Salesforce Field Service — Resource Absences with Non-Availability Record Type Not Appearing on the Gantt Chart

Resource Absence records with the [Non-Availability] record type may not appear on the Gantt chart when both of the following conditions are true:

1. The [Approved] checkbox on the Resource Absence record is not checked.
2. The "Activate Approval confirmation on resource absences" setting is enabled in Field Service Settings.

When these two conditions are met, the system requires the absence to be explicitly approved before it is displayed on the Gantt. An unapproved absence is treated as a pending record and is not shown.

Root Cause

This issue occurs when the following two conditions are met simultaneously:

• The [Approved] checkbox on the Resource Absence object is not checked.
• The "Activate Approval confirmation on resource absences" setting is enabled in Field Service Settings.

Resolution Options

Depending on your business requirements, perform one of the following actions:

1. Use a Flow or Approval Process to ensure the [Approved] field on the Resource Absence object is automatically checked when a Non-Availability absence is created or updated. This ensures all absences are approved and visible on the Gantt without manual intervention.
2. Disable the "Activate Approval confirmation on resource absences" setting under Field Service Settings > Scheduling > General Logic. This removes the approval requirement entirely, so all Non-Availability absences appear on the Gantt regardless of the [Approved] checkbox value.

Why This Matters

When a Non-Availability absence is not displayed on the Gantt, dispatchers may not be aware that the resource is absent during that period. The optimizer may assign Service Appointments to that resource, resulting in scheduling errors and missed appointments. Ensuring the [Approved] field is correctly set prevents this scenario.