Use a relative duration
When you define an SLA, you can set the Duration type to be a relative duration.
Before you begin
Role required: admin
About this task
When using relative durations, you can also use the Relative duration works on field. It calculates against the SLA record, or the task record that the SLA record is used for.
This example demonstrates how a relative duration of End of next business day works.
Procedure
-
Create an SLA that has a relative duration of End of next business day.
-
Complete the rest of the fields of this SLA with the values as shown, also setting a Timezone if you want.
[Omitted image "SLARelativeDuration.png"] Alt text: Relative Duration in an SLA
-
To show how this Relative Duration works, create a new incident.
The SLA starts for this incident. In the Task SLAs related list, if you look at the Business time left and Start time fields, notice that the time left is until the next business day at 5pm.
Note: Pause conditions are not compatible with Relative Durations.
Parent Topic:Using time configuration
---
title: Use a relative duration
description: When you define an SLA, you can set the Duration type to be a relative duration.
locale: en-US
canonical_url: https://www.servicenow.com/docs/r/platform-administration/time-configuration/t\_UseARelativeDuration.html
release: brazil
product: Time Configuration
classification: time-configuration
topic_type: task
last_updated: "2026-09-10"
reading_time_minutes: 1
breadcrumb: [Use, Time configuration, Configure core features, Administer the ServiceNow AI Platform]
---
# Use a relative duration
When you define an SLA, you can set the **Duration type** to be a relative duration.
## Before you begin
Role required: admin
## About this task
When using relative durations, you can also use the **Relative duration works on** field. It calculates against the SLA record, or the task record that the SLA record is used for.
This example demonstrates how a relative duration of End of next business day works.
## Procedure
1. Create an SLA that has a relative duration of **End of next business day**.
2. Complete the rest of the fields of this SLA with the values as shown, also setting a Timezone if you want.
\[Omitted image "SLARelativeDuration.png"\] Alt text: Relative Duration in an SLA
3. To show how this Relative Duration works, create a new incident.
The SLA starts for this incident. In the **Task SLAs** related list, if you look at the **Business time left** and **Start time** fields, notice that the time left is until the next business day at 5pm.
**Note:** Pause conditions are not compatible with Relative Durations.
**Parent Topic:**[Using time configuration](https://raw.githubusercontent.com/ServiceNow/ServiceNowDocs/brazil/markdown/platform-administration/time-configuration/using-time-configuration.md)
| title | Use a relative duration |
| description | When you define an SLA, you can set the Duration type to be a relative duration. |
| locale | en-US |
| canonical_url | https://www.servicenow.com/docs/r/platform-administration/time-configuration/t\_UseARelativeDuration.html |
| release | brazil |
| product | Time Configuration |
| classification | time-configuration |
| topic_type | task |
| last_updated | 2026-09-10 |
| reading_time_minutes | 1 |
| breadcrumb | UseTime configurationConfigure core featuresAdminister the ServiceNow AI Platform |