Spreadsheets and email threads weren’t built to manage vacations, sick days, parental leave, and public holidays. A modern leave tracking App centralizes policies, requests, approvals, balances, and calendars so your team can plan confidently and payroll stays clean. This guide breaks down what a leave tracking App should actually do, how to evaluate one in the real world, and how to roll it out without drama. Then we dive deep into Day Off, features, pricing, where it shines, and how to deploy it fast.
What a leave tracking App really does (and why it matters)
A good leave tracking App does four things: capture requests, route approvals, keep accurate balances, and show who’s off. The small stuff,partial days, time zones, carryover, delegation, conflicts, and audit trails, turns it from a tool people avoid into one they love.
Capture requests without policy back-and-forth
Employees should be able to ask for time off in minutes, on the web or mobile, and get instant, helpful checks while they fill the form.
Smart checks in real time: Enough balance? Any blackout dates? Is a doctor’s note required? The app tells you up front.
Friendly guidance, not errors: If the balance is short, show how much is missing and when the next accrual lands. If dates hit a blackout, suggest nearby dates.
Clear forms, fewer clicks: Pick dates, type of leave, optional notes, upload documents, done.
Local awareness: Public holidays and time zones are built in so people don’t need to guess.
Clean record from the start: Every request gets a neat summary (dates, hours/days, balance impact) so there’s no messy follow-up later.
Result: fewer “Is this allowed?” pings and a request that’s correct the first time.
Route approvals to the right humans (fast)
Approvals should be quick and obvious, no chasing, no mysteries.
Right approver automatically: The app knows the manager, plus a backup when they’re out.
Single or multi-step flows: Some teams need only the manager; others need HR or project leads too. Both are easy.
One-tap approvals anywhere: Approve in the app, email, or chat (Slack/Teams) with context attached.
Useful context included: Dates, leave type, balance change, and who else is off to avoid coverage surprises.
Gentle nudges and escalations: Automatic reminders if something sits too long, with a clear audit trail of who did what and when.
Result: requests don’t linger in “pending,” and teams keep moving.
Keep a precise, auditable ledger
This is the hard part: the math. If the ledger is right, payroll is quiet and employees trust the numbers.
Accruals that match policy: Monthly, bi-weekly, or hire-anniversary accruals; part-time and variable schedules supported.
Carryover rules handled: Caps, expiries, and grace periods applied automatically.
Proration done right: Joiners, leavers, mid-year changes, unpaid leave, balances adjust cleanly.
Fair increments: Half-days or hours, minimums, and rounding rules that you control.
Corrections with receipts: Admins can fix mistakes with notes, and every change is logged for audit.
Snapshots and exports: See balances “as of” a date; plug clean data straight into payroll and reports.
Multi-country ready: Public holidays, local rules, and different leave types (paid, unpaid, parental, sick) in one place.
Result: accurate balances, fewer disputes, and a smooth month-end.
Make availability visible to everyone who needs it
When people can see who’s away, planning gets easier and there are fewer surprises.
Shared team calendar: Color-coded by leave type, filterable by team, location, or project.
Personal dashboards: Each person can see current balance, upcoming requests, and simple forecasts (“After this trip, you’ll have 3 days left.”).
Calendar sync: Push to Google/Microsoft calendars so schedules stay in one view.
Privacy controls: Show just enough detail, reason or no reason, based on your policy.
Manager views and reports: Spot coverage gaps, plan staffing, and export what payroll needs in seconds.
Result: fewer “Who’s off next week?” messages, better coverage, and calmer planning.
15 must-have capabilities (with practical explanations)
Flexible leave types & policies
Real life is more than vacation and sick days. You’ll probably need parental, bereavement, unpaid time, volunteering days, study leave, and country-specific categories. A good app lets you create as many types as you need, set simple rules for each one, and update those rules without calling engineering. That means you can respond to policy changes quickly and keep everything consistent for everyone.
Multiple accrual models
Not every company earns time off the same way. Some grant days once a year, others accrue monthly or every payroll, and many reset balances on the hire anniversary. You also need clean proration for people who join or leave mid-year and accurate payouts at termination. The right app handles all of this so you’re not fixing edge cases in spreadsheets.
Carryover controls with caps and expiry
Without limits, old leave piles up and planning becomes a headache. Carryover rules help you set clear boundaries, like how much can roll into the next period and when leftover days expire. When the app applies those rules automatically and warns people ahead of time, employees plan better and you avoid the last-minute rush to use up days.
