Best Leave Management Software For HRs and Business Owners

nimbusadmin | August 2nd, 2023


Leave management software helps HR teams and organizations appropriate day-offs to the workforce without inhibiting in-house operations.

However, getting the best of this software entails knowing the range of options available, and their applicability in different scenarios. 

In this article, we’ll educate you on the benefits of the leave management system, top leave management software in 2023, and its key features.

🗓️ What is a Leave Management System?
🗓️ Benefits of Leave Management System
🗓️ Best Leave Management Software for High-Growth Companies
🗓️ Software 1:Calamari
🗓️ Software 2: Absence.io
🗓️ Software 3: PlanMyLeave
🗓️ Software 4: Kissflow
🗓️ Software 5: LeaveDates
🗓️ Software 6: Pause
🗓️ Software 7: LeaveBoard
🗓️ Software 8: Timetastic
🗓️ Software 9: WhosOff
🗓️ Software 10: Freshteam
🗓️ Summary

What is a Leave Management System?

Leave management software is a tool designed to automate employee management. Either for vacation, maternity, or sick leave, the system is adequately tailored to streamline the process by offering an efficient leave request and approval mechanism. 

The system works by allowing employees to submit leave requests online, which can then be reviewed, approved, or denied by the requisite management team. It eliminates the need to physically contact HR for such requests.

Benefits of Leave Management System

Do you need this software? Perhaps you’ll decide when you read some potential benefits it can offer your enterprise.

Benefit 1: It Streamlines Leave Request Process

The leave management software centralizes and automates the leave request process by streamlining the entire workflow–this in turn cancels the need for manual paperwork.

Benefit 2: Accurate Leave Tracking

A leave management system helps organizations track employee leave balances, including sick leave, personal leave, and vacation days.

Benefit 3: Improved Compliance

Leave management systems assist organizations to remain compliant with company policies, labor laws, and collective bargaining agreements.

Benefit 4: Improved Employee Satisfaction

It empowers employees with self-service functionality–thereby, providing them an overview of their leave balances, submitted requests, and allowing them to view request status.

Benefit 5: Complete Reporting and Analytics

A leave management system generates detailed reports and analytics based on trends, usage, and employee leave patterns. This provides the HR team with a detailed overview to pinpoint issues and make data-driven decisions.

What’s more? Let’s discuss the top online leave management tool for 2023.

Best Leave Management Software for High-Growth Companies

Below are the most notable tool for managing leave requests in both small and large businesses.

Software 1: Calamari

Calamari is One of The Best Leave Management Software For HRs and Business Owners

Calamari is an online time-off manager that lets users automate leave calculation and assists businesses within the company. The software has a user-friendly interface that’s intuitively packed with a range of features for tracking, approving, and managing employee leave requests.

Additionally, Calamari software can offer a range of features with noteworthy use cases. Let’s delve into this.

KEY FEATURES AND USE CASES 

Calamari has enjoyed noteworthy usage due to these features.

Key FeaturesUse Cases
Clock-In and Clock-out ManagementThis software has a clock-in and clock-out functionality that tracks employee attendance and work hours. 
Time TrackingIt enables employees to log in the availability time frame for the remote workforce. Including breaks, working hours, and time spent on a task.
Payroll IntegrationThis feature is useful if you want to integrate your leave management software with a payroll system.
Reporting and AnalyticsThis feature in the software provides reporting and analytics capabilities for generating insights based on employee attendance.

PRICING 

Calamari’s pricing model varies per feature needed. However, it classifies its plan into two, based on your corporate needs: 

  • Calamari Leave Management: From $10/ month for 1-10 employees.
  • Calamari Clockin/Clockout: From $20/ month for 1-10 employees. 

Software 2: Absence.io

Absence.io is One of The Best Leave Management Software For HRs and Business Owners

Absence.io is a cloud-based absence management platform that helps companies ease and automate leave-tracking processes. It offers a centralized platform to manage reasons for employee absences.

It categorizes absence reasons based on vacation, sick leave, personal days, etc. 

