACCRUE formula updated — SERVICE_DATE reference replaced with ADJUSTED_SERVICE_DATE. Recalculate Accruals submitted for WRK-10482 for FEB-2026. Balance updated to 3.666 days (JAN 1.833 + FEB 1.833). Payroll element entry verified — no impact as no absence was taken in FEB.
Prevention
Absence plan input value changes must include a fast formula impact assessment. Absence plan parallel test after any formula change before applying to live plans. Monthly accrual balance reconciliation report to catch missing accruals within the period.
Tags
Fusion HCMAbsence ManagementAccrualREST APIOTBI Workforce ManagementFast FormulaOracle Fusion Cloud
Common Issues

What This Script Finds

Accrual

Missing Accrual After Setup Change

Absence plan setup change removed or renamed an input value referenced by the accrual formula. Accrual runs but produces zero. HCM-05 identifies the formula and input value from the BIP Absence Plan Report and provides the correction path.

Integration

Absence Not Flowing to Payroll

Approved absence not generating a payroll element entry — employee's pay is not adjusted for the absence period. HCM-05 confirms the absence plan payroll link and the element entry generation status.

Balance

Incorrect Carryover Balance

Carryover limit misconfigured or anniversary date incorrect — employee's opening balance for the new plan year is wrong. HCM-05 reviews the carryover rule from OTBI and Manage Absence Plans.

Eligibility

Employee Not Enrolled in Plan

Employee eligible for absence plan but not enrolled — typically a new hire who was not auto-enrolled or an employee transferred to a new legal entity without re-enrollment. HCM-05 confirms eligibility criteria and the enrollment path.

Data Layer

Tables Examined

Data SourceTypePurpose
REST API: /absences/{id}/accrualsRESTAccrual balance, last accrual date, accrual history
OTBI: Workforce ManagementOTBIAccrual history by period — population and individual
BIP: Absence Plan ReportBIPPlan rules, formula references, carryover configuration
Manage Absence PlansFusion UIPlan setup — accrual formula, payroll link, eligibility
Manage Element EntriesFusion UIPayroll element entries generated from absences
Decision Framework

How Every Resolution Decision Is Made

Every condition identified by the diagnostic maps to exactly one resolution path. In Fusion Cloud, all paths go through supported Oracle interfaces — UI, REST API, FBDI, or ESS. Direct database access does not exist in this environment.

1
First Option — Always
Can the Fusion UI resolve this?

Oracle's own Fusion screens, Scheduled Processes (ESS), and workflow tools are always the first resolution path. Manage Invoices, Manage Suppliers, Manage Accounting Periods, BPM Worklist, Scheduled Processes — the diagnostic identifies the exact navigation path and screen sequence for every condition that can be resolved this way. No third-party tools, no API calls, no risk beyond what Oracle's own UI carries.

✓ Functional First
2
When the UI Path Is Insufficient
Can a REST API PATCH or FBDI reimport resolve this?

For bulk corrections or conditions not surfaced in the standard UI, Oracle Fusion's public REST APIs and FBDI import templates are the supported programmatic path. A REST API PATCH call to correct an invoice distribution account, an FBDI resubmission with corrected records after an import failure, or a Mass Update via the REST API — these are supported, documented, and reversible through normal Oracle mechanisms. The current state is exported before any API call is made.

→The API endpoint is an Oracle-published, versioned REST resource
→The FBDI template matches the current Fusion release version
→The pre-action state is exported (OTBI report / GET response) before the PATCH or import runs
→The result is verified via a follow-up GET or OTBI query before the case is closed
⚡ API / FBDI
3
Hard Stops — No Exceptions
Does this require Oracle Support?