Approval workflows you can actually change
Different teams need different approval paths. Sometimes the manager is enough; other times HR or a project lead must sign off, and managers need a delegate while they’re away. A flexible workflow editor lets you set the path by team, leave type, or person and adjust it as your organization changes. The result is fast, predictable approvals without IT tickets.
Org modeling for teams, locations, and calendars
Distributed companies run on different schedules. Working days and public holidays vary by location, and policies can change by role or region. Your app should understand teams inside teams, multiple offices, and time zones so balances and rules are always right. When the structure matches your org, you get fewer policy disputes and cleaner math.
Calendar sync with Google and Outlook
People already live in their calendars, so approved leave should show up there automatically. Personal calendars keep individuals organized, and shared team calendars help everyone spot conflicts early. With instant updates and privacy-friendly titles when needed, you move from reactive fire-fighting to proactive planning.
Chat integrations for Slack and Microsoft Teams
Workflows are faster when they happen where people talk. If employees can request time off, check balances, and managers can approve directly in chat, you cut delays and boost adoption. Helpful notifications with context reduce “Did you see this?” messages and keep everyone in the loop without switching apps.
Balances in hours and days
Day-based balances don’t fit every role. Part-time schedules, variable shifts, and hourly work need hour-level precision, while others prefer simple day counts. A good system lets you mix both, convert cleanly when policies change, and keep the math transparent. That fairness builds trust and stops confusion.
Blackouts, minimum staffing, and warnings
Some periods are too critical for many people to be off at once. Blackout dates and minimum staffing rules protect launches, quarter-end, and support coverage. When the app warns or blocks requests at the time of entry, you avoid awkward reversals later and keep service levels steady.
Self-service for employees and managers
Everyone should have answers without pinging HR. Employees need to see their balance, upcoming time off, and the rules that apply to them. Managers need a clear view of who’s out, quick approvals, and simple filters to check coverage. When the basics are self-serve, HR can focus on exceptions, not lookups.
Bulk admin actions and imports
Setup and reorganizations are easier with bulk tools. You’ll want to import employees, set opening balances, move people between teams, and fix historical quirks in one go. Safe previews and the ability to undo mistakes make big changes less risky and save hours of manual work.
Clean audit trails and helpful notifications
Trust depends on clear records. Every request, approval, change, and balance movement should have a timestamp, a user, and a reason. Notifications that summarize what changed reduce status checks and long email threads. With a reliable trail, questions get answered quickly and disputes fade.
Reports and exports for payroll and HRIS
End-of-period work should not mean copy-paste marathons. You need simple summaries for each period, detailed ledgers per employee, and accurate “as of” snapshots. Clean CSVs, scheduled exports, and APIs or connectors feed your payroll or HRIS automatically, so pay is right and reconciliation is calm.
Mobile apps managers actually use
Approvals shouldn’t wait for laptops. A fast, reliable mobile app lets employees submit from anywhere and managers approve with context in a few taps. Push notifications bring the right details to the lock screen, and quick comments or document uploads keep the process moving while people are on the go.
Security you can explain to your compliance lead
Security should be clear, not mysterious. Data needs strong encryption in transit and at rest, backups with defined recovery goals, and hosting in audited environments. Role-based access, SSO and SCIM, and separation of duties keep permissions tight, and data residency options help you meet regional requirements. When you can explain the setup in plain language, audits go smoother and risks drop.
When all fifteen work together, flexible policies, accurate math, smooth approvals, clear visibility, and strong security, you end up with a leave system people trust and actually enjoy using.
Deep dive: Day Off Vacation Tracker
Day Off Vacation Tracker is a cloud-based leave tracker with a clean interface and quick setup. It’s popular with small and mid-size teams and works for distributed orgs too. The core idea is simple: make requests easy, approvals fast, math correct, and calendars in sync, without forcing HR to babysit the process.
Custom leave categories, rules, and rollover
You can define your own leave types, beyond basic vacation and sick, and set rules for each type. Policies support balances in days or hours, and you can turn carryover on with caps and optional expiry, so unused time doesn’t pile up forever. The admin screens and knowledge base cover creating types, setting units (days vs. hours), and applying carryover limits with expirations.
Teams, locations, and a shared calendar
Teams get a shared calendar that shows official holidays alongside approved requests, so managers can spot conflicts early. You can add or localize holidays per location and keep a consistent view of who’s out across offices and time zones.
Automatic calendar updates to Google & Outlook
Approved time off can flow straight into Outlook and Google Calendar. Day Off has dedicated pages for both integrations and support syncing your own events, your team, or your subordinates, so the right people see the right availability without manual entry.
