Leave is to be intimated to HR department? Why? It is okay if he is an employee of your HR department. Why should an employee of Finance department or Marketing inform you in advance of taking leave? If he has communicated the leave orally to his reporting officer, what is the issue? Who is the authority to approve a leave? Is it HR or the reporting Officer.Certainly, it is not the HR but the Reporting Officer is the authority to approve a leave. As such if he has communicated his leave of absence, there is no violation. You should first change the HR policy of your establishment and then start issuing memos/ charge sheets. HR department is not suppose to create a terror among the employees, rather should step in whenever there is anything wrong in the interpersonal relationship between the employees and employees or employees and their reporting officers etc. Don't say that HR is in the top of all and all should communicate everything to HR Manager. His role is not to command but to listen.