Suspend, reactivate, or eliminate a position
Review a temporary suspension, an approved return, or a permanent ending while preserving position history.
Updated September 11, 2026
In this article
Use a position change request to suspend, reactivate, or eliminate an approved position. Review the complete dated change before submitting it. Approval records the agreed dates; each change takes effect on its own date.
| Lifecycle | Meaning |
|---|---|
| Active | The position participates in staffing capacity and financial calculations. |
| Suspended | The position is temporarily withdrawn. Its identity, recorded FTE, and history remain. |
| Archived | The position permanently ended through an approved Eliminate action. |
Draft and Scheduled describe approval progress. Vacancy describes staffing. Neither is a substitute for lifecycle.
Before you begin
You need access to the position’s affected departments and permission to submit position requests. Every included action follows its required approval workflow. Assignment, reporting, Budget, and compensation changes retain their own access requirements.
Choose the correct action
| Situation | Action |
|---|---|
| Change the position’s FTE, department, or other details | Change details |
| Temporarily withdraw the position from operating capacity | Suspend |
| Return a Suspended position to operating capacity | Reactivate |
| Permanently end an Active or Suspended position | Eliminate |
| Recruit into an approved vacancy | Keep the position Active |
An Active position with zero FTE is still Active. Use Suspend only when participation should stop; do not use zero FTE to imitate suspension.
Plan a suspension and return together
Include both dates in one position change request when the return is ready for approval. Review any changed FTE or other details that should begin on the return date.
For example, suspend a 1.0000-FTE position on July 1 and reactivate it at 0.7500 FTE on September 1:
| Period | Lifecycle | Recorded FTE | Counted FTE |
|---|---|---|---|
| Through June 30 | Active | 1.0000 | 1.0000 |
| July 1 through August 31 | Suspended | 1.0000 | 0.0000 |
| From September 1 | Active | 0.7500 | 0.7500 |
One final approval authorizes the complete timeline. The approved return does not need a second approval when September 1 arrives. An estimated return or review date is informational; it never authorizes reactivation.
Leave the approved return date blank for an open-ended suspension. A later approved position change can reactivate or eliminate the position.
Before suspending or eliminating
Review current and future assignments, reporting relationships, and other approved changes. Resolve affected assignment ends, transfers, cancellations, and Reports to changes explicitly before the lifecycle change can be applied.
Suspending or eliminating a position does not silently end assignments, change employee status, move reporting relationships, or erase compensation obligations. Reactivation does not restart former assignments. Any retained inconsistency still needs attention.
A planned return also needs subscribed position capacity. Capacity already committed to an approved future return is not available for another overlapping position. Suspension does not automatically reduce purchased subscription quantity.
Eliminate on an approved date
The elimination date is the first permanently ended date. A position eliminated July 1 remains operating through June 30, even if the request was approved earlier.
Elimination can follow a suspension. Once elimination has taken effect, the Archived position cannot be reactivated. Use Copy as new position if a separate position is needed; the copy receives its own identity and approval request.
Amend a future approved action
Identify the exact future action to replace or cancel and submit the revised timeline for approval. Review how the amendment affects a paired return, assignments, reporting relationships, and capacity.
Earlier approval evidence and changes that have already taken effect remain in history. A new request does not silently overwrite future approved dates. If the position changes during review, review the updated information before proceeding.
Verify the result
Review the request’s complete timeline and outcome. Compare the day before each change with its effective date, including lifecycle, recorded FTE, counted FTE, assignments, and reporting relationships. Check financial results after updating finishes, and use Activity to review the decision history.