Employee vacation planning is an essential part of your manager’s workday, so equipping them with the right vacation planning software is vital. Read on to learn about the ten best employee vacation tracking software for 2024.
Multiple studies show the benefit of allowing your employees to take vacation or paid time off (PTO) to your business. However, you must balance your employee’s needs with the business’s needs by effectively managing your employee’s paid time off requests.
If you don’t do this, you may find yourself short-staffed and even unable to open your business. To prevent this, you must effectively track and monitor your employee’s time off requests.
Tracking your employee’s vacation time is key to the smooth running of your business. Employee vacation tracking software can help you do this by offering tools that allow you to categorize leave types and track your employee’s time off requests.
This article will discuss the 9 best employee vacation tracking softwares for 2024.
If you don’t have the time to read through our research, jump down to our quick comparison table.
Our Top Picks
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Best all-in-one employee vacation tracking software
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Good for managing PTO costs
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Good for quick PTO approval
Why trust us?
Our team of unbiased software reviewers follows strict editorial guidelines, and our methodology is clear and open to everyone.
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What to Look For in a Employee Vacation Tracking Software
Multiple studies show the benefit of allowing your employees to take a vacation or paid time off (PTO) for your business. However, you must balance your employee’s needs with the business’s needs by effectively managing your employee’s paid time off requests.
If you don’t do this, you may find yourself short-staffed and even unable to open your business. To prevent this, you must effectively track and monitor your employee’s time off requests.
Tracking your employee’s vacation time is key to the smooth running of your business. Employee vacation tracking software can help you do this by offering tools that allow you to categorize leave types and track your employee’s time off requests.
This article will discuss the 9 best employee vacation tracking softwares for 2024.
If you don’t have the time to read through our research, jump down to our quick comparison table.
Before purchasing any vacation tracking software to manage employee vacation time, make sure to choose a software with the following features:
- Automated PTO requests: The best software will allow employees to request time off electronically, ideally through an app on their phones. This streamlines the process and makes it much more efficient than having to manually submit requests or ask a manager in person.
- Centralized PTO dashboard: The software should provide an overview of all PTO requests from a centralized dashboard.
- Customization and flexibility: Select a vacation tracking software that can accommodate your business’s specific policies and requirements. It should allow you to define vacation accrual rules based on your business, set up different types of leave, and configure holiday schedules.
- Integration with scheduling: When creating employee schedules, the software should automatically prevent you from accidentally scheduling employees for shifts when they are already approved for PTO.
- Notifications and reminders: The software should notify both employees and managers about pending vacation requests, upcoming vacations, and when requests are approved or denied. This feature helps prevent scheduling conflicts and ensures everyone stays updated.
- Integration with payroll and HR software: The software should integrate with your HR system to streamline data management and eliminate the need to manually enter vacation days into the system.
- Mobile accessibility: Your vacation tracking software should be available on all mobile devices. It should come with an app that’s compatible with both iOS and Android phones, is easy to use, and has a simple interface.
- Affordability: Employee vacation tracking software should fit your budget and be affordable.
The 9 Best Employee Vacation Tracking Softwares of 2024
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Connecteam — Best all-in-one employee vacation tracking software
Connecteam is the best employee vacation tracking software on the market. It’s suitable for all industries and business sizes and is incredibly easy to use. It’s also incredibly flexible and customizable and includes many other features to help you manage your entire business on the go.
Let’s take a closer look at how Connecteam can help you manage all things PTO:
Eliminates manual PTO tracking
With Conncteam’s time off management app, you can ditch the spreadsheets and pen and paper to track who’s off when. The app automatically tracks all employee PTO balances, so you don’t have to, making the process much easier.
The simple interface also provides an admin dashboard so you have a visible overview of all PTO requests and approved vacations, eliminating confusion and streamlining the scheduling process.
Easily create and share your PTO policy with your employees
The document storage feature allows you to upload your PTO policy directly into the app, so it’s accessible to all employees at any time. With the click of a button, workers can review the policy and stay informed.
Customize the app to fit your unique PTO policy
In Connecteam, you can specify which employees are eligible for which PTO policies. For example, if a manager is eligible for unlimited PTO but a new employee is eligible for accrued PTO, you can indicate this instantaneously in the app. The entire process is automated, and you can better manage the entire PTO process.
Employees can request time off directly in the app
Your employees can request time off directly in the app themselves, eliminating the need for long email threads and text messages to request days off. Employees can even indicate whether a request is for sick leave, vacation, or another reason.
