Category: Tips

  • 4 Tips to Help You Maximize Your Hawaii Vacation  

    4 Tips to Help You Maximize Your Hawaii Vacation  

    Taking time off and disconnecting from work during nonwork time is vital for focus, stress management, and even long-term physical health. As previously discussed in our article on The Role of Vacation in Stress Management, a well-rested workforce is more productive, creative, and engaged. Considering that a survey listed Hawaii among the least stressed states, it’s not surprising that many workers choose to visit the Aloha State to unwind, so here is your guide to maximize your vacation.

    However, making the most of your Hawaiian vacation involves more than just booking a flight and securing accommodations. To truly savor the beauty and richness of the islands, strategic planning, and insider tips are crucial for elevating your experience. In this article, we’ll outline a guide to unlocking the full potential of your Hawaiian getaway, 
    offering insights on everything from the best time to visit Hawaii to the ideal islands for relaxation.​

    Tips for making the most of your vacation. 

    Prepare for your time off!

    Before jetting off to your well-deserved getaway, there are a few things you need to consider ensuring a relaxing, stress-free vacation and a smooth re-entry to the office. This includes focusing on the projects and tasks that need to be completed prior to your departure, communicating with your colleagues, determining contingency plans, and writing an out-of-office email response. If your workplace utilizes paid time off tracking software like Day Off, the process is likely much simpler, as your colleagues will be notified quicker. Just make sure that you submit a leave request that gives you ample time to recharge.

    Aim for shoulder season

    When scheduling your Hawaii vacation, it’s best to book during the shoulder seasons for a more fulfilling and cost-effective experience. These periods, typically in May before the summer crowds arrive and in September after Labor Day, provide a sweet spot where you can enjoy stunning beaches and a calmer atmosphere with fewer crowds. Additionally, accommodation and travel costs often dip in the off-peak season, making it a budget-friendly option. According to travel trend expert Laura Lindsay, the lowest roundtrip airfares to Hawaii from Los Angeles are sold in February, but if you’re coming from New York, it’s best to book around December.

    Plan around your rental car


    While the islands boast breathtaking scenery, many of these gems are scattered and not easily accessible by public transportation. Having a rental car grants you the freedom to explore at your own pace, reach remote destinations, and discover hidden treasures off the beaten path. At the same time, it can be a bit of a challenge to find parking in Waikiki and other major tourist destinations. If you’re staying at a hotel, most establishments have designated parking for guests, but they may require additional fees, and in/out privileges vary. On the other hand, you have the option of taking advantage of free parking, you just need to conduct a bit of research beforehand to identify locations that are accessible to you.

    Visit more than one island


    First-time visitors often make the mistake of staying in one place for the duration of their vacation, depriving themselves of the opportunity to delve into the archipelago’s diverse charm. Each island has its unique landscapes, cultural nuances, and recreational opportunities. For instance, Oahu and Waikiki are known for being vibrant urban areas. However, for travelers who are seeking a quieter, more peaceful island conducive to decompression, Kauai should be at the top of their list. On the Garden Isle, you can bask in the island’s natural beauty, hike through trails to see waterfalls, enjoy long stretches of pristine beaches, learn about sacred traditions, and immerse yourself in small-town culture.


    When taking time off work to relax and explore the idyllic landscapes and vibrant culture of the islands, you’re not only creating cherished memories but also replenishing your mental and emotional reserves. Hawaii’s natural beauty and laid-back atmosphere provide a therapeutic escape from the daily grind, allowing you to return to work with renewed energy and a fresh perspective.

    If you’re interested in making scheduling time off a breeze, check out the Day Off app, available for Android and iOS devices, or visit the Day Off website for more details.

  • Out Of Office Message: A Guide For Writing The Best OOO Email.

    Out Of Office Message: A Guide For Writing The Best OOO Email.

    An autoresponder, or out of office message (OOO) is a pre-programmed email response that appears when a person is not actively monitoring their inbox and is unable to responsive to emails in a timely manner. This automated reply lets the email sender know that the receiver is not available right now and gives an approximate time frame for when they will be back in regular communication. This tool is useful for controlling expectations around communication, particularly when someone is unable to respond to emails right away due to a vacation, or a day off, or work travel, or other circumstance.

    When writing an out of office message there are some factors you need to focus on and the opposite, achieving a balance between helpfulness, transparency, and professionalism is crucial. Here are some things to avoid and important things to pay attention to:

    Things You’ve to Pay Attention to:

    1. Clarity: Indicate exactly when you intend to return to the office, and on which dates you will be absent. The sender’s expectations are now clearly laid out in terms of time he’ll be able to communicate with you in.

    2. Etiquette: Show the sender your appreciation for their email and be kind. A short note like “Thank you for your email” makes a big difference.

    3. Alternative Contact Information: If relevant, give information about a teammate or colleague who may be reached in your place. Give their name, phone number, and email address.

    4. Emergency Contact: Clearly state if there is a real emergency contact (such as a manager or a specific department).

    5. Reassurance: Inform the sender that you value their email and will get to it as soon as you get back.

    End the email in a professional manner by closing it with “Best Regards” or “Kind Regards,” then include your name, position, and firm.

    Things to Avoid:

    1. Dates That Aren’t Clear: Be clear about when you plan to return. Give precise dates in order to properly manage expectations.

    2. Over-Disclosure: Although being polite and communicative is important, you don’t have to get too deep into many personal details concerning your absence from work. Be succinct and professional.

    3. Don’t use jargon or complex vocabulary; instead, speak simply and clearly. stay away from any complex words or technical jargon that could mislead the recipient.

    4. Sarcasm or humour: emails sent from outside the office are formal correspondence. Avoid humour and sarcasm when writing because these expressions can be confusing, or the receipts can misunderstand it.

    5. Grammatical Errors: Verify that your out of office message which is sent when you’re not in the office is correct in terms of grammar and spelling. The key is professionalism.

    6. Unprofessional Language: Throughout, speak in a professional manner. don’t depend on extremely informal language and abbreviations that are frequently used in private chat.

    Remember, an out of office message is often the first impression someone gets when trying to contact you. It reflects your professionalism and how seriously you take your communication with others.

    Some Out of Office Message Examples

    Example 1: Vacation out of office message

    Subject: [Your Name] is out of the office.

    Hi there,

    I appreciate you reaching out to me. I’m currently on vacation, so I won’t be able to reply to emails until [Date of your return]. I will only have restricted access to my email during this time.

    Please call [Alternative call Person’s Name] at [Alternative Contact Person’s Phone Number] or [Alternative Contact Person’s Email] if your situation is urgent.

    Thank you for your understanding, and I will respond as soon as I can after I return.

    Warm Regards,

    [Your Full Name]
    [Your Position]
    [Your Company]
    [Your Email Address]
    [Your Phone Number]

    Feel free to customize these templates according to your specific situation and preferences

    Example 2: Out of office message for medical leave

    Subject: [Your Name] is out of the office.

    Hello,

    Thank you for reaching out. I will not be able to reply to emails until [Date of your return] as I am presently on medical leave. I’m not able to check my email right now.

    Please get in touch with [Alternative Contact Person’s Name] at [Alternative Contact Person’s Phone Number] or [Alternative Contact Person’s Email] for any urgent matter.

    Thank you for your patience and understanding. When I get back, I’ll reply to your email as soon as I can.

    Best Regards,

    Example 3: Business trip out of office message

    Subject: [Your Name] is out of the office.

    Greetings,

    I appreciate your email. Since I’m on a business trip right now, I won’t be able to reply to emails until [Date of your return]. During my journey, I might not have constant access to my email.

    Please contact [Alternative Contact Person’s Name] at [Alternative Contact Person’s Email] or [Alternative Contact Person’s Phone Number] if your situation has to be addressed right away.

    Thank you for your understanding, and as soon as I’m back, I’ll get back to you via email.

    Warm Regards,

    Conclusion

    To sum up, creating a strong out of office message is crucial to upholding professionalism in communicating and controlling expectations during your absence. You can make sure that people understand that you are unavailable and know what to do in your absence by emphasizing clarity, being courteous, and including necessary information like your return dates and other contact information. Preventing ambiguous wording, excessive disclosure, humour, and informal tones enhances the impact of your message even more. In addition to reflecting your expertise, a well-written out of office message guarantees that your contacts feel informed and valued, which enhances the communication experience for all parties.