Work where you chat: Slack & Teams
Employees can request time off, and managers can approve right from Slack or Teams. Day Off provides a Slack app and a Teams integration so requests, balances, and notifications live where your team already works, reducing pings and speeding decisions.
iOS and Android, done right
iOS and Android apps make on-the-go requests and approvals simple. That’s helpful for hybrid teams, frontline staff, and managers who aren’t always at a desk. With a leave tracking App in your pocket, employees can submit PTO, add notes or attachments, and check balances in seconds, while managers approve with a tap. Push notifications reduce approval lag, and mobile calendars make it easy to see who’s out next, even across time zones. Secure sign-in and one-tap actions keep workflows moving without a laptop.
Plans and pricing (as of Sep 2025)
The Free plan targets small teams and includes up to 10 employees with a single approver, single policy, single team, and single location. The Pro plan is USD $2 per employee per month (minimum $20) and unlocks unlimited employees, multi-approver workflows, multi-team/location support, and integrations like Google, Outlook, Slack, and Teams. Check the pricing page for any changes before you buy.
Startup
- 10 Employees
- Single Approver
- Single Policy
- SingleTeam
- SingleLocation
Startup
- Unlimited
- Multi Approvers
- Multi Teams
- +5 Integrations
- 24/7 support
A step-by-step implementation blueprint
Draft your policy on paper first
Write the rules before you touch settings. Define your leave types, who’s eligible, how time accrues (grant vs. monthly vs. per-payroll), carryover caps and expiry, when documentation is required, and any blackout periods. Decide these now so configuration mirrors reality on day one.
Day Off example: You’ll map each leave type and rule later under Policies; having the decisions ready makes setup fast and avoids rework.
Create the workspace and model your org
Start by reflecting how your company actually operates. Add locations with their working days and local holidays. Create teams and sub-teams that match your org chart so calendars and approvals make sense to managers.
Day Off example: Create your company workspace, add locations with regional calendars, then build teams and sub-teams so calendars roll up neatly.
Configure accruals and carryover
Set grant sizes, choose the cadence (monthly, bi-weekly, anniversary), and define proration rules for joiners and leavers. Turn on carryover with caps and optional expiry to prevent balance creep. Test the math with a few real employee histories to catch edge cases early.
Day Off example: Configure accrual rules per leave type, enable carryover with caps/expiry, then run spot checks by impersonating three real profiles with different hire dates.
Set approval routing
Keep it simple to start: one approver per employee. Add a second approval level only where risk is higher or coverage is critical. Always assign a delegate so requests don’t stall when someone’s away.
Day Off example: Set each employee’s primary approver, add level-two approvers for sensitive teams, and assign time-boxed delegates for vacations.
Connect calendars and chat
Sync approved leave to Outlook and Google so visibility lives where people already plan their weeks. Enable Slack or Teams so employees can request and managers can approve without leaving the chat. Adoption increases when the app appears in the calendar and chat.
Day Off example: Enable Outlook/Google sync for teams and managers; install the Slack or Teams app so “request,” “approve,” and “check balance” work in chat.
Import people and seed opening balances
Load employees, assign them to the right teams and locations, and add starting balances. Always spot-check a sample to make sure names, managers, and balances are correct before go-live.
Day Off example: Use the bulk import to load users and balances, then sanity-check about 10% across different teams and employment dates.
Pilot for two weeks
Roll out to one team first. Watch where they stumble and fix the friction fast, policy text, notifications, blackout rules, or approval routing. Track a few simple metrics: approval cycle time, rejections for policy reasons, and balance corrections.
Day Off example: Give the pilot team the chat commands and calendar sync, then review the audit log and notifications to see where delays happen.
Company-wide launch with a one-pager
Share a simple “How to request leave” guide and a 60-second video. Ask managers to approve from chat to keep the cycle time short. Make it clear where to see balances and the team calendar so HR doesn’t become a help desk.
Day Off example: Link employees to the web and mobile flows; include the team calendar URL and the chat slash-commands in your one-pager.
Month-one review and tune
After four weeks, adjust what people actually used: tighten or loosen notifications, tweak calendar visibility, and set carryover warnings to fire earlier if needed. Lock your reporting/export cadence with payroll so month-end is calm.
Day Off example: Schedule a monthly balance snapshot, confirm the export format payroll wants, and set reminders for pending approvals that age past two days.