Certain conditions in Fusion Cloud cannot be resolved through any customer-accessible interface. The diagnostic flags these and generates the Service Request documentation:

✗ESS job infrastructure failures — job status Error (not Completed with Warnings) indicating an engine-level issue not caused by data
✗Subledger accounting engine errors — Create Accounting failures where the error is in the Oracle accounting engine, not in the source transaction data
✗Recurring failures after correct setup — a condition that returns after a confirmed correct resolution indicates a code defect, submitted as an SR with a reproducible test case
✗Fusion data corruption — records in an inconsistent internal state not reachable through any published API or UI action
⚠ Oracle Support
4
For All Actions Taken
Export → Act → Verify → Document

Before any UI action, ESS resubmission, REST API call, or FBDI reimport — the current error state is exported via OTBI report, BIP report output, or REST API GET response. After the action, a verification step confirms the expected outcome. The complete sequence — tool used, pre-action state, action taken, result verified — is written into the KB article as the primary record of what was done and why.

📋 Documented
Condition Identified Resolution Path Notes
Accrual formula error — input value not found Functional First Update the accrual formula via Payroll > Fast Formulas. HCM-05 identifies the failing formula from the BIP Absence Plan Report and the correct input value from the current absence plan setup.
Missing accrual for prior period Functional First Submit Recalculate Accruals for the affected employee and period via Absence > Recalculate Accruals. HCM-05 identifies the period with the missing accrual from the OTBI Workforce Management export.
Absence-Payroll link broken — element entry not generating Functional First Verify the absence plan is linked to the correct absence element via Manage Absence Plans > Payroll Integration. HCM-05 confirms the link status from the Manage Absence Plans setup screen.
Absence record in Error status — submission failed Functional First Review the absence validation error via Manage Absence Records. HCM-05 identifies the validation rule that failed — date overlap, plan eligibility, or entitlement limit — and the correction path.
Carryover balance incorrect — plan rule misconfigured Functional First Review the carryover rule via Manage Absence Plans > Accrual Rules. HCM-05 identifies the carryover limit and the date it was applied relative to the employee's balance from OTBI.
Absence not flowing to payroll — deduction not applied Functional First Confirm the absence element entry was created in payroll via Manage Element Entries. HCM-05 identifies whether the entry exists and whether the payroll run processed it correctly.
Plan eligibility incorrect — employee not enrolled Functional First Enroll the employee via Absence > Manage Absences > Enroll in Absence Plan. HCM-05 identifies the eligibility criteria and confirms the employee meets them.
Accrual calculation engine error — recurring failure Oracle Support SR Persistent accrual failures after correct formula and plan setup indicate a Fusion calculation engine issue. HCM-05 documents the plan, formula, and error pattern for the Oracle Support SR.
Safeguards

Nothing Acts Without a Documented State

Fusion Cloud's SaaS architecture eliminates direct database access — which means every action is a supported Oracle API call, UI operation, or ESS submission. Before any action runs, the current error state is captured. After any action, the result is verified.

Pre-Action Documentation — All Completed First
✓
REST API: GET /absences/WRK-10482/accruals — balance export before action
Exported before any corrective action is taken
✓
OTBI: Workforce Management — accrual history export
Exported before any corrective action is taken
✓
BIP: Absence Plan Report — plan rules saved before formula change
Exported before any corrective action is taken
✓
Post-action verification
Follow-up OTBI query or REST GET confirms the expected state before the case is closed
Fusion Audit Trail — What Replaces CONS_BACKUP

In EBS R12, a CONS_BACKUP table provides the rollback point. In Fusion Cloud, the equivalent audit trail is built from three sources that together give a complete before-and-after record:

BEFORE STATE
OTBI report export or REST API GET response saved as the pre-action snapshot
ACTION RECORD
Fusion audit trail (Setup and Maintenance > Audit Reports) captures every UI and API change with user, timestamp, old value, and new value
AFTER STATE
Post-action OTBI query or REST GET confirms the fix — this output becomes the KB article verification artifact
HCM-05 — Fusion Diagnostic Framework 
════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════
  ORACLE FUSION — ABSENCE MANAGEMENT DIAGNOSTIC STEPS
════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════
  Platform           : Oracle Fusion Cloud HCM
  Tools              : REST API, OTBI Workforce Mgmt, BIP Reports, Manage Plans
  Pre-Action Export  : Accrual balance and plan rules exported before any action
────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────
  Step 1 — REST API  : GET /absences/WRK-10482/accruals — 0-day FEB balance confirmed ✓
  Step 2 — OTBI      : Workforce Mgmt — JAN accrual present, FEB missing ✓
  Step 3 — BIP Report: Absence Plan Report — formula reference issue identified ✓
  Step 4 — Plan Setup: ANNUAL_LEAVE_ACCRUE references SERVICE_DATE (removed) ✓
────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────
  DIAGNOSTIC COMPLETE — Formula correction and Recalculate Accruals path identified
════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════
  Documentation      : KB article from REST API and OTBI output
  Fusion Audit Trail : Formula and plan changes logged in audit trail
  SR Reference       : N/A — resolved via Fast Formulas and Recalculate Accruals
════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════
Knowledge Base