  • Employment Application Form: With 2 Example Templets

    Employment Application Form: With 2 Example Templets

    Potential employees and employers communicate with one another through the employment application form. It is an important document that aids in the collection of vital applicant data by organizations. In addition to streamlining the recruiting process, a well-designed application form guarantees that employers gather relevant information so they may make well-informed selections. This article examines the essential elements of a successful job application and provides advice on how to create a thorough, legally acceptable form.

    Simplicity is the Main key

    To attract candidates to apply, a form that is both simple and concise is necessary. Make sure that candidates can simply comprehend and complete the form by using plain language and avoiding jargon. To assist candidates in navigating the process, each section should be clearly labelled and guidance should be provided as needed.

    Personal Information

    Gather basic personal information from the candidate, including their full name, address, phone number, and email address. Make sure the application form has a section for the position the applicant is applying for, along with fields for the applicant’s preferred wage and availability for starting the work.

    Educational Degree and Experiences

    Add sections on your work history and educational background. Request the names of the schools attended, the degrees earned, and the year of graduation. Ask for details about prior employers, job titles, responsibilities, dates of employment, and reasons for leaving in the work history section. Candidates should priorities listing their most recent positions.


    Skills and Qualifications

    Give applicants the opportunity to highlight their qualifications, experience, and certifications in fields that are relevant to the job. In this segment, applicants present their areas of expertise and guarantee that their qualifications align with the job specifications. make sure to add a section in the employment application form for the applicant to give an overview of his skills to see if he is the right one for the job, as well as his qualifications these are the factors that will determine if he is the suitable one or not.

    Legal Compliance and Equal Opportunity

    Incorporate inquiries on the candidate’s ability to work within the nation. As long as it’s relevant to the position, find out about any criminal convictions, and abide by any local rules or regulations. Make sure your application form complies with employment requirements for equal opportunity and does not contain any inquiries on age, marital status, gender, race, or religion.

    Professional Reference

    Give applicants a space to include professional references. Employers can use this information to confirm the applicant’s credentials and employment history. Candidates often need to supply the names, affiliations, contact information (phone and email), and names of references.

    Customized Roles and Policies

    You might want to consider developing customised application forms for various positions in your company. By customising the form for particular roles, you may collect job-specific data that is necessary for effectively assessing applicants.

    Conclusion

    Creating a strong job application is a crucial part of the hiring procedure. In addition to making the application process easier for candidates, a clear and well-organized form guarantees that employers have the data they need to make wise judgements. Organisations can design application forms that expedite the recruiting process and assist in identifying the most qualified individuals for their openings by concentrating on clarity, legality, and relevancy. It’s important to be informed on the most recent changes to employment rules and regulations in order to ensure compliance and promote an inclusive and equitable recruiting process.


  • Time Off from Work: What Are The Values of Taking A Day Off?

    Time Off from Work: What Are The Values of Taking A Day Off?

    Taking a time off from work or a day off is not a luxury, contrary to what some people believe, but rather one of the things that helps you restore your capacity and energy so that you can then work to fulfill your responsibilities and duties at work. In this article, we will try to explain how taking a day off can help you. In this fast-paced world that we live in, it is easy to find yourself exhausted in accomplishing your work to the point that you forget to take care of yourself and your mental health and will being.


    Benefits of Taking a Time Off from Work

    1. Your Mental and Physical Health Will Appreciate It

    Taking a day off or even opening your time off tracking software and submit your request to take a day off from work, can considerably improve our emotional and mental well-being since taking care of our mental health is just as important as taking care of our physical health. We frequently disregard symptoms of mental exhaustion and burnout when we are busy with our overwhelming schedules. We can unwind, indulge in our favorite pastimes, spend time with our loved ones, or just have some peaceful time to ourselves on a day off. These activities are crucial for lowering stress levels, fostering creativity, and strengthening cognitive performance.

    Moreover, taking breaks promotes a healthy state of mind by delaying the onset of worry and despair, although it may be unsettling to ask for a mental health day or to skip work, the advantages far outweigh the drawbacks you will be breathless by your work productivity once your back to work.

    Our body is not a machine that works nonstop all day for the benefit of our organization, without your physical abilities you do not exist, in this case they may lay you off at work because you are unable to perform your practical tasks because of your burn out, so by giving our bodies time to rest, we can lower our risk of developing certain diseases and increase our lifetime.

    2. Your Work Productivity Will Leave You Gasping for Air

    Taking a time off might seem paradoxical to becoming more productive, contrary to popular opinion, however, taking regular breaks and vacations is essential for boosting productivity. We become less effective, and the quality of our job suffers when we overwork ourselves. On the other hand, taking a day off or a few short breaks enables us to come back to our work with new insight and vigor.

    Increased productivity, better problem-solving abilities, and higher levels of creativity are frequently the outcomes of this restored vigor. Employers are beginning to understand the value of employee wellbeing and are enacting policies that promote time off to ensure a happier and more productive staff.

    3.The Sky will be the Limit of Your Creativity

    Vacations can increase our productivity and creativity if they are planned well in addition to being restful, the mental repercussions of being overworked can include cognitive tiredness, trouble concentrating, forgetfulness, and poor problem-solving skills, among other things. a day off or vacation gives you more time to unwind and sleep better, which might help clear your head and give you more mental room.

    Getting rid of mental clutter improves creativity and clarity of thought. While on vacation, this can occur in both little and major ways. According to research, even a short stroll on a treadmill inside can greatly boost creativity. On a larger scale, taking a break offers the chance for significant or convenient ideas to surface.

    4. Achieve the Impossible Life-Work Balance

    Working for a long time without any opportunity to take a day off may lead to the destruction of your personal life and you should try to reconcile your work life and your personal life, because human beings depend on interpersonal relationships to sustain their existence and because work is the most important aspect of their lives, it is impossible to live without either of them. However, you can bring them together by taking regular times off, which helps the individual to improve their relationships and also to renewal their capacity to work.

    In civilizations that encourage a healthier work-life balance, people tend to be more satisfied, and far away from stress-related disorders due to being burn out from workflow. the level of employee involvement is likewise higher. As a result, embracing the concept of frequent time off might enhance community wellness.

    Tips to Enjoy Your Time Off to The Max

    1. planning is the Master Key

    Time management is the key to making the most of your vacations, whether planning a quick trip or going out with friends or family. Try to plan something new and different that you have never done before and spend as much time as you can in nature. Self-pampering and shopping may also have the desired effects. disconnect from social media and work email. Set limits with technology to properly savor and cherish this time for yourself by unplugging from it.

    2. Expand your knowledge

    Make the most of your free time to get knowledge. It might be something that piques your curiosity, like a new recipe, a skill, a language, or anything else. Your brain is stimulated, and you feel accomplished after learning something new.

    3. Boosting your Relationships

    Spend time with your loved ones. Positive social contacts can be incredibly fulfilling and are essential for our wellbeing, and do not waste the opportunity to get to make new relationships, and deal with different mindsets than yours the matter that will expand your mentality and the way you think.

    4. Enjoy Your Hobbies

    Do what makes you happy and comfortable, always keep that in mind. Make the most of your personal time off by planning your activities around your interests and preferences, pursuing a hobby may be incredibly fulfilling and calming.

    It is not indicative of laziness or lack of commitment to work while on leave. It is crucial to maintaining a happy, balanced, and healthy lifestyle. Employers and employees both gain from understanding the value of regular breaks and vacations. In order to maintain wellbeing, increase productivity, and foster a healthy work environment, it is not merely a matter of personal preference.













  • Employee Engagement: 7 Ways to Increase it

    Employee Engagement: 7 Ways to Increase it

    Well, increasing the employee engagement level in your company can be a challenging or tricky task. All the HR managers need to make sure that all the employees or members of a team are highly passionate about the jobs. They also need to ensure that the employees are coming to the office enthusiastic to begin their work.

    Sometimes, a bad situation can arise, and your employees may suffer the blues. But that shouldn’t create a major impact on them when it comes to working towards the organizational goals. You should constantly take note of your employee engagement level and apply different methods to keep up the level.

    What do you mean by employee engagement?

