Positions and workforce
Archive, restore, or discard a position
Choose the right action for an approved position, a never-submitted draft, or draft changes that were not submitted.
Updated August 7, 2026
Overview
Use Archive, Restore, and Discard for different kinds of position records. These actions preserve business history; they do not erase a position or its activity.
Choose based on whether the position has ever been approved or submitted.
Choose the correct action
| Situation | Action | Result |
|---|---|---|
| An approved position is no longer in use | Archive position | Removes it from current lists and choices while retaining approved history and allowing later restoration. |
| An archived approved position is needed again | Restore position | Returns it to current use when required information is complete and a paid position is available. |
| A draft has never been submitted and should not be kept | Discard draft position | Removes it from current proposed work. It cannot be restored, but its record and history remain. |
| One unsubmitted proposal is no longer wanted | Discard draft value | Discards only that proposal and leaves approved values unchanged. |
| An approved position has unsubmitted draft edits that should be abandoned | Discard draft changes | Keeps the approved position and discards the eligible working changes. |
Before archiving
Check for:
- An active approval request.
- Positions that report directly to it in the org chart.
- Future reporting-line changes.
- Assignments, reporting relationships, or requests that still refer to the position.
- Unsubmitted changes that will be discarded.
An active approval request must finish or be cancelled before the position can be archived.
What archiving changes
Archiving removes the position from current lists, new selection choices, approval requests, and the org chart. It also discards unsubmitted changes. Approved values and activity history remain available.
If positions report directly to the archived position, FTE Tree moves them to the next active position above it. If the archived position is top-level, those directly reporting positions become top-level. A scheduled move to another valid active position can still take effect; a scheduled move back beneath the archived position is redirected safely. If a redirect would create a circular relationship, the affected position becomes top-level.
Review the confirmation page carefully because reporting relationships in other departments can be affected.
Restore an archived position
Restoration requires:
- Manage positions for the department.
- All required active-position information.
- An available paid position when the restored status counts as active.
Restoring does not recreate former reporting relationships or discarded draft changes. Review the position after restoration and prepare any needed reporting-line or position changes separately.
When a draft can be discarded
A draft position can be discarded only when it has never been submitted and is not referenced by an assignment, approved value, reporting relationship, request, or other saved work.
After a draft has been used in a request, it cannot be discarded even if the request was denied, invalidated, or cancelled. This protects the exact information that was reviewed.
Discarding a never-submitted draft releases its external position ID for reuse. The position number, draft values, and activity remain in history.
If the action is unavailable
Work through these checks:
- Confirm whether the position is approved, archived, or still a draft.
- Open Change requests and close any active request appropriately.
- Review assignments and reporting relationships.
- Confirm your department access and that a paid position is available.
- Read the page message; it normally names the blocking relationship or requirement.
Do not create a replacement position to work around a blocked action. Correct or close the assignment, reporting relationship, or request named on the page so the history remains connected.
Common questions
Does archive delete history?
No. Approved values, activity, and the position record remain.
Can a denied draft be discarded?
No. Once submitted, the draft is part of the request history.
Will restore rebuild the old org chart?
No. Restore returns the position to use but does not recreate reporting relationships that changed during archive.