---
title: "Decline a time off request"
method: PUT
path: "/v1/time_off/requests/{time_off_request_uuid}/decline"
tags: ["Time Off Requests"]
---

# Decline a time off request

`PUT /v1/time_off/requests/{time_off_request_uuid}/decline`

Decline a pending or approved time off request. Requires an employer_note.

scope: `time_off_requests:manage`

## Path parameters

- `time_off_request_uuid` string, required

## Headers

- `X-Gusto-API-Version` '2026-06-15'

## Request body

- object
  - `employer_note` string, required — Note explaining why the request was declined
  - `approver_uuid` string — The UUID of the admin declining the request. Defaults to the company's primary payroll admin.

## Response `200`

successful

- EmbeddedTimeOffRequest — The representation of a time off request.
  - `uuid` string, required — The UUID of the time off request.
  - `status` 'pending' | 'approved' | 'declined' | 'consumed', required — The status of the time off request.
  - `employee_note` string, nullable, required — A note about the time off request, from the employee to the employer.
  - `employer_note` string, nullable, required — A note about the time off request, from the employer to the employee.
  - `policy_type` string, nullable, required — The type of the time off policy (e.g. vacation, sick).
  - `policy_uuid` string, nullable, required — The UUID of the time off policy associated with this request.
  - `days` object, required — An object where keys are dates in YYYY-MM-DD format and values are hours as string decimals (e.g. {"2025-01-20": "8.000"}).
  - `employee` object, required
    - `uuid` string — The UUID of the employee the time off request is for.
    - `full_name` string — The full name of the employee the time off request is for.
  - `initiator` object, nullable, required
    - `uuid` string — The UUID of the employee who initiated the time off request.
    - `full_name` string — The full name of the employee who initiated the time off request.
  - `approver` object, nullable, required — This value will be null if the request has not been approved.
    - `uuid` string — The UUID of the employee who approved the time off request.
    - `full_name` string — The full name of the employee who approved the time off request.

## Other responses

- `404` — Not Found
- `422` — Unprocessable Entity This may happen when the body of your request contains errors such as `invalid_attribute_value`, or the request fails due to an `invalid_operation`. See the [Errors Categories](https://docs.gusto.com/embedded-payroll/docs/error-categories) guide for more details.

---

[API](https://skmtc.dev/gusto/apis/gusto-api.md) · [All operations](https://skmtc.dev/gusto/apis/gusto-api/llms.txt) · [OpenAPI document](https://skmtc-service-production.skmtc.workers.dev/v1/apis/gusto/gusto-api/revisions/826dfa57fb3b/schema)