Free Time Off Tracker Template
Manage employee vacation, sick leave, personal days, and other absences. Includes a monthly log, annual summary, and yearly overview.
Download Time Off Tracker (Google Docs) →
What This Covers
| Section | Details |
|---|---|
| Employee Information | Name, department, position, manager, date of hire |
| Time Off Summary | Annual allowance, days used, and days remaining by leave type |
| Leave Types Tracked | Vacation, sick, personal, unpaid, bereavement, parental, jury duty |
| Monthly Log | Date requested, start/end dates, total days, approver, and notes for each month |
| Yearly Overview | Total days requested, approved, denied, and denial reasons across the year |
| Usage Instructions | Step-by-step guidance for filling out and maintaining the tracker |
Template Sections
Employee Information
Employee Name, Department, Position, Manager, and Date of Hire fields.
Time Off Summary
Track Annual Allowance, Used, and Remaining days for each leave type: Vacation, Sick, Personal, Unpaid, Bereavement, Parental, Jury Duty, and Other.
Monthly Time Off Log
Record each request by month with Time Off Type, Date Requested, Start/End Date, Total Days, Approved By, and Notes columns.
Yearly Time Off Overview
Total Days Off Requested, Approved, Denied, and Reason for Denial fields for year-over-year comparison.
How to Get the Most from This Template
Create one tracker per employee
Maintain a separate copy for each team member so their leave history is easy to reference during reviews or audits.
Update in real time
Log approved time off as soon as it is confirmed rather than waiting until month-end.
Reconcile monthly
At the end of each month, compare the monthly log against actual absences to catch any discrepancies.
Share with managers
Give department managers view access so they can plan coverage and identify patterns without contacting HR.
Archive annually
At year-end, save a final copy and start fresh for the new year, carrying over any rollover balances per your company policy.
Frequently Asked Questions
Common questions about time off tracking.
Track all categories your company offers, including vacation, sick leave, personal days, unpaid leave, bereavement, parental leave, jury duty, and any state-mandated paid leave. Having every type in one place prevents confusion and ensures accurate balances.
For small teams, a spreadsheet-based tracker works well. As your team grows beyond 20-30 employees, dedicated leave management software reduces manual effort, prevents errors, and provides self-service access for employees to check their own balances and submit requests.
At year-end, note any unused days that carry over per your company policy in the "Remaining" column of the new year's tracker. If your policy has a cap on rollover days, document the maximum and adjust balances accordingly.
Record partial days as 0.5 (half day) in both the monthly log and the time off summary. Be consistent with how you define a half day across the organization to avoid discrepancies.
Keep completed trackers for at least 3 years to comply with FLSA recordkeeping requirements. Store them in a secure, centralized location accessible only to HR and direct managers.
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