71% of employees reported feeling stressed at work, according to the American Psychological Association’s Work and Wellbeing Survey. It’s not just mental burnout—44% of workers reported feeling physically drained.
In response, companies started rolling out employee perks like unlimited leave and four-day workweeks to nudge them to take a break.
And yet, the average American (with Unlimited PTO) only takes 10 days off yearly.
Companies may be saying, ‘Go on, take that break!’ But, operational realities often make it difficult for employees to disconnect and recharge fully. Overwhelming workloads, the stigma of requesting time off, and other factors make employees shy away.
The solution: a standardized time-off request process—with time off request template(s)—that reduces the emotional toll of requesting and approving time off and ensures that all employees are treated equitably when requesting time off.
This article explores this topic and provides 10 free templates to help you create a smooth and stress-free time-off process for everyone involved.
10 Free Time Off Request Templates
- What Are Time Off Request Templates?
- What Makes a Good Time Off Request Template?
- 10 Free Time Off Request Templates
- 1. ClickUp Time Off Request Template
- 2. ClickUp PTO Calendar Template
- 3. ClickUp Request Form Template
- 4. ClickUp Team Requests Template
- 5. ClickUp Team Schedule Template
- 6. ClickUp Shift Schedule Template
- 7. ClickUp Team Schedule Calendar Template
- 8. ClickUp Hourly Schedule Template
- 9. Time-off Record HR Template by Template.net
- 10. Startup Employee Time Off Request Form by Template.net
- Manage Employee Times Off with ClickUp
Summarize this article for me pleaseWhat Are Time Off Request Templates?
A time off request template is a standardized document employees use to request time away from work formally. By templatizing time off requests, companies can speed up the approval process, reduce errors, and, most importantly, ensure compliance with leave policies.
A time off request template typically comes with the following three sections:
- Employee details: Basic information about the employee, such as their name, ID number, department, and job title
- Request details: The start and end dates, type of leave (vacation, sick, personal, etc.), and a brief reason for absence
- Approval section: This area is reserved for signatures and dates to document the approval process and includes the employee’s signature, the supervisor’s approval, and sometimes, HR confirmation
Also, while the basic structure of time off request forms remains consistent, there can be variations based on company size, industry, and specific leave policies. For example, some companies might ask you for a preferred method of contacting you during PTO or mention who the Directly Responsible Individual (DRI) will be for your projects when you’re unavailable.
Summarize this article for me pleaseWhat Makes a Good Time Off Request Template?
The right time-off request template is important for a smooth and efficient HR process. It should simplify things, not add to your workload.
Here are key factors to consider when choosing a template:
- Audit trail: The template should include features to track the status of requests, including submission dates, approval levels, and version histories—especially important if you consider transparency a core company value
- Includes all information: It must cover all important details required for both the employee and the approver so you can minimize back-and-forth communication
- Adaptable: Beyond basic information, a good template should be customizable for various leave types
- Scalable: You should be able to use the same template (maybe with some slight modifications) for at least a few years, or if your company headcount increases
- Integration capabilities: Look for a template that integrates with your HR and payroll software so you can keep track of employee leaves
Optionally, look for templates that can be branded with your company logo and are mobile-friendly. This adds a professional look and ensures easy access for employees on the go.
Summarize this article for me please10 Free Time Off Request Templates
We’ve shortlisted 10 free time off request form templates for you so you can simplify your HR operations and hit the ground running:
1. ClickUp Time Off Request Template
The ClickUp Time Off Request Template is designed to simplify the entire leave management process, from employee requests to manager approvals. It helps you track employee time and know who’s out of the office and when, so you can plan your workload accordingly in their absence.
Built over ClickUp Projects (ClickUp’s task management suite), the template allows employees to easily submit time-off requests, view their request status, and even get notifications when the request is approved or rejected.
The best thing about this template is that it comes with a Time Off Request Form with custom fields for the type of leave, number of hours/days, start and end dates, and reason for the formal request. It also has separate sections where the requestor and supervisor can add their electronic signatures.
