Paid Time Off (PTO) Leave Request Form (Template and Samples)

Creating a standard PTO request form gives employee room to not only enjoy the benefit perks but allow employees to take a break from work and come back active to give their best.

To ensure employees are productive and focused, you may need to understand time off and how to create an employee time off request form so you can formally document such situations. What better way to do that than using a time off request form template?

What Is A PTO Request Form?

A PTO request form also known as an employee time off request form is an official document that helps a company keep records whenever an employee asks for time off from work. This form is used by employees to request a break from work which can later be approved or denied by a supervisor. Additionally, a paid time off request form may be to also request payment during time off, while a standard time off request form may be paid or unpaid.

To boost employee performance and morale consider paid time off.

Importance Of Time Off Request Forms

Using an employee time off request form can be beneficial to both employees and employers. Aside from formally recording these situations for payroll processing, here are other ways a time off request form can come as useful:

1 To Monitor Leaves: Having a leave tracking and managing system helps companies to know what employees have taken leaves when the employees took leaves and if they have used up their time off. This can also be beneficial for companies to assess how employees’ PTO’s affect the team productivity. In such a way that future inconveniences can be avoided.

2 For Better Planning: A PTO request form helps managers and supervisors plan especially during tight deadlines. If an employee takes time off unannounced the team’s productivity can be affected badly. That’s why implementing a systemic approach to managing time off helps the business plan in advance without drawbacks.

3 Assists During Employee Exit: When an employee leaves a company, they may be needed for benefits and compensation. A time off management system helps the company know if an employee has exhausted their PTO to avoid inconsistency in future payments or legal claims.

Ways Of Managing Employee Time Off Request Form Post-Implementation

There are some guidelines or sets of rules to add to your time off request policy or management system:

1 Set A Time Frame To Give Notice: This may not include emergencies or incidents like an accident where an employee may be needed to leave immediately without putting out a notice. Although, in planned situations, say vacactions or scheduled meetings outside work, it is important for an employee to let the company know ahead of time to enable them to plan for their absence. The time frame you decide to set for your company’s policy considering time off might differ from other companies. But to make the process easier, a period between a week to a month should suffice and should also be stated in the employee handbook.

2 Create A System For Multiple Requests: Chances are, an employee might request to take a break from work during the same time another employee wishes to do the same. Since this can evidently affect the team’s productivity is it important to establish guidelines and rules to decide which employee will get their request approved. Though there might be several ways to do this, maybe based on whoever requests first or which employee’s reason for requesting is more urgent.

3 Determine How To Maintain Team’s Productivity: One thing is sure when an employee takes time off their duties may be taken up by other employees which could compromise the team’s productivity. But this doesn’t always have to be the case. Create a temporary ranking structure for employees when company’s leaders decide to take time off. You can also assign tasks to employees who are willing to take them on. Though in cases of an extended leave period, companies should consider hiring and training a temporary employee to fill in the gap.

4 Set Restriction For Time Off: There are times when a company will most definitely require their employee’s hands on deck. In a situation like this, companies should set a restriction for employees to go on time off unless during an emergency, death, or illness. This is beneficial for both parties since employees can plan their time off after or before that date and the company’s productivity stays afloat without any hassle.

5 Support Time Off Request: Employees’ morale and focus can take a big step “up” when they take some time off work. Though approving time off requests should be within reason, so whenever possible to improve overall work-life balance managers make an effort to consider and approve each request where it could be useful.

6 Use Time Off Management Software: To ease the time off management process, companies can use a management software to automate the entire process. This software can be used to place time off requests, access time off policy, track time off, monitor the team’s calendar, learn about the time off limits, and so on. Supervisors will also be notified if a time off policy is violated and be able to monitor the deadline for an employee’s time off. In a case where an employee has used up their paid time off, the software makes it easier to spot those employees in turn making the payroll process more smoother and accurate.

Things Included In A Time Off Request Form

• The employees name and their ID number 
• The Date the time off request was placed 
• The particular type of time off( Sick, vacation, family care, etc.)
• Starting date and ending date of the time off
• The name and signature of the person that approved the time off 

How To Create Your Time Off Request Form Template 

Use this guide to establish a sample time request form of your own for an accurate and comprehensive time off management system using technology.

1 Use E-communication Applications: Just like the sample vacation request form below, they are used to keep records. Managers should consider using mobile and email applications which make it easy for employees to request time off while ensuring that the records for those dates are kept secured. Utilizing these apps will help avoid any form of inadequate communication from both parties and also make sure that the time request is received and confirmed.

2 Employ Online Request Forms: As tech continues to evolve, you can literally automate everything online. Online request forms can be filed into a company’s electronic filing system. Managers or supervisors can easily create these forms just like the sample vacation request form below by using online software programs that have already made templates. However, managers can also get help from the IT department to create a customized time off request form for employees.

3 Convey A Company’s Notice: The aim of creating this form is to ease the time off management process, but this might be the opposite when employees find it difficult to use these forms. After creating these forms ensure employees are able to use them effectively. Doing this can be as easy as creating an online tutorial video so employees can access it whenever needed, scheduling an in-person meeting, or sending a written tutorial through emails or e-communication apps.

Time Off Request Form Template

Here is a basic template you can use as a guide:

[Company Name]

Name Of Employee:

Job Position and Department:

Date of Request:

Appealing Start Date For Leave:

Appealing End Date For Leave:

Reason For Leave (sick, vacation, medical leave etc): 

Supervisor Approval:

Name of Employee:
Date and Employee’s Signature:

Name of Supervisor:
Date and Supervisor’s Signature 

Employee Time Off Request Form Sample

Here is a filled out sample vacation request form using the above template

Avila Structure Limited
Name Of Employee: Elly Jonah

Job Position and Department: Software engineer at IT department 

Date of Request: 20/4/19

Appealing Start Date For Leave: 14/5/19

Appealing End Date For Leave: 16/6/19

Reason for Leave (sick, vacation, medical leave etc): Vacation 

Supervisor Approval: Yes 

Name of Employee: Elly Jonah
Date and Employee’s Signature : 20/4/19, then signature 

Name of Supervisor: Sarah Huggins
Date and Supervisor’s Signature: 23/4/19, then signature

Conclusion

A PTO request form is beneficial in various ways. Whether to keep track of leaves or keep records for payroll processing, companies can easily create and customize these requests for different situations. Nevertheless, we hope the above template has given you an idea.

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