    In general, employee engagement is about the emotional and mental connection of the employees towards the job, organization, or their team. The employee engagement level can greatly affect the crucial aspects of the organization, like customers experience, revenue, profitability, turnover period of the employees, etc.

    As per some studies, more than 90 percent of HR managers think that well-engaged employees can perform better, increasing the business’s outcome. So, no matter what is the financial standing or size of the business, the HR manager should work for employee engagement. Some benefits of employee engagement are:

    • There will be a great increase in employee productivity.
    • The employee retention level will go up.
    • You will enjoy less absenteeism.

    Now, let’s discuss how you can improve your company’s employee engagement.

    1- Enhance the efficiency in the workplace

    Well, if your employees are using old and outdated tools or technologies, then their work quality will be affected. Some studies have proved that inefficient processes can affect more than 25 percent of the total working day of an employee. If you have a better and advanced document management process, the workload will be much easier to handle, and they manage the task efficiently. Another example is using the Leave tracker.

    The modern Time off tracking tool, like the Day off leave tracker, enables them to apply for leave with a few simple clicks. This way, they save time and concentrate more on their work. Besides, they can also see their balance leave and all the important data in one place without requesting their HR manager to mail the data.

    2- Always focus on onboarding

    You all know that first impression is very important and also applies to the workplace. Remember that your onboarding process will set the tone for how the new employees will see the company as well as its position.  Onboarding is a great way to properly connect the employee with the values, vision, and mission of the company.

    On the other hand, it helps them to know their roles and responsibilities. So, utilize the onboarding process to show the employees what are the factors that make your organization’s culture unique. Offer information directly about the roles. Don’t forget to let them know about your leave policy. You can use an employee leave tracker app to send them the rules and regulations.

    3- Encourage a decent level of flexibility

    One of the important secrets on how to improve your employee engagement is by offering them a better level of flexibility. This will provide them with the freedom to adjust their location or job schedules to match their requirements. Not many HR managers trust their workers in getting the task done without the intervention of the managers. Well, you can give them a surprise. It has been proved that, when offered flexible hours, employees become more productive, engaged, and happier. So, think about it.

    4- It’s time to prioritize wellness

    As per “Management Journal Employee Engagement Survey of Gallup, more than 60 percent of engaged employees think that work positively can affect physical health. Another study has proved that disengaged workers generally feel anxious at work, more than around 59 percent than the engaged workers.

    When it comes to employee wellness, it can cover both mental and physical wellness. Remember that wellness plays a great role in employee engagement. Before one can think about other needs, it is important to consider the normal factors like nutrition to stability. Is your organization promoting healthy living? Are they comfortable in the workspace? Do you offer them a flexible work schedule? There are more such things that you need to consider if you want to increase your employee engagement level.

    5- A friendly leave policy

    Every company has a leave policy that sets rules and regulations related to leaves. If you have a strict leave policy and are not offering the leaves that they deserve, then your employees will feel demotivated and may not work properly. While HR managers want their employees to work more, they should allow them to take a leave from work so that they can relax and attain their personal work. So, create a flexible leave policy. Besides, deploy a professional Employee time off the tracker, for example, Day off, so that your employees can easily apply for a leave. Besides, they can also know the status of their leaves using the software.

    6- Always remain authentic

    Keep in mind that a sincere relationship between the HR management and employees can motivate a solid trust and will develop teamwork. So, don’t falsify the relationships and create a trusting workplace for all. When your employees believe that the workplace is neutral, everyone has the right to enjoy their work; they will automatically feel that there is no need to hire things from their colleagues.

    7- Invite feedback from the employees and also act on it

    Modern technologies have made it easier for managers to seek and analyze employee feedback regularly, for example, through online surveys. However, such tools may not offer you the desired results if you don’t work on the feedback or views. So, after getting the feedback, analyze it and see if you can apply those views without affecting the company’s existing policy.

    While applying these tips, don’t forget to use a free vacation tracker to keep your employee engagement level high. Technologies have simplified different processes, and every organization should use those software programs. So, go on and get a free time off tracker now.

  • The best way to utilize your company leave management

    The best way to utilize your company leave management

    There is no doubt that employees or staff leave management may look like evil to the overworked or stressed HR managers. However, a combination of a professional leave tracker and proper leave management policy will make sure that the company is running smoothly while offering the employees many opportunities to recover from stress, recharge the energy level and attend to their families. But maintaining a perfect balance between a happy team and business can be a little tricky. So, is there any option for this? Well, keep reading to know the answer and explore some best ways to use the leave management of your company.

    What do you mean by leave management?

    When it comes to an understanding of less productivity in your employees, the reason for this can be more. For example, it can be related to personal life or some official issues. As an employer or manager, you need to develop a positive environment for the employees to work together. As a result, they can complete the projects effectively and efficiently, and you will enjoy better as well as consistent results.

    Speaking about employee leave management, it consists of the process as well as policies of managing time-off requests of your employees, for example, parental leave, sick leave, holiday, and vacation. By using a perfect leave management system and Vacation tracker, you can easily develop a safe as well as a healthy workplace environment. In simple words, the primary objective of leave management is to deal with leave requests accurately and fairly so your business can run smoothly without affecting the employees.

    The scheduling system lets the employers effectively distribute the employee’s workload who is taking leave to keep the process easier and less messy for the team. Different tools like Day Off and more help avoid possible accident leave requests, and you can have better control.

    Leave management is a major component or responsibility of the company’s HR management. As this is an important thing, there should be a clear leave management process in a company.

    Understanding the importance of leave management

    Perfect leave management can create a better employer experience. How? Well, the employers or HR managers can ask or encourage the staff to use the paid leaves properly. Besides, they can make sure that their employees are not feeling overwhelmed with the workload when they are planning for a leave. Here are some major benefits of leave management that can result in a better experience.

    Employee satisfaction and better management of employees

    Good leave management will make sure that your employees or staff are 100 percent satisfied with the workplace. Besides, it will ensure a stress-free as well as a comfortable environment in the office. What’s more? As per the experts, proper leave management will bring a maximum level of transparency between the employees and management. As a result, there will be fewer unexplained or unscheduled leaves.

    Lowers the expenses

    The absence and leave of the employees can contribute to around 40 percent of a company’s payroll. With the help of a leave management system, the organization can easily implement the paid leaves based on the policies. This will greatly lower the accidental allotment of paid leaves. As a result, you can witness a great impact on the organization’s finances.

    Better employee wellbeing and confidence

    If the employees know that they are enjoying a proper and fair leave policy, they will become more confident. Besides, they will always trust your company’s HR management. Good leave management always shows that the company is properly organized.

    As a result, this will trigger the trust factors, and that will result in more engaged and happier employees who will always stay productive as well motivated to help your business succeed. On the other hand, if you have poor leave management, it can easily create resentments in the employees who have to deal with the workload as some employees are absent. So, come up with better leave management to deal with such issues.

    Proper planning for leaves

    Most of the modern leave management systems let the employees see the remaining leaves in real-time. It creates a great level of transparency. In the end, it triggers the sense of proper holiday or leaves planning among the employees. The employees can now plan their leave in advance, and the managers will have all the data to plan for the leave accordingly to ensure the company has a sufficient workforce to handle the project.

    As per different studies, proper planning of leaves can help an organization in lowering the disruption at work, and you will not see any downtrends in productivity. As a manager, you can easily plan ahead. Furthermore, proper leave or holiday planning can enhance the employees’ morale. No employees will prefer to work for more hours just because there are some unplanned leaves.

    You are obeying the law

    As per the rules in the UK, a full-time employee can get 28 days’ holiday. Well, this may change based on the country and federal laws. The yearly leave entitlement for the part-time or remote workers can be proportionate to the time they work.

    For example, if he/she works for three days a week, he/she can take 16 day’s leave per year. By ensuring that the employees are getting proper leaves based on the law will develop the trust factor, and they will respect their workplace. By using a Vacation tracker, you can easily manage the leaves of different teams. 

    Different ways to use the leave management

    Identify with the required law

    Within any business, employee leave management holds a significant place. Why? Well, the growth of the business will depend on this. So, one of the best ways to use leave management is to get familiar with the state or local labor and federal laws. The administration, as well as the policies of the enterprise, should conform to the law of the country.