Integrates with the employee scheduling feature
Connecteam’s employee scheduler is not only the best solution for creating employee schedules on the go, but it integrates directly with the time off feature so you can avoid scheduling conflicts. The app automatically alerts you if you accidentally schedule an employee to work if they are already approved for time off.
Streamline team communication with in-app chat
Simplify all team communication with the in-app chat feature. Not only does it keep work and personal messages separate, but it makes all work communication much easier.
Immediately instant message employees with the click of a button, ask questions about PTO requests or provide clarification about the PTO policy to anyone that needs it.
Integrate PTO approvals with payroll
Vacation days are automatically deducted from employee PTO balances in Connecteam. And because the software integrates with employee timesheets, you can make sure workers are paid correctly based on your PTO policy.
And much, much more
Connecteam is not only a vacation tracking software but a complete employee management app that’s specifically designed for on-the-go use. Take advantage of all Connecteam has to offer your business, like employee scheduling, in-app communication, a time clock, task management, a knowledge base, and customizable training and onboarding courses.
🧠 Did You Know?
Connecteam offers a free-for-life Small Business Plan supporting up to 10 users, and Premium plans start at just $29 per month for up to 30 users. You’ll get all of Connecteam’s time off management features, like complete PTO tracking and automated balance updates, along with a complete suite of employee management tools.
Connecteam also offers a free for life plan – Try Connecteam here!
Key Features
Categorizes types of leave
Vacation leave tracker
Scheduling conflict notifications
Easy-to-use mobile app
Pros
Digital forms and checklists are fully customizable to your business needs
Secure chat feature to communicate schedule changes to employees
Minimal back and forth due to streamlined communication tools
You can manage your employees from anywhere with the mobile app
Cons
Needs internet or wifi access to work
Pricing
Free-for-life plan availablePremium plans start at $29/month for 30 users
14-day free trial, no credit card required
Start your free trial -
QuickBooks Time — Good for: Managing PTO costs
QuickBooks Time’s primary focus is on helping you manage your employee’s time and the associated cost. The integrated payroll system supports you in managing the cost of your PTO allowance and tracking your employee’s vacation time.
One of the tools offered by QuickBooks Time is an automatic PTO and employee leave tracker. This tool will track your employee’s PTO in line with your vacation leave policy to ensure employees don’t take too much annual leave. Your employees can also track their PTO balance through the mobile app, so they always know how much vacation time they have left to take.
Using QuickBooks Time, your employees can request time off by the hour or day and enter bulk time off requests. This is helpful in cases where employees want to take a large period of PTO at once, or if they have an unlimited PTO allowance and want to plan a vacation. You can also set limitations to prevent employees from taking too much or inconvenient PTO. For example, you can set a rule that prevents employees from taking vacation time on both Saturday and Sunday.
Learn more about QuickBooks TimeKey Features
- Bulk time off entry
- PTO balance checker
- Set PTO limitations
- Integrated payroll system
Pros
- Easy to use mobile app
- Automatic PTO tracker
Cons
- No internal communications tools
- No free plan
Pricing
Starts at $20/month + $10/user/month Trial: Yes — 30-day Free Plan: No
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Bamboo HR — Good for: Quick PTO approval
Available on
- Web
- iOS
- Android
BambooHR offers a simple but powerful vacation tracking software which will speed up your PTO approval process. When an employee requests vacation time, the manager will receive a mobile app notification, a BambooHR notification, and an email to ensure no requests are forgotten or overlooked. The manager can then approve the PTO request or decline with a short message, and a notification is sent to the employee informing them of the decision. This quick process reduces unnecessary back and forth, saving your managers and employees time.
Once approved, the system will automatically update your employee’s PTO balance, so there’s no confusion about an employee’s vacation allowance. Again, this will reduce interruption to your employee’s workday, allow them to focus on more important things, and save time. Employees can check their updated PTO balance instantly on BambooHR’s mobile app.
BambooHR also allows you to customize your PTO policies to ensure that your employees request vacation leave in line with the policy. You can update this policy to an unlimited PTO policy, accrual policy, or a banked PTO policy, depending on the needs of your business. You can create as many policies as you would like, differentiating by employee number, job title, or department.