Once an employee submits the form, you can use ClickUp Automations to assign it to their direct supervisor, who can review the request. Managers can also use the Board and List views to see who’s on leave and filter requests based on their status—new, approved, or rejected.
With designated fields for everything, this template automates the entire time off request process—and ensures everyone’s on the same page. Plus, the objective nature of the form gives employees the freedom to ask for time off without feeling restricted or micromanaged.
2. ClickUp PTO Calendar Template
There might be any number of fancy apps and trackers, but nothing can beat a company calendar when it comes to organizing time. Whether you’re tracking tasks, meetings, or employee PTOs, a calendar provides a clear visual overview that no other system can match.
If you love the simplicity and visual clarity of a calendar, the ClickUp PTO Calendar Template is for you. It creates a shareable calendar view of all your employees’ times off so everyone knows if someone is in or out.
The calendar not only shows who’s out of the office but also tracks how many days each employee has taken off. This is especially useful for encouraging team members to use their vacation time.
Here’s how this works:
- First, create a document in ClickUp Docs and outline how much time off employees get and how it’s handled
- Build the PTO request form using ClickUp Forms
- Use the ClickUp Calendar View to visualize employees’ paid time off
- Connect ClickUp to your HR software to track employee leave counts and update them
Finally, you can make the calendar public to promote visibility and transparency among all employees.
3. ClickUp Request Form Template
This isn’t a direct time-off request template but rather the foundation for a smooth time-off process. The ClickUp Request Form Template simplifies the onboarding process by collecting all necessary information from new hires at once.
Anytime a new team member joins, the employee (or their team lead) and their team can easily request the People Ops team to set up their employee profile and give them access to the PTO form and calendar.
While the form has some basic fields, you can add extra fields for shift details, location-based information, or other relevant data. For example, if you have different leave policies for different regions and different leave types, such as vacation and sick days, you can specify which policy applies to the new hire.
This way, you demonstrate your commitment to employee well-being and work-life balance.
4. ClickUp Team Requests Template
Juggling multiple forms for different requests can get chaotic really fast, especially if you’re a startup or SMB (Small and Midsize Business) with too much on your plate. In such cases, a single form for all employee requests can help.
The ClickUp Team Requests Template is a general form that employees submit to request anything—from hardware equipment and tool access to time off. This makes it easy for managers, as well, as they don’t have to check multiple forms to see if there’s been a new request.
All you have to do is add a new category for ‘times off’ in the form, along with custom fields for leave details, and you’re set. As ClickUp Forms comes with conditional fields, you can show employees only the relevant fields for each request type.
While the Board View allows team leads to categorize requests, you can set time-off requests as a high priority using ClickUp Automations so they address them as soon as possible.
This helps you create a single, efficient system for all internal requests.
5. ClickUp Team Schedule Template
Workload management during employee absences is critical to ensuring all business processes in your organization run snag-free. It helps managers redistribute tasks to ensure projects stay on track, even when team members are out of the office. This way, employees can enjoy their time off without stress about work piling up—one of the main reasons most employees shy away from requesting time off.
The ClickUp Team Schedule Template is a simple task template that team leads and managers can duplicate and use anytime they approve requested time off. The checklist comes with four action items:
- Review timelines and due dates of the tasks on an employee’s schedule
- Review who else is part of the project (or can pitch in)
- Check their current and future schedule
- Confirm with them if they can take up any of the high-priority tasks
By providing a structured approach to task redistribution, this system ensures project continuity, prevents bottlenecks, and, most importantly—reduces stress for employees on leave and their colleagues.
6. ClickUp Shift Schedule Template
If workload management for employees in a regular 9-to-5 is complex, it’s doubly so for companies with multiple shifts. A well-structured shift schedule, which gives you a clear overview of team availability, can help you ensure efficient time-off planning and approval.