    It has been seen that some companies face various legal challenges quite frequently following poor leave management systems. Such conditions generally take place when an employer tries to consider the personal as well as private circumstances of the employee. This may sound good, but this can create a feeling of partiality in some employees, and others may not receive the same benefits.

    However, you can avoid such circumstances. First of all, you will have to create clear policies. On the other hand, the HR managers should go through the training so that they can deal with the employee leave requests consistently and appropriately. Besides, they can use an advanced Employee time off tracker to track the leaves.

    Using a leave management software or tool

    It is a fact that the process of leave management can take a lot of effort, time and it is also very complex. Furthermore, there will always be the scope for errors as you will be managing all the things manually. So, what is the best solution for effective leave management? The most effective solution is to invest in a well-developed PTO tracker. By using such a leave management system, you can effectively automate the process, eliminates possible errors, and boost the employee’s efficiency.

    What’s more? This will make sure that there are no issues in the company’s payroll as you can integrate the attendance management in the existing payroll system. So, use leave management in this way, and you can create a better work environment.

    Dealing with the extended leaves

    In many cases, national or state laws and the policies of your company could make extended leaves compulsory. So, training all your line or HR managers in how to deal with such requests and demonstrate compassion becomes very important. Remember that approving a leave in case of an emergency is a decision that the manager will have to take.

    On the other hand, the negative response can dissatisfy the employees, and such dissatisfaction can create a disconnection between the management and employee. So, make sure that your leave management has the required rules to deal with such leaves.

    Create a clear and easy-to-understand leave policy

    For effective leave management, you need to outline the company leave policies for the employees. Every employee may want to get guidance on different types of leaves and circumstances. While developing the policy guidelines, it is important to clear the following things:

    • How to ensure the time?
    • Which holidays are there in the policy, and how many holidays will you offer?
    • Whether can one use the unused leaves or time?
    • How to apply for a time-off request?
    • What types of leaves does the company offer? And more

    All these things should be clearly mentioned in the policy.  Irrespective of what the company offer, an unrestricted leave policy, and benefits package will be beneficial. This will motivate all the employees to participate in the leave management system. To circulate the rules or policies among the employees, you can use the PTO tracking software programs, such as Day Off.

    Corresponding the time-off policies clearly

    No matter whether it is a big or small business, they should jot down the important policies in the employee manual. However, as a manager, if you are unfamiliar with the meaning of the policies or where to discover them, then it will not bring benefits to the business as well as employees. You will have to come up with a way to communicate the policies effectively.

    It is crucial for every business to make sure that all the employees understand the rights as well as benefits. And this can be easily done using a proper leave management system. On the other hand, to manage and ensure all these things, using the best Employee leave tracker app within a company is a must.

    The tools or software programs come equipped with employee self-service features that one can use to apply for a leave. On the other hand, using the manager portals, the HR manager can grant or reject the leave. The time tracking and attendance management features of the program are also quite beneficial. Investing your money in a next-generation Time off app can help you automate the process.

    To keep an eye on the unscheduled absences

    Remember that unscheduled absences can negatively affect productivity. No matter what is the reasons, managing the unscheduled absence during the pick time can be very tedious and challenging. Well, the most effective way to manage this is by identifying such absences earlier and understand the real issue. This way, you can lower the occurrence of unplanned leaves.

    For that, having a perfect leave management system integrated with the company’s attendance management system, such as web-based attendance, access card, or a biometric device, is very important. Notifying the company’s HR management about the absence can help you in mitigating the cost by assigning another employee to the task.

    To lower the errors related to the payroll

    Just imagine tracking all the leaves of the employees and then calculating the payouts manually. This will be very exhausting. Now just imagine if you have access to a leave management system that has been integrated into the payroll management system, and the payroll calculation happens automatically. Sounds great, isn’t it?

    A cloud-based Free vacation tracker can empower you with such facilities. Such a system can be easily integrated into the existing software, and you can make sure that all the data is validated without any error. On the other hand, it will ensure that the inputs are accurate and seamless.

    Some companies may think that setting a good policy and using a Day off app is the best thing. Well, the fact is it is not the end of the line. After setting the policies, you need to measure the effectiveness of the policy by setting KPIs, goals, ensuring maximum compliance, and measuring the employees’ ROW- Return to Work rate. So, carefully monitor the effectiveness, use the best leave app and update the requirements accordingly to have better leave management in your company.

  • Top 5 Leave Tracking Software Tools

    Top 5 Leave Tracking Software Tools

    There is no doubt that HR management is a major function in a company as the employees can drive the business. Besides, the company needs to manage its employees in the best possible ways to maintain the smooth functioning of the company. This is where the leave tracking software comes to play.

    However, when the leave management of an organization is poorly maintained, it can turn into a laborious and hectic process. If you fail to track the leaves, approved them properly, or forecast the human resource shortages, then you may end up with a shortage of human resources. So, how to deal with this effectively? The perfect solution is the PTO tracking software.

    These advanced leave management tools have changed how companies used to manage the leaves or vacations of the employees. It has facilitated transparent leave management that will develop a good relationship between the employers and employees. Are you looking for the best employee leave tracker app or software programs for your business? Well, we have listed down the top five leave tracking tools that can help you a lot. However, before that, let’s talk about the importance of using a leave management tool.

    Why should every organization use time-off or leave management software?

    • It can lower the paperwork, and as a result, your employees and HR managers will save time. Applying leave requests writing a letter takes more time.
    • Such tools can accurately calculate the employees’ leave balances automatically. There is no need to use formulas or calculators to count the leave balances. It will offer you an auto-generated comprehensive report on that.
    • You will be able to keep track of employees’ attendance. Absenteeism can greatly affect those who work. When you track the absence effectively, your employees will become more organized.
    • The software program will automate different tasks related to leave management. The calendar will be updated automatically, and the employees can easily check the leave availability. Besides, a leave taken will be deducted automatically, and the employees can see their leave balance. 
    • As these are automated software programs, one can’t make any changes to the leave forms without getting approval from the manager.
    • Using a leave tracker app, you can enhance the collaboration process as it facilitates an effective communication process between the HR management and employees.

    What features should a leave tracking software offer?

    While buying one, you need to make sure that the program has all the required features to automate the task and offer you a smoother process. So, some of the major features that you should look for in a time off app are:

    • Supports for national holidays based in the locations.
    • Personalized leave policies.
    • Assign annual absence and leave types.
    • Push notifications and reminders.
    • Easy synchronization with payroll systems, Outlook calendar, and more.
    • Monitoring the leaves.
    • Offering leaves analysis reports and more.

    Best leave tracking or PTO tracking software that you can use for leave management

    1. Day Off

    When it comes to using a reliable and well-developed Time off app, one can always trust Day off. This professional leave tracking app is a fully-featured leave management software program that is designed to serve small enterprises and startups. It is designed to offer end-to-end solutions.

    When you use this leave tracker, you will enjoy analytics and reporting in one place. It comes with an easy-to-use mobile app for the employees as well as HR managers. As per the information mentioned on the website, more than 80 percent of their customers are now using this to effectively track leave requests.

    It is a Free vacation tracker where employees can easily request their vacation and can automatically consider the weekends and public holidays. Besides, they will get notified about the vacation history as well as leave balance. Using this web app and its interactive and easy-to-use dashboard, HR managers can easily configure the data and import all the records.

    Some amazing features of Day Off

    • One can create the company with a few simple clicks. All you need to enter the email id, password, company’s location, and name, and you are ready to go. Besides, it lets you add your teams, assigning different configurations for each team.
    • It will be very easy for the HR Management department to manage multiple leave requests. It shows you a comprehensive calendar view with the employees’ leave requests. Besides, you can also see the details like employees’ data, their leave duration, leave type, and more.
    • Want to send an urgent announcement to your employees instantly? When you are using the Day Off app, you don’t need to put the announcements on the notice board. Just type the required message and press the button. All the teams will be notified within a few seconds.
    • For the employees, not submitting a vacation request will become a lot easier. When using this app, you can send a leave request within a few seconds. All they need to choose the type of leave, start date, and end date. Once accepted by the HR manager, the app will notify employees.
    • What’s more? One can easily check the leave balance and manage them accordingly. It also shows the official holidays of the region.

    Day off can be seamlessly integrated with your payroll or other leave management software programs. Together they will create a robust leave time management and work system that will be helpful for the accountants, project managers, team managers, and HR managers.