Learn more about Bamboo HRKey Features
- Comprehensive notification system
- Customizable vacation leave policies
- Automatic PTO balance updates
- Mobile app
Pros
- Easy-to-use mobile app
- Highly customizable platform
Cons
- No automatic schedule conflict checker
- No free-to-use plan
Pricing
Contact vendor for price Trial: Yes Free Plan: No
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Hubstaff — Good for: Managing remote team’s PTO
Hubstaff specialize in helping you manage the vacation time of your remote team. Hubstaff’s mobile app allows you to manage every part of your employee’s day-to-day activity from anywhere. Managers or HR managers can easily approve or decline employees’ PTO requests using the mobile app.
Vacation requests are automatically inputted into your employee’s schedule, and their PTO balance will be updated accordingly. Hubstaff also has an automatic payroll processing tool, so you can be confident your employees will be paid fairly for their PTO.
Hubstaff offers several software pricing options, including a free service for one user and a 60-day money-back guarantee. While this is useful for smaller businesses, the basic version of the system lacks many of the advanced tools offered in the more expensive packages. While this is to be expected, most tools that make Hubstaff such a comprehensive system are unavailable on the basic software. The more expensive system may be out of budget for many small businesses or startups.
Learn more about HubstaffKey Features
- Mobile app
- Fully remote system
- Automatic vacation balance updates
- Automatic shift schedule updates
Pros
- 14-day free trial and 60-day money-back guarantee
- Fully remote vacation tracking
Cons
- No automatic schedule conflict checker
- Majority of tools are omitted from the basic version of the software
Pricing
Starts at $4.99/user/month, 2 users minimum Trial: Yes — 14-day Free Plan: Yes — For one user only
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Homebase — Good for: Small businesses and startups
Homebase is a cloud-based human resources management (HRM) software with a 24/7 customer support line. Both of these features make Homebase a great option for small businesses, startups, or those not familiar with vacation tracking softwares. Being cloud-based benefits companies that don’t have the space or capacity to keep an external hard drive on-site. A 24/7 support network will be helpful to managers who are not accustomed to using HRM systems.
Homebase includes tools to support you in effective employee time and vacation tracking. Homebase allows managers to track time off through employee scheduling software easily. Homebase also tracks employee availability to minimize scheduling conflicts. In addition, there is also a tool that allows managers to auto-schedule their shift patterns which will incorporate any pre-booked and approved PTO or vacation time.
One of the drawbacks of Homebase is its expense. They are one of the more expensive options on the market, even when considering their free trial period. In addition, Homebase does not currently offer its payroll services as part of its basic package but as an additional plug-in.
There are many plug-ins available to tailor your software to your needs. However, these come at a large monetary cost.
Learn more about HomebaseKey Features
- Auto Scheduling shifts
- Mobile app
- Built-in communication tools
- Employee availability tracker
Pros
- Cloud-based software
- Free three-month trial period
Cons
- Expensive
- Additional plugins further increase price
Pricing
Starts at $20/location/month Trial: Yes — 14-day Free Plan: Yes — For a single location & up to 20 employees
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Sling — Good for: Effective communication tools
Sling offers a built-in PTO request and tracking system which will simplify your employee’s vacation requests. You can cap PTO requests based on different factors, such as the vacation allowance in your policy, and receive a full overview of your employee’s PTO balance every time they request time off.
These tools are especially useful for schedule planning as they help you understand how many employees you have off at once. This will prevent you from over-approving PTO requests and leaving yourself short-staffed. In addition, Sling’s comprehensive in-app communication tools will allow you to discuss PTO requests with your employees easily.
With Sling’s secure chat function, you can easily discuss employees’ vacation requests and explain what steps you need them to take once their request is approved, or why you couldn’t approve their request on this occasion. You can also send communications to your whole team to let them know which shifts need to be covered or to communicate any policy changes when needed.
Learn more about SlingKey Features
- Secure chat function
- Mobile App
- Capped PTO requests
- Automatic vacation balance tracker
Pros
- Free to use option
- Easy-to-use mobile app
Cons
- No integrated payroll option
- No automatic schedule conflict checker
Pricing
Starts at $1.70/user/month Trial: Yes Free Plan: Yes
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Buddy Punch — Good for: Automatic PTO calculations
Buddy Punch automatically calculates your employee’s PTO allowance based on their working hours and your workplace policy. These calculations will help you talk to your employees about their vacation allowance and entitlement, and streamline the process overall.
Buddy Punch automatically calculates vacation leave and categorizes different types of leave, such as sick leave or volunteering leave. This data enables managers to quickly keep on top of absence and leave requests. Your employees can check their available time off by checking their mobile app.Furthermore, Buddy Punch allows managers to export employees’ PTO usage to an excel or PDF format for easier payroll processing. This simplifies payroll calculations and maintains accuracy.
