Free Printable Time off Request Forms & Templates (Word / PDF)

A time off request form is a document used by the employee to inform or generate a request for taking some time off or full leave on the particular date written down on the time off request form.

It is important for time office and HR teams to manage the resources for the business while the potential employees are not available. Therefore, time off request form is considered a must in business to fill in order to get time off due to any reason.

It gives HR and related managers some prior information and time to manage an alternative of the employee. Normally, this form is used in businesses. However, a time off request form template can also be used in projects to manage human resources. Typically, employee vacation planner sheets or project resource planning sheets are used as alternatives to the time off request form in project management. You may also like the employee training schedule template.

What is the Time off Request?

A time off request is a formal request that an employee makes to take time off or day off. The reasons behind the time off are different varying from holidays and personal time to medical leave and jury duty. Also, there is time off request forms available that are professional tracking documents. These forms keep a record of employees’ leaves.

What Things Need to be included in the Time off Request?

The accurate contents depend on your company’s requirements and the country you work in. But the basic things include such as employee and his manager’s name, date and time he wants to take off, the reason behind his time off (holiday, medical, personal, or etc), and his signature.

Importance of Time Off Request Form Template

Most small businesses have an employee as per requirement. There are few employees with a very specific skill set. When an employee takes early off or leave. It is the responsibility of the line manager to assign his duties and responsibilities to someone else.

But sometimes there are such employee exists in the company who don’t have any suitable alternative. Their work is unique or even due to nature of work. It can’t be managed by someone else for a shorter period.

Then, it is important for line managers to ensure the availability of a particular employee on the job. When such an employee requires to take time off or full leave. They have to inform earlier via filling time off request form. You may also check the hourly schedule template.

In another perspective, the time off request form is important for the time office team to manage the leaves plan of the employees. In some companies, employees are allowed an available number of times off in one fiscal year.

Such as employees are allowed to take 30 time offs of 30 minutes, 10 time offs of 90 minutes and so on. In that case, the time office team managed the employee record as per authorization by the employee on time off request form.

How to make a Time Off Request Form Template?

Keeping in view the purpose of the time off request form template. It is important for the time office and HR team to make such a time off request form template that fulfills all the purposes. You may also download a free employee profile template.

A simple time off request form template asks for the following information;

1. Employee Name
2. Employee ID or Code
3. Submission Date
4. Time Off Request Date
5. Type of Time off (Full Day, Half Day, Quarter Day, 90 min Off, or 30 min Off)
6. Substitute Preferences of the Work
7. Reason for the Time Off
8. Time Off Request Quota
9. Authorization by an employee to Time Off for up-gradation of employee record according to the request.
10. Comments
11. Signatures of Employee, Line Manager, and HR Manager

Using the above information, a simple MS Word base time off request form can be made to serve as a printable time off request form.

What to include in your time off request form?

Making time off request form requires a lot of thought. It’s up to you whether you can download resources online and use them as a reference, or you can begin from scratch and create your own form for your organization. You must include some essential elements in your form to make it effective. Below are the essential things required on the request for time off form;

• Dates or hours of the requested leave. Ensure to fill in the requested days off.
• Note down the total number of days.
• Keep in mind how far in advance the request for time-off is made
• The method of requesting the time-off
• You must include the request date and approval or denial date
• The signature of the supervisor who approved or denied the request
• The signature of the employee

Other essential elements to include are the following;

• As a reminder, include in a section to record the dates on the employee calendar as well as the payroll system to differentiate paid time-off versus unpaid time-off.
• For different time offs, different processes may be involved. These contain the following;
  1- Specify whether the time off is paid or unpaid
  2- Indicate that someone calling in might require a different process than a salaried worker.
• For this kind of form, there is no standard format. But, the ones that are found online are the same to each other. The reason behind is that the purpose of the form is similar.

How to manage time off requests?