    Speaking about its pricing, you can go for the free version as well as paid version. With this Free time off tracker, you will enjoy limited yet useful features, such as calendar view, management reports, unlimited employees’ registration, reports management, and customize leave types.

    Why use Day Off?

    • It’s visual

    The software offers a clear schedule view where all the absences can be shown. With the filtering option, you can choose the relevant information. View the report with beautiful and colorful charts.

    • It’s very simple

    Day Off doesn’t require any training for using it. The intuitive interfaces and workflow will help you in creating a robust leave management process.

    • The program is highly customizable

    You can customize it to adapt to the unique requirements of your company, creating different leave types, configuring the leave balances, rules, and more.

    If you go for paid or Pro version, it will cost you USD 1 per user/month. However, apart from the core features, you will enjoy pro and advanced features. So, what are you waiting for? Give the Day Off app a try and enjoy a comfortable way of managing employees’ leaves.

    2. ActiPLANS

    This PTO tracking software program is designed to offer you a time-saving and transparent leave management process. The program supports different types of custom leave that can be easily configured to affect the sick day or PTO balance. Using this, you can easily get comprehensive reports that can show you the absence history of your team, leave balance changes, upcoming leaves, and more.

    No matter what type of business you have, be it a large-scale business or a startup, you will benefit from its useful features. Just configure the tool based on the leave policy of your company, and you can enjoy a comfortable leave management process. Review, request, and approve the leaves with just one click.

    It is important for every business to efficiently manage the absences as well as leaves of the workforce. Well, actiPLANS make sure that all the staff plans their leave schedule in such a way that it can benefit the employees as well as the employer. It offers a perfect centralized system to automate different processes. It also has an app that works on both Android and iOS devices. Some useful features are:

    • Leave tracking
    • Self-service portal
    • Approval process control
    • Leave policy management
    • Calendar management and more.

    The cost of actiPLANS depends on the number of users and period length. You can also go for its free version that supports only 1 to 3 users. For 1 to 40 users, you may need to pay USD 1.5 per user. If you want to use it for 41 to 200 users, then per user, the cost will be USD 1.2.

    3. Kissflow HR cloud

    Are you looking for a professional and trusted Employee leave tracker app for your company? Well, you can always trust Kissflow HR cloud. This cloud-based modern leave management app can lower the effort and time companies spend on the employee’s time-off process. It is a perfect online leave management system that will perfectly fit you.

    As per the company, it has all the features to centralize the national holiday and leave lists to facilitate easy accessibility. As a result, it can lower the chances of leave abuse. You can increase the company’s productivity and keep the process transparent by using Kissflow HR cloud.  Speaking about the features of this PTO tracker, these are:

    • Flexible leave management, covering balance tracking, leave history, and more.
    • Auto-updates about the holiday, leave requests, and more.
    • It facilitates an effortless API integration, and you can integrate it with GL Accounting, Payroll, and more.
    • It offers a self-service portal for the manager, employee, or project manager.
    • The best part is that this software is scalable. It will grow based on your company’s growth, teams, etc.

    Speaking about the pricing, you will find it very flexible. While you can use its free trial to test the product, if you are satisfied with it, you can go for different plans. For example, USD 16 per user and per month. For the fully loaded features, you can choose the package that costs USD 30 per user. This package is for 50 users.

    4. Timesheets.com

    This web-based Vacation tracker helps the HR managers to monitor the employees’ attendance as well as status. As a result, they can know who is on the clock, who is working on what tasks, who is coming late, and more. It is designed to offer a maximum level of visibility as well as control while lowering costs.

    The time tracking feature is easy to use, and you will find it quite effective for calculating the invoicing billable time and accurate payroll. Timesheets.com can easily handle supervisor approvals, employee requests, accurate calculations.  It also offers you a place to keep all the documents of your employees in one place. Some of the key features of this software are:

    • A great time tacking tool
    • Real-time reporting
    • PTO based on the hours worked
    • Easy leave requests
    • Advanced security and features, and more.

    For standard users, it can cost USD 4.50 per user. For non-profit organizations, per user, it can cost around USD 3.60.

    5. ADP

    ADP is a cloud-based leave management application that will offer users to enjoy highly customizable leave policies, easy integration with the company’s calendar, holiday groups. It also supports different types of leaves, covering personal, LOP, PTO, vacation, and more. ADP workforce comes with a well-designed native mobile app for both iOS and Android users. Besides, it can be easily integrated into different HR solutions through advanced API integration.

    It comes with a customizable homepage that functions as a comprehensive digital noticeboard that every company can utilize to share updates, notices, and policies across the organization. Apart from its customizable homepages, it is also popular for its pricing options and provides users with a free quote.

    Final words

    Streamlining the management process using a Free vacation tracker, like the Day off app, you can eliminate the manual paperwork, improve the communication, remove the manual process, real-time visibility, and you can maintain perfect legal compliance.

    The requirements will vary from one organization to another. So, while choosing leave tracking software, it will be better for you to choose a program that will perfectly cater to your basic requirements. This is where you can choose Day Off, and you can simplify your leave management process. This is a perfect app to monitor the most important resource of any company, i.e., Human Resources. So, get it now and get ready to take your business to a new height of success.

  • 2021 HR Management Trends

    2021 HR Management Trends

    A company can only become successful when it walks along with a large team. In fact, larger the team is, greater becomes the scope of its success. This is the reason that modern-day businesses are so serious when it comes to boosting their workforce. In this context, they set effective HR management trends following the ongoing trends.

    Through technological advancements, the HR departments of contemporary companies are clearly evolving. However, the ongoing COVID 19 pandemic has almost forced the HR professionals to quickly respond to their immediate business concerns and deal with the needful transformations in the offices. Through the process, they have evolved the technological scenarios as well.

    It is not just about the HR team specifically; rather, the entire business domain in modern times is emphasizing the technological resources for handling, hiring, and operating with the employees. In this context, the use of AI, cloud, etc., has transformed things significantly. It is not just about large MNCs; the small companies are also emphasizing using optimized yet affordable tools. Apparently, the use of Day off apps has grown significantly. All these are meant for executing advanced corporate strategies and making things interactive on all levels. 

    Well, there are various trends going on, especially in HR management domain. The following abstracts throw more light into such significant HR management trends that are going to be enthusiastically implemented by companies in 2021.  

    1. Handling the globalization and diversity

    Needless is to say, how much emphasis a corporate house has to give towards maintaining a proper culture for its employees. It is not only about large corporations; even the smaller companies in this globalized era also involve people from different religions, caste, ages, sex, and traditions. Keeping up with these people and taking the company forward is certainly a challenge. For example, people from different parts of the world have to take leaves on different occasions.

    In such scenarios, specifically for smaller companies, it can be tough to handle leaves or set leave policies strategically to ensure the operation does not get disturbed. This can be cited as the foremost reason behind the popularity of leave tracker apps in modern times. Above all, the HR professionals have realized the importance of making the policies all-inclusive and setting an environment where the employees can feel free about expressing their ideas.

    Noteworthy here is that according to research, cohesive work tradition excels the performance of employees by 56 percent. Most importantly, it cuts down the threat associated with a turnover by 50 percent. All these aspects certainly help employees in staying motivated towards working hard.  

    2. The remote working trend

    The scenario of workplaces has tremendously ever since the global coronavirus has surfaced. It has compelled the organizations and their employees to work remotely from their place. This has forced the HR managements to change their strategies regarding leaves and all. With employees managing to cut down their needs of taking leaves in the lockdown scenarios, HR managers have to set explicit strategies regarding leave policies.

    The role of PTO tracker applications has turned out to be highly significant in such scenarios. With the help of these tools, employers have to set new strategies for boosting productivity. All that the companies need to ensure is to keep the employees engaged with the company and maintain the enthusiasm well while not working in a team environment.

    3. Evolving needs of skills

    In terms of skills, it has become essential for the selected candidates to possess relevant skills like data analytics. Most importantly, checking out the digital literacy of the candidate has become crucial. Apart from these, the HR professionals are prioritizing about critical thinking ability of the candidates. Larger companies are equally serious about skills like conflict management as well.