Learn more about Buddy PunchKey Features
- Mobile app
- Automatic PTO calculations
- Export schedules for easy payroll processing
- Secure communication tools
Pros
- 14-day free trial
- Easy-to-use mobile app
Cons
- No automatic schedule conflict checker
- No free-to-use option
Pricing
Starts at $2.99/user/month + $19 base fee/month Trial: Yes Free Plan: No
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Deputy — Good for: Clear mobile app
Deputy provides an easy-to-use mobile app, with all HRM tools included in their software working to full capacity on this app. You can easily approve and schedule PTO requests, plan shift schedules, and communicate with your team from anywhere. In addition, if a staff member calls in sick, you can easily fill their shift. Deputy allows employees to self-assign available shifts, so you’ll never worry about being short-staffed again.
Deputy’s mobile app also enables employees to track their PTO or vacation allowance accurately. Employees will receive notifications when their vacation balance gets low and can view other employees’ pre-booked holidays to prevent scheduling clashes.
Furthermore, your managers can also check and track employees’ PTO allowance through the mobile app. Managers can customize leave types and accrual rates through the app to accommodate any personal employee updates or policy changes.
Learn more about DeputyKey Features
- Comprehensive mobile app
- Balance notifications
- Fully customizable PTO policy
- Self-assign shifts
Pros
- Easy-to-use mobile app
- Free 31-day trial
Cons
- No automatic schedule conflict checker
- No free plan
Pricing
Starts at $4.5/user/month, for Scheduling or Time & Attendance Trial: Yes — 31-day Free Plan: No
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Timecamp — Good for: Fully digital PTO management
Using Timecamp will help you fully digitize your PTO approval process. Employees can apply for vacation leave with one click, have their request approved or denied, and check their PTO balance from their cell phones. Your managers can also approve PTO timesheets and automate payroll processes using the mobile app.
Timecamp has the added benefit of a 14-day free trial and a free-to-use software option. While this option does not have all the tools of the paid version, it is still an excellent option for small businesses or those just getting started with digital employee vacation tracking. However, if you’re looking for a more comprehensive system, Timecamp does leave room for improvement. For example, there is no internal communication tool included with Timecamp.
Learn more about TimecampKey Features
- Mobile app
- Digital timesheet approval
- One-click leave reporting
- Automatic invoicing tool
Pros
- 14-day free trial and free-to-use plan
- Easy-to-use mobile app
Cons
- No internal communication tool
- No automatic schedule conflict checker
Pricing
Starts at $2.99/user/month Trial: Yes Free Plan: Yes
Compare the Best Employee Vacation Tracking Softwares
| Topic |
Start for free
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|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Reviews |
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| Pricing |
Starts at just $29/month for the first 30 users
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Starts at $20/month + $10/user/month
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Contact vendor for price
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Starts at $4.99/user/month, 2 users minimum
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Starts at $20/location/month
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Starts at $1.70/user/month
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Starts at $2.99/user/month + $19 base fee/month
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Starts at $4.5/user/month, for Scheduling or Time & Attendance
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Starts at $2.99/user/month
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| Free Trial |
yes
14-day
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yes
30-day
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yes
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yes
14-day
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yes
14-day
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yes
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yes
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yes
31-day
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yes
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| Free Plan |
yes
Free Up to 10 users
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no
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no
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yes
For one user only
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yes
For a single location & up to 20 employees
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yes
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no
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no
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yes
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| Use cases |
Best all-in-one employee vacation tracking software
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Good for: Managing PTO costs
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Good for: Quick PTO approval
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Good for: Managing remote team’s PTO
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Good for: Small businesses and startups
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Good for: Effective communication tools
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Good for: Automatic PTO calculations
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Good for: Clear mobile app
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Good for: Fully digital PTO management
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| Available on |
Web, iOS, Android
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What Is Employee Vacation Tracking Software?
Employee vacation tracking software lets you digitally track your employee’s time off requests. These softwares usually include tools that allow your employees to request vacation time, the ability to categorize different types of vacation leave, and features that track how much PTO an employee has taken.
When selecting an employee vacation tracking software, it’s important to consider the needs of your business, your budgetary constraints, and what you are hoping to achieve with the software. For example, if you are trying to streamline how your employees apply for PTO, adopting software with a confusing mobile app would not be beneficial.