Policy design tips you’ll thank yourself for later
- Use hours for part-timers; days for everyone else. Mixing units by policy keeps math fair without awkward conversions. If you later change a team’s unit, document the conversion rule so people understand their new balance.
- Set carryover caps and expiries. Caps stop balances from inflating; expiries nudge people to actually take time off. Add friendly reminders a few weeks before expiry so employees can plan instead of scrambling.
- Explain exceptions in plain language. If negative balances are allowed, if medical documentation is required, or if probation limits apply, write it clearly in the policy and mirror it in the app so approvals don’t become debates.
- Map holidays per location. Multi-country or multi-state teams need the right public holiday calendars attached. This prevents accidental denials, surprise approvals, and mismatched balances.
- Always define a handoff. Every approver should have a named delegate with a clear start and end date. That way, the system, not an email thread, is your single source of truth for “who approves when my manager is out?”
FAQs
Does Day Off support comp time / TOIL?
Yes. Create a “Comp Off” leave type that reflects your policy, full days, half-days, or hours, and route it for approval like any other request. You can require notes or proof (e.g., weekend shift) and decide whether it accrues separately or simply deducts from a comp-time balance. It then appears in balances, calendars, and reports so payroll and managers see it clearly.
How many approvers can we assign per person?
Up to two. You can run true two-step approvals (for example, Manager/HR) and set temporary delegates so requests don’t stall when someone is away. Many teams start simple with one approver and add a second only for sensitive roles or peak seasons; Day Off lets you switch that per employee or team without re-onboarding.
Can we block critical dates so people can’t book leave?
Yes. Use Blockout Dates to hard-block requests during launches or quarter-end, or set soft warnings that still allow exceptions. You can scope these windows by team or location, add a reason so employees understand the rule, and grant one-off overrides with a note for the audit trail.
Will calendars update automatically, and can managers see team/subordinate time off?
Yes. Approved leave can sync to Google Calendar and Outlook, so visibility lives where people plan their week. Managers can view team and direct-report time off, and you can choose privacy settings (busy-only titles vs. named leave types) to match your policy. Changes and cancellations update calendars automatically, so schedules stay accurate.
Can we mix hours and days?
Yes. Balances can be tracked in days or hours, which is ideal if you have part-timers, variable shifts, or hourly roles alongside standard day-based staff. Pick the unit per policy, keep your conversion rules documented if you ever switch, and report across both without losing clarity for payroll.
Does it handle multiple locations and local holidays?
Yes. Set up locations with their working days and public holiday calendars, then assign teams and people accordingly. This keeps accruals, blackouts, and availability aligned to local rules, useful for distributed orgs where weekends and holidays differ, and essential to avoid accidental approvals or denials.
Can employees and managers work directly in Slack or Microsoft Teams?
Yes. Employees can request time off, check balances, and see status updates in chat, while managers approve with one click and get reminders if something sits too long. This reduces context-switching, shortens approval cycles, and keeps a clean audit trail tied to the original chat action.
Is there a mobile app?
Yes. Native iOS and Android apps let employees submit requests with notes or attachments and let managers review, comment, and approve on the go. Push notifications surface new requests and changes immediately, and the mobile calendar view helps everyone see upcoming absences without opening a laptop.
What about importing our people and starting balances?
There’s a bulk import using a CSV/Excel template with a preview step before you commit changes. You can load employees, assign teams and managers, and seed opening balances in one pass, then run a quick spot-check to catch typos or mismatched managers. All imports are logged so you can trace who changed what and when.
How long is the Pro free trial?
Day Off offers a Pro trial, but the exact length can vary. Check the live pricing page or ask sales to confirm before you start, and verify what happens to your data when the trial ends. It’s smart to test a full cycle, including requests, approvals, exports, during the trial and keep an export of your configuration and sample reports for comparison.
Conclusion
Spreadsheets and email threads weren’t built for PTO. A modern leave app brings policies, requests, approvals, balances, and calendars into one place so people can plan with confidence and payroll stays quiet. In this guide, we showed what “good” really means, the four core jobs, the 15 capabilities that prevent rework, and a rollout blueprint you can follow step by step.
If Day Off fits your stack, the path is straightforward: model your locations and teams, set accruals and carryover, wire up calendars and chat, import people and balances, pilot for two weeks, then tune and launch. Validate your edge cases, anniversary grants, probation rules, and payouts, and you’ll have a system that’s fast to use, easy to trust, and simple to audit.
Bottom line: pick a tool that gets the math right, removes approval friction, and makes availability visible. Do that, and you’ll swap chaotic PTO admin for calm, predictable planning.