    Scenarios for selection criteria regarding soft skills have changed immensely as well. In this context, emphasis is being given to the emotional intelligence of the candidate. The terms like emotional intelligence were quite unknown even a few years past. Similarly, creativity was not a stringent criterion of selection in modern times. Selection of candidates based on their ability to learn and their aptitude is being emphasized a lot.

    Specifically, this aspect is being given importance for the companies which function in an environment where a proper combination of maintaining technical and non-technical aspects is given importance. Apart from these, the recruiters are assessing the family responsibilities of the concerned candidates as well to get clarity about the chances of him or her taking leaves. This is the reason that a lot of emphasis is being given to the use of PTO tracking software

    4. Strategic ways for handling work balance of employees

    Employee wellness is a term that is being emphasized a lot among modern-day employers quite a lot. The reason is that the employers have realized well about the importance of maintaining the psychological wellness of the employees, rather than loading them with works.

    In this context, the HR professionals are considering various parameters to assess the stress level of these candidates. In fact, they are analyzing things from their side as well to know whether the employee is taking required amount of leave or offs from work. This has grown the demand for Employee time off tracker applications significantly.

    It is not just about simply calculating the number of leaves; rather, importance is being given to check at the intervals of taking leaves as well. There are top-ranked companies those are emphasizing a lot about maintaining both work and family life. In general, the HR professionals take the data of the Employee leave tracker app into account.

    5. Emphasizing on mental aspects

    A whole range of efforts taken on these aspects creates a great impression in the mind of the employee towards the organization as well. It keeps them thoroughly motivated to put in greater efforts. Most importantly, the employees feel engaged with the company on all levels. HR managers can certainly expect more loyalty from the employees through such efforts.

    Health is another aspect that contemporary employers are emphasizing a lot. In this context, they are launching various health campaigns and fitness classes. Explicit counseling sessions are organized in regular intervals to keep the candidates stay motivated.

    6. Emphasis towards celebration and interactions

    Festive celebration is another aspect that is being emphasized a lot among HR professionals in modern times. There are numerous advantages that HR professionals see with such activities. Interestingly, in these pandemic scenarios as well the companies are organizing various online events or over social media platforms to celebrate the festivities. Interaction through video calls during the weekends is also a part of it.

    Advantage of the activities of such is that the employers and HR professionals can expect cutting down the requirements of leaves significantly. Interestingly, they are obtaining factual proof on this aspect using time off app. A minimum number of leaves is obvious to grow productivity of the company. At the same time, it takes care of the mental health aspects thoroughly as well. However, organizing explicit events for mental health awareness programs has become a part of such campaigns as well.            

    7. Artificial Intelligence playing an all-inclusive role

    Use of applicant tracking tools has grown immensely among HR managers in modern times. These AI-based tools, in combination with cloud computing tools, can be highly useful for HR professionals on many levels. It can especially streamline the process of recruitments and keep the overall workflow under control. Best part about the tools based on AI is that these do encourage the selections based on merits, thus removing a whole range of biases.

    AI helps the HR professionals in integrating, providing training, managing payrolls, as well as conducting thorough data administrations. Best part is that these technologies enable conducting things in a thoroughly intuitive fashion. In fact, the recruitment process can be streamlined thoroughly as well. However, small companies may take the help of day off app as well.  

    8. High-end technology being used in recruitment process

    It is been a constant challenge among HR professionals to find competitive and talented candidates. Professionals are emphasizing more on adapting with the creative strategies of sorting the selection procedure and finding the best candidate. Though the tools based on high-end technicalities, like AI, have made things quite simpler, HR professionals have to rely upon specialist agencies on most occasions.

    However, it has become even more important to have clarity regarding the policies for ensuring greater transparency. In this context, foremost emphasis is being given towards having clarity regarding the leave policies. HR professionals in modern times are emphasizing on usage of free vacation tracker apps. Most employers are prioritizing on use of learning management tools in this regard for facilitating the training processes in a better fashion.     

    Scenarios have changed significantly in modern times as far as recruitment policies are concerned. Those days were now history when only the education or academic record along with specific job-related training was the criteria for selection. A modern-day HR professional in 2021 has to look for a variety of other aspects to ensure that the person selected can fit well with the company. In this context, even the locality of the candidate has become a factor considering that someone who is not established at a certain location holds a maximum chance of taking leaves. HR professionals often have to take the help of vacation tracker apps in this regard.

    9. Making the team accustomed to VRs, and ARs

    Simply hiring is not enough. It is equally important to make the workforce thoroughly trained to expect a greater level of productivity. However, good news for HR professionals is that digital technologies have made things look incredibly simpler in this regard. Specifically, higher emphasis is being given towards the use of Virtual Reality and Augmented Reality in modern times. Practical training sessions in modern times are being emphasized to be conducted remotely and virtually for meeting well with the contemporary scenarios.

    10. Emphasis on Gig Economy

    There is no doubt among the modern-day HR professionals that the contemporary youth wants a perfect balance between their professional and personal life. It has thus become extremely important to set flexible schedules. Emphasis is being given towards telecommuting more than others.

    Coming to the gig economy, those domains where employees would prefer to work in an independent way is growing with popularity. In fact, people are emphasizing a lot towards working on their own terms. In this context, HR managers are focusing on setting norms that can be useful for maintaining the productivity level, as well as in handling the work balance well.       

    11. Data literacy and other skills for HR professionals

    When it comes to HR trends, providing needful training to HR professionals has become as vital as other aspects. The foremost emphasis being given is regarding the data literacy of the HR professionals. It has become crucial to ensure that the HR professionals have the ability of taking right decisions based on data.

    Rising above the regular hiring aspects, it has become important for HR professionals to remain updated with the use of high-end technologies as well. They are expected to be having expertise in digital integrations. Not just for any specific professionals, rather, these upskilling aspects have become important for the entire HR department. Experience is certainly emphasized a lot when it comes to HR professionals.

    Specifically, those candidates carrying experience in using the tools relevant for HR department are being emphasized. To be specific, HR professionals are expected to be well versed with popular tools like Daily Off app. The free time off tracker tools or simply the tools like Daily Off apps can significantly boost confidence of the HR professionals to work at higher levels.

    Conclusion

    All said and done; these are the most buzzed trends that the HR management trends should definitely remain aware of in 2021. Evidently, technology is playing the most vital role in all these trends. However, HR professionals must look for creative ways of using these tools for greater results.

  • How to select the right Leave management software tool?

    How to select the right Leave management software tool?

    Every business organization, regardless of its size, needs to have its own leave management system. This system is a process in which every employee of the business organization can apply for leaves, and the managers can approve them as well as track their leave balance record. Every company goes with the manual process to track an employee’s absence and leave records at the initial stage.

    But the manual process could involve a lot of paperwork, which can be burdensome for the HR department. Thus, using a leave tracker software tool can make the HR teams timeless consuming. These software programs are designed to optimize the HR teams’ employee management tasks to concentrate on other tasks to meet the company’s needs.

    Reasons to take leave management software into account

    To avoid harming the organization’s productivity

    It’s not wise to underestimate the impact of employee absenteeism on the business operators since the absence of employees would directly impact the company’s productivity. Employees are the ultimate success factor of a company. So if the HR manager fails to record the absenteeism, the company would suffer a reduction in productive times that can severely impact the company’s overall efficiency. In order to avoid ineffective leave management, companies should use leave management software.

    To avoid negatively affecting the company’s profit

    Every business organization makes a policy for their leave management since paid time off can significantly impact the organizations’ profit. If the employee-manager faces ineffective leave management, the company would seriously lose its profits as they fail to notice if an employee is not adhering to the company’s leave policy. Thus business operators look for effective, paperless solutions to eliminate errors in calculating leave payments. So they look for an effective PTO tracker to automate their leave management system.

    To avoid conflicts related to leave balance

    Absenteeism not just affects the company’s profit but also those employees who attend the workshop. A leave tracker software application such as Day Off could track every employee’s absences and regulate their leave balance. With its implementation, the management team would face less conflict regarding their leave balance, get their employees more organized at work, and make the team more disciplined.

    Signs for you to use an online leave management system

    When the HR manager is too busy to manage leave requests

    Investing in leave management software is not something difficult to afford. But some organizations might be too comfortable with their manual system to not notice that it’s not about affordability but managing their workload. The first sign of needing a PTO tracking software when managing employee leave requests becomes more burdensome for the HR manager.

