Paid leave
Paid leave is approved time away from work during which the person continues to receive their normal pay. It draws on an allocated balance. Whether a given type is paid is a property of the type itself, rather than of the individual request.
Whether a type is paid is decided once, when the type is created. That single flag then shapes how people use the balance for as long as it exists.
The effect on planning is direct. A paid type gets used to the last day of its allocation, because leaving it unused means leaving something behind. Unpaid types get used only when nothing else is available.
Which types an employer makes paid, and how many days each carries, is a policy decision. It is shaped by local rules that vary too much to generalise here.
Changing the flag on a type is not a small edit either. It alters what every existing balance is worth, and people planned on the old reading. Apply any change from a stated date and leave earlier records alone.
Where this shows up in PeopleMuster
PeopleMuster carries a Paid flag on each leave type, beside its annual quota. The status is fixed at the type and is not negotiated per request.
Questions people ask
Is all leave paid?
No. Most leave lists mix paid and unpaid types deliberately. Check the flag on the specific type before planning around it.
Who decides which leave types are paid?
The employer, within whatever rules apply where the employment sits. This page defines the term and states no requirement for any country.
Does taking paid leave affect an attendance rate?
Only if your rate counts leave days as expected working days. Most teams exclude approved leave from the denominator entirely.