How Does Employee Vacation Tracking Software Work?
Employee vacation tracking software is designed to streamline the process of employee PTO requests. These softwares often include integrated communication tools, automatic PTO accrual calculations, and are usually combined with employee shift scheduling software for easier payroll calculations.
The softwares may also have other tools—such as automatic conflict checkers—to ensure that two employees are not approved for the same vacation days. This software may also include a feature that allows PTO requests to be capped, or assist managers in assigning custom PTO allowances to different employees or business departments.
The Benefits of Employee Vacation Tracking Software
These are the main benefits of using employee vacation tracking software:
Automates PTO requests and approvals
Vacation tracking software provides a centralized place for PTO requests, manager approval, and tracking balances. This streamlines the entire PTO process and eliminates the need for manual paperwork or email chains, saving time and effort for both employees and HR departments.
Reduces errors and provides accurate PTO tracking
Using software to track and calculate employee PTO balances eliminates human error and ensures that vacation days are correct.
Reduces scheduling conflicts
Employee availability is clear and visible, so you can plan work schedules better. You also reduce scheduling conflicts because the software prevents you from scheduling employees for work while they’re away. That way, you can ensure adequate coverage and plan tasks and projects accordingly.
Compliance with PTO laws and company policies
Employee vacation tracking software helps businesses enforce specific PTO labor laws and company policies and keeps comprehensive reports monitoring employee PTO. In doing so, businesses can ensure compliance with PTO labor laws and company policies.
Better analytics and reporting
By providing reporting and analytics features, this software allows businesses to generate reports on vacation usage, patterns, and trends. These insights can be used to inform workforce planning, identify high vacation periods, and make data-driven decisions.
Integration with payroll and HR systems
Vacation tracking software generally integrates with payroll and HR systems, ensuring accurate payroll calculations based on accrued vacation time. This eliminates the need for manual data entry and reduces the chances of errors in payroll processing.
How Much Does Employee Vacation Tracking Software Cost?
Employee vacation tracking software is usually priced per employee, per month and ranges anywhere from totally free plans to over $20 per employee, per month. Depending on the size of your business, this could end up being very expensive, so you need to consider whether the features offered by your chosen system justify the costs.
You need to balance the high costs of some softwares with how likely your business is to use those features. For example, a small team of fewer than five employees working out of one office does not require top-of-the-range in-app communication tools.
A good tip is to list the tools you genuinely believe will streamline your workplace operations and compare that list to the tools and budget of each system. From these, you can determine which features and tools are most important to your business and find the appropriate solution for you.
Software like Connecteam, which is 100% free for up to 10 employees and offers one of the most comprehensive packages on the market at a low price point, cannot be beaten.
FAQs
How do you keep track of employee holidays?
There are many ways to keep track of employee holidays, from simple pen and paper trackers to a more comprehensive digital system like Connecteam. Typically, a digital system is better as there is less likelihood of holiday requests getting lost or forgotten about.
What is the most popular PTO tracking software?
Connecteam is the best PTO tracking software and offers a range of features for managing and tracking paid time off. It provides an intuitive and user-friendly interface that allows employees to request time off while managers can easily review and approve these requests. Connecteam also allows for the customization of PTO policies, including accrual rates and carryover rules.
Additionally, Connecteam provides real-time visibility into PTO balances, making it easy for both employees and managers to stay informed about available time off. The software also generates comprehensive reports and analytics, helping businesses gain insights into PTO usage and trends.
How do I create an employee vacation tracker in Excel?
Create a simple rota-based system to keep track of employee vacations. We have included a tracker template below to help you, or check out our article with a list of the best Excel PTO tracker templates.
| Name/Date | MON (MM/DD) | TUES (MM/DD) | WED (MM/DD) | THURS (MM/DD) | FRI (MM/DD) | SAT (MM/DD) | SUN (MM/DD) |
| Will Williams | PTO | PTO | |||||
| Lilly Gomez | ½ DAY PTO | ||||||
| Jorge O’Donell | PTO | PTO |
The Bottom Line On Employee Vacation Tracking Software
When selecting your employee vacation tracking software, it’s important to consider which tools will make a genuine difference to your business operations and balance that with your budget constraints.
As long as you select the right software, employee vacation tracking software can make scheduling planning much more straightforward. A system like Connecteam, which brings together a wide range of organizational and Human Resource Management (HRM) tools to help streamline business operations, cannot be overestimated.