Expense advance

May 04, 2020

The Expense Advance feature in HRStop allows employees and admins to raise and manage advance fund requests before incurring any official expenses. This feature is especially useful for travel, client visits, or project-based tasks that require upfront funding.

Once enabled, Expense Advances become part of the Expense module workflow and follow a customizable approval process.


Enabling the Expense Advance Feature (Admin Setup)

Before employees or admins can raise advance requests, the feature must be enabled in the system settings.

Steps to Enable Expense Advance:

  1. Navigate to Control PanelSettingsModules
  2. Locate and click on Expense Advance under the Expense Module section
  3. Enable the checkbox labeled "Enable Expense Advance"
  4. Choose the Approval Workflow:
    • Single-Level Approval: Request goes directly to the Admin for approval.
    • Two-Level Approval: Request is first reviewed by the employee’s Manager and then by the Admin.
  5. Click Update to save the configuration.

Once activated:

  • Employees will see Expense Advance as a new option under Main Panel → Expense → Expense Advance
  • Admins can track, approve, or reject requests through the Control Panel

Creating an Expense Advance Request

Admins can proactively raise advance requests on behalf of employees. This is often used for field staff or employees who may not have direct portal access at the time of the request.


Steps to Raise an Advance (Admin):

  1. Go to Control PanelExpenseView Expense Advance
  2. Click the + New button to create a new advance request
  3. Fill in the following required details:
    • Employee Name
      Select the employee for whom the advance is being requested
    • Title & Description
      Provide a meaningful title (e.g., "Client Visit to Bangalore – May 2025")
      Use the description field to briefly explain the purpose of the advance
    • Project Tagging (Optional)
      If the advance is linked to a specific project, select the relevant project from the dropdown (Project tagging must be enabled in Expense settings)
    • Advance Amount
      Enter the requested amount that needs to be disbursed as an advance
  4. Once all fields are filled, click Submit

What Happens After Submission?

  • The request will be routed based on the selected approval workflow:
    • Single-Level: Goes directly to the Admin
    • Two-Level: First goes to the Manager, then to the Admin
  • Approvers will receive a notification (email/in-app) to review and act on the request
  • The requester can track the status (Pending, Approved, Rejected) in the Expense Advance list view

Monitoring and Managing Advance Requests

Admins can monitor all submitted advance requests under:

  • Control PanelExpenseView Expense Advance

From here, they can:

  • View request history with filters like Employee, Status, Date Range
  • Approve or Reject pending requests
  • Export data for financial tracking or audits

Best Practices for Using Expense Advance

  • Set clear policies on maximum allowable advance amounts per employee or project
  • Use project tagging for better reporting and expense correlation
  • Regularly audit advance usage to ensure accurate expense reconciliation
  • Encourage employees to submit supporting documents after spending the advance amount