The Benefits of Leave Tracking -

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Human Resources has always been a dynamic field of work subject to regular change. For example, in the last couple of years because of the global pandemic we have seen the need for policies on working from home and vaccination as well as a heightened awareness of mental health issues. Current trends in the workforce highlight a desire for greater flexibility for a myriad of reasons from booking time off for a medical appointment to being available to get children off to school in the morning, to fitting in a work-out over a lunch hour. And of course, there is the need to plan for vacation time-off! Providing an easy means of planning and tracking leave has benefits to both employees and employers. To highlight this, we sat down with some of our HR team – Laura Gauley, Kelsey Ellis, Laura Scull, Sue Haywood, and Suzanne Bali-Courtemanche – to learn about the importance of a centralized (and digital) leave tracking system within a business.

Interpersonal Benefits

When leave tracking is not centralized, organizations can run into crunch situations where multiple staff members are off and the workload for remaining staff is overwhelming. Not only does this harm productivity, but it can be mentally exhausting for the remaining employees and can sow division amongst staff. Tracking and centralizing leave requests lets managers  anticipate when people will be absent from the team, giving them time to reallocate work and delegate specific tasks to keep everyone comfortable and productive at work.
Often, workers might forget that they have an allowance of time for vacation or personal use, letting it run out year after year without taking advantage of it. With EmbaarqHR, employees will see how much time off they have available, with real-time updates whenever they make a change, so they can plan time off with confidence and clarity. Additionally, they can coordinate with staff members using the company calendar , to make sure their work team is still able to function in their absence.

Organizational Benefits

From an administrative standpoint, a centralized tracking system streamlines the allocation of time for payroll and financial auditing purposes. Having leave tracking centralized is a boon for efficiency, with an automated system reducing manual work, duplication, and risk of errors. Often, manual, or decentralized leave tracking systems are confusing for employees and managers to navigate, and therefore takes up time that could be spent on other tasks or results in overlap or miscommunication with regards to when time can be taken. Having a place where people can be reminded of their entitlements regularly can encourage them to take time off when they need it. Centralized leave tracking can help managers spot leave trends or any underlying time constraints that employees have. Is there a specific time when more employees want time off? How do you plan for the year to accommodate this period?

Legal Benefits

There are legal parameters to consider when organizing a leave tracking system. From an oversight perspective, leave absences are an accrued balance and can negatively impact cash flow. If a disgruntled employee is claiming they have more time than is allotted, there is now a centralized proof of balance. Under provincial labour laws, only a certain number of entitlements are allowed, and while entitlements often carry over year over year, if they exceed a certain amount, the hours will be removed from the workers’ plan, punishing the worker for working too much. Having a place where they can see it reminds them that they are encouraged to take time off now and then.

Bringing It Together

Reducing uncertainty around leave tracking and entitlements can benefit multiple aspects of your organization, giving workers mental clarity and stability around whether they can take time off, and making sure nobody gets overwhelmed covering for others while they are away. No matter how much leave you give to your employees, communicating it can boost employee morale and the feeling of support within a workplace.
Leave tracking is one of the many tools’ users of EmbaarqHR have at their disposal to help make the world of human resources more efficient. This tool shows employees leave balances in real-time, lets staff coordinate time off with the rest of the office and provides ease of communication with managers.


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