    The manager can’t just approve a leave request directly; they have to ensure the request is complying with the company’s policy and then balance the schedules to ensure adequate coverage is available before approving it. All these assessments can take a while that is not always convenient. If your HR manager is struggling to find time for concentrating on other business operations, it’s time for shifting to leave management software.

    When employees miss their  shifts

    There might be many mistakes and miscommunications with manual leave management that can lead to employees missing their shifts. The employees who have to cover for other employees when the company is understaffed can feel stressed as it would stretch their work shifts.

    Every business depends on having repeat customers. But if your establishment is understaffed, it means your customers would most likely have a bad experience leading to a loss of profits. Not just to minimize human error but to keep your customers satisfied, you should consider using the employee leave tracker app.

    If you are using spreadsheets to track employee hours

    Most small and medium businesses use excel sheets to track their employees’ working hours, PTO accrual, and absences. This might be a free service for you, but you would put your business up for legal liabilities. Not just your customers but also your employees are essential for you to run your business smoothly. Thus, you should provide both of them with professionalism. Instead of spreadsheets, using leave management software would be more transparent and store real-time data for everyone to access.

    Benefits of using leave management software

    Reduced paperwork

    In this digitalized world, businesses are now depending on digital systems to eliminate paperwork. This way, you would not have to deal with unnecessary clutter of paperwork and improve your company’s carbon footprint. Also, you would promote a green work environment on your business premises.

    Plus, if you incorporate an online leave management system with your specialized software instead of a manual way, you would not suffer any loss or mislaid leave request forms. Your employers can directly apply for leave in the vacation tracker, and you can accept or reject them without causing any miscommunications.

    Automotive leave balance calculation

    Automation is the most prominent advantageous factor of using leave management software. This automotive system can make your working process a lot smoother. Your HR management would no longer have to operate computer systems to track and update your employees’ leave balance manually.

    Your attendance management software would automatically track your employees’ leave histories, which can be accessible to both employees and the HR manager. The software always auto-updates each of your employees’ holiday calendars, and you can check their availability easily. If you approve any of their leave requests, the software would automatically deduct their leave balance and show you the result whenever you want.

    Time-efficient

    Manually updating the employee attendance can be very time-consuming, not to mention complicated. Human errors can occur easily with the conventional method, and it can be detrimental for the said employee who requests for Day off. This can be a tedious task for the human resources teams who spend most of their working hour just updating the absence and leave management system.

    Incorporating technology in your management system could enable your workforce to save a significant amount of time with optimized resources. Thus, by using an employee time off tracker software, your HR team would be able to save up to 40% of the working hours that they spend conducting purely administrative tasks.

    Easily accessible for the manager to manage the team

    The leave management software tools mostly feature storing their data in the cloud, which makes the system more accessible. With all the data in the cloud, not just the employees but the human resources team and even the employer itself can easily access the system via an internet network.

    The team can share the data and also update it in real-time. But if you do it on a spreadsheet, although one member of the team can update it, not every member in their system. Then you would have to share your file with them via email. If you want one-way management, you should utilize PTO tracking software so you would not have to share the same files with the others every time.

    Another advantage of using such software is to access the free vacation tracker from any device and anytime. This way, the HR manager would not have to be present in the office to access the system. The manager can easily manage their team from anywhere without any complications.

    Seamless Integration

    The time off app software is not only for managing employees’ attendance; they also perform other HR management tasks such as payroll, timesheet management, etc.  Due to such seamless integration with other software, these applications are able to save time, reduce human errors, and enable cross-functional reporting.

    With such seamless integration, you can improve your company’s communication level as well as ensure compliance with legislation. The software can provide a  comprehensive dashboard, configurable fields such as leave types, policy, and leave request lists. This way, both employee and employer could assess the important details without having to type out a leave application and read through it, respectively.

    Better security

    The Day off app would not only eliminate manual intervention since all the data of the system are stored in the cloud but they are also protected by specific encryption. Such software can make periodic or scheduled backups to ensure that all data stay safe and download them whenever required without ever losing them, unless you intentionally delete original, copied, and backed-up files.

    On the contrary, they can get deleted or get lost with Excel files if you don’t have a copy of the files saved somewhere already.  Since cloud software mostly updates its security policy with data protection laws such as GDPR, you would not have to implement any other security system with your software.

    Similarly, if any changes in the legislation occur, the leave tracker software tool would automatically update to make sure your data are legally protected. You would not have to invest any time and any money to comply with your legislation regulations, which can be a great advantage.

    Encourages discipline

    The PTO tracker software is a transparent and customizable system that complies with the local employee management laws and with your business policies. Moreover, these systems can readily understand and recognize both the employees and company executives at the same time.

    Due to such characteristics, the PTO tracking software provides increased accuracy and encourages your company’s disciplines. By the implementation of such software, the employer can expect and achieve better attendance rates from their employees, as whoever is accessing the system would be aware of who’s failing to follow the company’s policies.   

    Things to consider while choosing leave management software

    Whether to choose a desktop or cloud-based program

    Software programs can be cloud-based, or you can download them to your computer. If you choose cloud-based free time off tracker software, you can have many benefits, such as accessibility of the software from any device; with an internet connection, you can consult all of your company data, share them on the web among your entire team, and even update them in the real-time.

    But with the desktop software program, you have to install them that can take up your computer space, and your HR manager would have to rely on the devices where the employee leave tracker app is installed.

    Support team to change the system

    For any business, transforming from one system to an advanced system can be complicated. The system operator has to do data migration, set up the application on all of their teams’ computers, and staff training. But if you have a support team, it would help you set up the program seamlessly while running all the processes smoothly.

    Thus, while you are deciding on which employee time off tracker software you want to incorporate, make sure the provider would help you with its implementation. Without an initial training process, any new system implementation can end in failure. Thus, ensure providers should also take care of your staff training, so they could familiarize themselves with the tools to use them adequately.

    Error-free multi-user access

    Make sure the system you choose must offer features like error-free multi-user access and employee self-service. The employee time off tracker software tools should function faster while requesting leave and approving them and should be user-friendly.

    The software should avail multi-device access, specifically smartphone access, so employees and managers would be able to get notifications for any event anytime and anywhere. It’s especially beneficial for businesses, which have employees working remotely.

    Multilingual software

    Whether you are a local business or an online business, there is no saying when your business might hire multilingual staff. Not all of them leave software programs are multilingual. Language plays a critical role in having a proper communication flow. If you want to offer your employees a custom-tailored solution, they must be able to access the application software in their preferred language to avoid any miscommunication. So ensure your Day off app is a multilingual software.

    Price of the management software

    The price of the software is another vital factor that you should consider before purchasing the PTO tracking software. While the desktop software has a fixed price, the cloud-based software depends on what number of employees access it. Since the platform would manage it, you must adjust the cost to only serve your needs. The final price of the PTO tracker software can be affected by the number of employees, administration users, other technological integrations, etc.  

    Features of the leave management software play a crucial role in transforming your employee attendance system. Thus, you should carefully consider the features of the application that would enable you to automate your tasks and develop a smoother work process.

  • Legal requirements for PTO and Leave in Europe

    Legal requirements for PTO and Leave in Europe

    Businesses are constantly on edge for finding the best approaches for ensuring better employee engagement. However, it is quite difficult to achieve better employee engagement easily. The rapidly changing business environment and constant modifications in labor laws have different levels of influence on employees. HR managers all over the world are rethinking the traditional perspectives on the way they manage the human capital of an organization. As a result, the emphasis on legal precedents for employment conditions has started to take the front seat among priorities for HR. The following discussion helps you find out the legal requirements for PTO and leave in Europe. Let us see how PTO or paid time off and leave policies in Europe affect employees.

    Why Are the Legal Requirements for Leave Important?

    The first concern while planning a day off tracking solution designs is labor law. Technology lets you avoid the unnecessary complications associated with monitoring the number of leaves your employees take. In addition, you could also get a clear estimate of the balance holidays in the account of each employee effortlessly. However, mobile apps and software solutions for leave tracking must follow the legal implications associated with leave. The EU labor law holds the sole discretion over defining the rights and obligations of workers and employers in the European Union.