Every Execution Produces a Record

The knowledge base article is generated automatically from the script's execution output. No manual documentation required. It becomes the institutional record — for the team, for auditors, and for every future engagement in the same environment.

Zero Manual Effort
Every field — environment, tables, before/after values, backup reference, root cause, prevention — is generated from actual execution output. Nothing is written by hand.
Patterns Surface Over Time
The first engagement produces findings. The third produces patterns. Recurring conditions that are invisible as individual incidents become obvious as knowledge base trends.
Survives Staff Turnover
The knowledge base is an institutional record of the Oracle environment. A new manager, a new DBA, or an external auditor can read exactly what happened, what was done, and what prevents recurrence.
KB-FC-HCM-0522-001
Fusion Absence Accrual Gap FEB-2026 — ANNUAL_LEAVE_ACCRUE Formula References Removed Input Value
Oracle Fusion Cloud · HCM
● RESOLVED
Symptom
WRK-10482 absence balance shows 0 days accrued in FEB-2026. REST API GET /absences shows last accrual date 01-JAN-2026. Expected accrual 1.833 days/month (22 days/year). OTBI Workforce Management shows JAN accrual present, FEB missing.
Root Cause
Absence plan setup change on 01-FEB-2026 renamed the SERVICE_DATE input value to ADJUSTED_SERVICE_DATE. The ANNUAL_LEAVE_ACCRUE fast formula was not updated. FEB accrual process ran but produced 0 because the formula could not resolve SERVICE_DATE.
Tables
REST API: GET /absences/WRK-10482/accruals — currentBalance: 0, lastAccrualDate: 01-JAN-2026
OTBI: Workforce Management — febAccrual: 0, formula error: SERVICE_DATE not found
Fix Applied
ANNUAL_LEAVE_ACCRUE formula updated — SERVICE_DATE reference replaced with ADJUSTED_SERVICE_DATE. Recalculate Accruals submitted for WRK-10482 for FEB-2026. Balance updated to 3.666 days (JAN 1.833 + FEB 1.833). Payroll element entry verified — no impact as no absence was taken in FEB.
Prevention
Absence plan input value changes must include a fast formula impact assessment. Absence plan parallel test after any formula change before applying to live plans. Monthly accrual balance reconciliation report to catch missing accruals within the period.
Tags
Fusion HCMAbsence ManagementAccrualREST APIOTBI Workforce ManagementFast FormulaOracle Fusion Cloud
Oracle References

Oracle Documentation References

References the Oracle public documentation for this diagnostic area. These links open directly on docs.oracle.com.

Documentation PageTitleScenario
Period ClosePeriod Close — Close MonitorAbsence accrual completion and subledger close prerequisites
Oracle Fusion General LedgerUsing Analytics and Reports for FinancialsAbsence liability accrual reporting for period-end verification
Continue Your Diagnosis

Related Diagnostic Scripts

HCM-03

Payroll Run Diagnostic (Fusion)

View the full diagnostic for this related script.

 HCM-04

Worker Record Diagnostic (Fusion)

View the full diagnostic for this related script.

Engage William A. Green

Ready to Resolve This in Your Environment?

HCM-05 is one of 65 diagnostic scripts covering every major Oracle EBS and Fusion module. William A. Green Consulting runs the script in your environment, applies guided data fixes, and builds the knowledge base that prevents the same issues from recurring.

Schedule a Discovery Call → ← View All 65 Scripts

See this script run autonomously — Oracle AI Platform →