The ClickUp Shift Schedule Template simplifies it to a great extent
The template helps break down roles into shifts, assign them to the person responsible, and track absences. This enables you to:
- See who’s working when at a glance
- Easily track who’s out and why
- Adjust shifts based on team availability
- Anticipate staffing needs and potential shortages
By centralizing shift information, the template strategically improves communication and collaboration among team members.
Do you feel like the process could be better? ClickUp Goals can help you gauge how well your shifts are running and spot areas for improvement. You can set milestones and targets to measure the efficiency of your processes and find areas for improvement. For example, you can use True/False goals in ClickUp to check if you meet your staffing requirements daily.
Basically, you don’t just manage shift schedules but also optimize them for maximum efficiency.
7. ClickUp Team Schedule Calendar Template
The ClickUp Team Schedule Calendar Template helps facilitate the handover process from an employee who’s taking time off, ensuring that essential tasks and information are shared before their absence. This minimizes project delays, allows for a smooth transition, and allows employees to fully disconnect during their time off.
The template comes with four views:
- Project activities: A ‘list view’ where you can get an overview of all tasks assigned to the team, plus create and manage new tasks
- Weekly schedule: A Kanban-style board that visually organizes tasks based on their due dates
- Workload: This view provides a clear picture of individual and team workloads, helping to balance assignments and prevent overloads. The best part is that you can modify the duration of the view to one month, two weeks, or one week and proactively plan for employee time off
- Team schedule: This is a Calendar View that displays task durations and overlaps, allowing for efficient time management and resource allocation
This helps teammates coordinate their efforts, whether taking on additional responsibilities during a colleague’s absence or identifying potential dependencies. At the same time, managers can redistribute work efficiently without overloading anyone.
8. ClickUp Hourly Schedule Template
Tracking time off for hourly employees can get chaotic if you don’t have an accurate system in place. Unlike salaried workers with fixed compensation, hourly employees are paid based on the actual hours worked. This means you have to track not just the ‘days off’ but also the ‘hours off.’
The ClickUp Hourly Schedule Template provides a framework for managing hourly workers using a combination of calendar views and time trackers. This helps you keep track of the actual time someone worked and ensures accurate payroll records.
The template has a Weekly Calendar View, where you can plan an employee’s schedule for efficient time management.
Anytime an employee wants to take an hour (or day) off, you can block that specific time block as ‘Out of Office’ and include a note explaining why they took that time off. Super convenient, right?
9. Time-off Record HR Template by Template.net
If you’re a small business or prefer a no-frills approach to tracking time-off requests, then this Time-off Record HR Template by Template.net can help. Just duplicate it for each employee and update it whenever someone takes time off. It’s a no-fuss way to keep track of vacation days and other absences.
The template includes essential details like employee information, PTO allowance, leave types, remaining balance, and a history of time off taken. Adding the policy to each employee record can be helpful if you have different leave policies and categories—for full-timers, part-timers, and such.
So, you don’t just centralize an employee’s leave records but also ensure compliance with the company’s leave policies.
Also read: How to Avoid Micromanaging in the Workplace
10. Startup Employee Time Off Request Form by Template.net
The final template on our list is another simple one. The Startup Employee Time Off Request Form by Template.net is a simple form that employees can share with their managers when requesting time off.
It has four sections: employee details, time-off details, manager approval (and comments), and HR approval. You can also attach files if your company policy requires a doctor’s statement when taking sick leave.
This template is particularly suitable for small businesses and startups where a straightforward leave management system is preferred.
Summarize this article for me pleaseManage Employee Times Off with ClickUp
A well-structured time off management system not only helps you track absences and manage workloads, but it also ensures that you comply with local labor regulations. And ClickUp can help.
Its suite of work management tools—time off request templates, team schedules, time tracking, and workload management features—can help you simplify the process, reduce back-and-forths, and create a culture prioritizing work-life balance.
Plus, as ClickUp integrates with 1000+ apps and platforms (including most HR and payroll management software), you can automatically track leaves and ensure accurate payments.
So why not give it a try? Sign up to ClickUp for free and standardize your time-off request (and approval) process.
Questions? Comments? Visit our Help Center for support.