    The Legal Authority of EU Labor Law

    EU labor law focuses on two distinct areas, such as working conditions and the role of information and consultation for workers. EU labor law dictates the working conditions such as working hours for fixed-time and part-time workers, also alongside catering to the conditions of posting of workers.

    The EU labor law also takes on the responsibility of providing information and consultation to workers regarding collective redundancies, transfer of companies, and other factors. When you are trying to develop a leave tracker solution for your company in any country in the European Union, you must follow the EU labor law.

    When it comes to the PTO and leave in Europe, EU labor law specifies that individual EU countries have the privilege of offering higher levels of benefits and protection for workers. However, the European Working Time Directive establishes the minimum limit of annual paid leave for workers at 4 weeks. On the other hand, various countries have chosen more generous benefits for workers.

    Types of Leave Permitted in the EU

    With clarification on the legal authority for PTO and leave in Europe, it is reasonable to look for different types of PTO. The European Commission also outlines the specifications for leave in Europe across different categories. A clear understanding of the specifications helps in crafting the basic outline of your PTO tracker solution. Let us take a look at the conditions for various types of leave in Europe.

    Annual Paid Leave

    According to the specifications by the European Commission, the annual paid-leave entitlement for employees in Europe is four weeks. In addition, the national and public holidays also count for another 14 working days as leaves. It is also important to note that if public holidays or national holidays fall on a Sunday or Saturday or on a weekly rest day allotted to the employee, they should be eligible for another day of leave for the holidays. Your vacation tracker solution should also consider the fact that no additional days could be allowed as holidays for national or public holidays on a Sunday or a Saturday.

    It is also important to reflect on the entitlements for part-time workers when it comes to annual paid leave. All the part-time workers are also eligible for minimum entitlement to all public holidays, birth leave, injury leave, sick leave, bereavement leave, marriage leave, and annual paid holidays. They would get the leave benefits in accordance with the conditions of employment recognized by their employer in employment contracts.

    In addition, part-time workers are also entitled to other leaves established in accordance with the act. Furthermore, part-time workers could also get statutory bonuses alongside other income supplements similar to that of full-time employees on similar duties by taking their conditions of employment into account.

    Maternity Leave

    The design of PTO tracking software should also include the implications for maternity leave. Employees could apply for maternity leave right after the birth of their child or if they adopt a child with their partner. Employees could apply for maternity leave for a continuous duration of 14 weeks. However, as of 2013, the duration allowed for maternity leave has changed to 18 weeks. On the other hand, employees must provide a notification to their employer at least four weeks prior to the beginning of their maternity leave.

    There are different ways in which HR management could allow you to take maternity leave according to law in EU.

    1. Six weeks of maternity leave entitlement is mandatory, and employees must take it immediately following the date of birth of their child.
    2. Four weeks of maternity leave is allowed before the expected due date. Other agreements between employee and the employer could help in negotiating the duration of maternity leave allowed before due date.
    3. Employees can choose to take the remaining maternity leave entitlement, either completely or in parts, either immediately before or immediately after the due date.
    4. If an employee is unable to take their maternity leave before the due date, they will use the remaining leaves entitled to them after the due date.
    5. Over the period of maternity leave, employees are eligible to receive full wages as payable by their employer.

    Parental Leave

    Parental leave is also another important aspect which you should add to an employee leave tracker app. Male and female employees have individual rights for receiving around 4 months of unpaid parental leave. Unpaid parental leave is applicable in scenarios where employees want to take care of children after birth by their partner.

    It is also applicable in cases of fostering, adoption, or obtaining legal custody of a child. Parental leave is a wholesome approach for employees to take care of children. Interestingly, laws in EU allow for such type of leave until the child reaches the age of 8 years.

    If the employee does not take parental leave or have remaining balance of parental leave, they are still entitled to the leave even after changing employment or employer. The design of an employee time off tracker should focus on the fact that employees in private sector could take almost 4 months of unpaid parental leave.

    On the other hand, public servants could take up to almost 1 year of unpaid parental leave for each child. Employers should note that parental leave can be taken with a one-time period of 5 years. Furthermore, both parents could share the parental leave.        

    Sick Leave

    The laws for sick leave in Europe are also important for defining the HR policies of organizations operating there. Sick leave is a mandatory and unavoidable circumstance that must be in any solution for tracking leaves. Employees must provide notifications to employers as quickly as they can when they face any illness. A day off app must feature the ability to verify a doctor’s certificate for the employee’s illness.

    Maltese law implies that employees are eligible to receive wages during illness. In addition, some other relevant collective agreement also determines statutory sick leave pay in Europe. Employees are eligible to receive a given number of days as sick leave entitlement. However, exhausting the sick leave allotted to an employee implies that employers don’t have any obligations for paying wages. On the contrary, employees on extended sick leave might receive sickness benefits offered by the Social Security Department.

    The rules for sick leave in Europe indicate that employees are rightfully entitled to take sick leaves up to four times annually. In addition, the employees have the right to claim the number of hours as sick leave in a calendar year. Employers are required to submit the information to the employees within 5 working days of receiving the request in writing.

    Other Types of Leave

    The design of a time off app can be quite complicated when you have to focus on the other types of leaves. Apart from the common types of leaves, employers are also required to award other leaves to their employees according to EU law. Employers must allow a minimum of 12 hours with pay annually as time off from work. Such type of leave is applicable in the cases of urgent family matters. Most importantly, the total number of hours that employees take for urgent family reasons are accounted for in the annual leave entitlement.

    Employers reserve the right for setting the maximum possible duration employees could take time off from work in different cases. At the same time, employers must ensure that the minimum time allowed in such cases must not be less than one hour for each case. Employers also have the right to demand evidence that could be necessary for verifying and confirming the request of an employee for urgent leave. It is also important to note that part-time employees are eligible for urgent leave entitlement on a pro-rata basis.

    How Do Legal Requirements for PTO and Leave in Europe Help Companies and Employees?

    When companies look up to new tech solutions like leave tracking applications, they have to understand the importance of legal compliance. The new system for managing leaves of employees in an organization should follow all the legal precedents. Well, is there any specific reason to focus on defining a clear-cut legal policy when designing a PTO or leave tracking app? The answer might draw you towards the potential benefits of a free vacation tracker solution. Here are some of the notable benefits of legally sound leave and PTO policies.

    Health Benefits for Employees

    The excessive working hours could result in growth of mortality of employees by 20%. The mental, physical, and emotional stress of work can result in profoundly worse health outcomes alongside affecting wellbeing at work. In the condition that employees receive paid time off or leave, they are likely to invest the time in exploring their creative side. Most important of all, employees can use their day off to rest and recharge for resuming their work completely refreshed.

    Improvements in Performance and Productivity

    Studies have revealed how leaves are responsible for changing the perspective of employees on their job, company, and leadership team. Only one week of vacation annually could have a prolific impact on the productivity and performance of employees. A survey by OC Tanner reveals that around 70% of employees taking one week or more of vacation regularly have better motivation for contributing to the success of the company.     

    Employers Retain Talent

    One of the foremost reasons to try out a free time off tracker solution is the benefit of recognition for employees. PTO serves as a really helpful means for showing recognition for the efforts and dedication of an employee. Therefore, it is important to note how leaves could also lead to long-term benefits in employee retention and engagement.

    More Benefits for Employees

    The development of a proper PTO policy is important for developing new tech solutions for leave tracking. The advantages of a good PTO policy include profound references to the Global Talent Trends Report 2020 by LinkedIn. According to the report, companies with higher benefits and compensations experienced a 56% reduction in attrition rates. On the other hand, flexible work arrangements helped companies in achieving growth in headcount by almost 137%. The facility of a PTO policy comes in both categories of improvement with the assurance of long-term employee benefits.

    Developing the Ideal Solution

    As you can notice clearly, the legal requirements for PTO and leave in Europe are considerably simple. Most important of all, the clear outline of leave duration and the conditions for eligibility make them easier to follow. HR managers could utilize their knowledge of legal precedents for PTO and leave to define credible solutions for leave management.

    The growing prevalence of remote work has slowly reduced the physical interaction between employers and employees. In such cases, a leave management system or app configured according to legal precedents in Europe could help in freeing HR from the burden of managing leaves. Learn more about leave and PTO in Europe right now!