Likewise the salary, the workforce views the perks and benefits of a prospective job. Never make the mistake of restricting time off policies. Time off is an essential part of the common employee. When you post too many restrictions on time off, then during peak time vacations you would either struggle to get deserving applicants or to retain employees or to stay fully staffed.

Here are some tips that will assist you in managing time off requests;

From the start, ensure to communicate your time off policies

As soon as employees are hired, the employers have to inform them of their time-off policies. The following two results will happen without the knowledge of the time-off boundaries;

• The newly hired employees will ask other employees regarding the boundaries of time-off policies. As a result, this may lead to resentment among other employees.
• Since the uninformed employees do not know the boundaries, they will be hesitant to ask out of fear that their request for time-off will be denied. Eventually, this may lead to frustration.

For requests, a deadline must be in place

Also, it is important to regulate the time off requests of employees. For time offs, specific businesses could not afford a deluge of requests particularly those involved during high-intensity seasons. Too much time off would spell disaster in some businesses.

The employer needs to set a deadline for filing the time off in order to avoid the filing of time offs during these times. Moving further, when requests come in, you may also set a time frame for them. Some employees have annoying habit of filing requests for next year. It has a clear disadvantage for employees who haven’t been hired yet.

Furthermore, this notice should be announced to all employees at the same time. This is essential because in case time off requests are submitted at the same time, it will provide the employer time to decide on who will be granted the time off.

Try to use employee rewards during peak business times

Employees usually dislike those employers who stick strictly to the rules. Rewards usually work on a reluctant force for schedules that require sacrifice.

For your employees, give a rotating schedule

The top ten complaints of employees have been compiled by a Survey conducted by HR Solutions and favoritism is rearing its head in number one. There are always employees who can charm their way to get what they desire in all business establishments.

Monitor all the previous requests that have been created

It would be so easy with the help of forms to keep track of the time-off requests of employees. Certainly, it is tedious to read out all these requests but it will provide you a view on employees’ time-off patterns.

Recommend trading shifts or days

Emergencies would happen inevitably. To resolve the predicament, the employer will have to have some flexibility. Allowing employees to trade shifts/days is the best solution to do this. The employees need to agree among themselves the shift in work days. Also, it dispels the idea that in granting emergency leaves the employer is showing favoritism.

It isn’t complicated to manage time of requests. Basically, it is an efficient tool of defined policies, flexibility on matters of emergencies, and avoidance.

How to use a time off request form?

The time off request form is an efficient tool used by the employer to keep record of his employees requested vacation and sick leaves. This document contains information that will give employer’s data to be used in adjusting work hours. This way, there won’t be a shortage of manpower. At the same time, for employees, the form makes an easy tool to request for their appropriate leaves.

This form can be used in the following cases;

• The employer doesn’t contain a pre-existing form.
• Small business employers have to give the employees all important forms they might require
• You are working in Human Resources.

It is important to fill up the form. Always, it will be at the discretion of the employer for its approval or denial. You doesn’t as a priority by having so many accumulated vacation time. Whether it be vacation, special event or personal, filling out and submitting the form is the best way for employers to keep track of employee leaves. This form will tremendously assist in keeping things organized.

How to Ask for Time off?

Here are different tips for asking for time off from work;

1. Firstly, plan a suitable time to ask for time off. Don’t ask for time off during the high-volume business cycle.
2. Asked at a good time when your work is under control and well managed.
3. You have to plan your time in advance whenever possible
4. Then, put your request in writing. Especially, an email to your manager is sufficient.
5. Keep your tone formal and it’s just a request not a demand. Moreover, don’t state your vocational plans to getting approval from your manager or supervisor.
6. And state how your responsibilities are going to be handled in your absence.
7. Before going take a catch-up. Avoid leaving your colleagues with a ton of work. This is because you weren’t up to date with it when you left.
8. Inform everyone about your responsibilities who needs to know. Furthermore, your clients and customers have to know who will accommodate their needs in your absence.
9. Planning your absence well will help you in the future to get time off next time.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)