As with others on this list, this software also has noteworthy features that make it stand out: 

KEY FEATURES AND USE CASES

Key FeaturesUse Cases
Team and Calendar ViewsThis feature helps managers and employees to easily view and manage leave schedules.
Compliance and RegulationsAbsence.io has a compliance and regulation feature that lets you customize leave policies based on specific requirements.
Approval and NotificationsSupervisors and managers can view leave requests and choose to approve or deny them based on the intricacy of their business.
Payroll IntegrationAbsence.io supports integration with third-party payroll systems to ease payment based on hours of work.
Multi-Language SupportAbsence.io’s leave tracking software is available in German, French, English, Polish, Portuguese, Turkish, and Spanish languages.
Digital Personal FileThis is useful for compiling childcare allowance, and other decisions that require knowing your employee’s personal information.

PRICING

Absence.io has three pricing editions with each costing €2 / month. All three pricing editions differ in their offering. 

  • Vacation Tracker: ​€2 / month
  • Time Tracker: €2 / month
  • Digital Personal Files: €2 / month

You can purchase all three plans if you want an all-encompassing offering.

Software 3: PlanMyLeave 

PlanMyLeave is One of The Best Leave Management Software For HRs and Business Owners

PlanMyLeave is a web-based leave management software that was created in 2011 to simplify and automate leave requests and approval, track workforce active time, and provides a hint on employee effectiveness. 

PlanMyLeave is unique for its custom leave management requests as employees can request overtime, time-based leaves, half-day or full-day offs, and edit requests after approval.

KEY FEATURES AND USE CASES

Key FeaturesUse Cases
Overtime ManagementThis feature makes it easy for organizations to effectively track, manage, and compensate employees for extra hours outside the agreed timeframe. 
It specifies the date, time, and duration of extra work done.
Multi-Lingual SupportIt enables organizations with a diverse workforce, operating in different countries or regions, to adequately manage their leave processes without language barriers.
Report SchedulerIt lets users automate reports generation and delivery, thereby eliminating the need for manual write-ups and saving labor hours.
Custom IntegrationWith custom integration, PlanMyLeave can sync and exchange data with these external systems. 
It allows for a smooth flow of information and reduces the need for manual data entry or duplication.

PRICING

PlanMyLeave charges per user. Here’s a breakdown of their two plans: 

  • Leave management only: $1/ month per user. 
  • Leave and timesheet management: $2/ month per user

Minimum subscription is $30/ month. 

Software 4: Kissflow

Kissflow is One of The Best Leave Management Software For HRs and Business Owners

Kissflow is a cloud-based digital workplace and business process management (BPM) software that empowers organizations to automate and streamline their workflows and business processes. 

Let’s discuss the features and use cases so you can better know if this option is a great choice for you.

KEY FEATURES AND USE CASES

Key FeaturesUse Cases
Forms and Data CaptureIt allows users to create customized forms to capture data and information in multiple workflow stages. 
You can easily define and modify the platform’s interface for efficient data management.
Dynamic Routing and SLAsThis feature intelligently allocates leave requests to the appropriate managers or approvers.
For example, it can route leave requests of junior employees to their immediate supervisors.
Reports and AnalyticsKissflow offers access to pre-designed reports and metrics to track employee workflow.

PRICING 

The platform has three pricing plans and offers demo access. Let’s highlight its pricing for each plan: 

  • Small Business: $15 per user: 50 users minimum 
  • Corporate: $20 per user: 100 users minimum
  • Enterprise: Based on features requested.

Software 5: LeaveDates 

LeaveDates is One of The Best Leave Management Software For HRs and Business Owners

Although LeaveDates is primarily a staff leave management, it offers multiple integrations that make it an all-encompassing HR tool. 

Also, if inclined, you may embed LeaveDate into your internal or third-party software using its APIs. The software APIs are compatible with accounting and payroll systems.

Let’s take a look at some key features of this software, and their use cases.

KEY FEATURES AND USE CASES

Key FeaturesUse Cases
Calendar SynchingIt integrates and synchronizes employees’ leave schedules with calendar applications. This enables employees to view vacation days, time offs, and approved leaves directly within the calendar.
Central WallchartIt’s a visual representation or display that depicts the availability of employees and their leave schedules in a centralized location.
Consider it a central reference point for both managers and employees.
Leave CategorizationThis feature classifies the different types of leave that employees can take or request.

PRICING

LeaveDates has a unique pricing model. It’s free for up to 5 employees. For the 6th employee, you’ll pay $54, and an additional $9 for every employee after that. 

For more than 200 users, you’ll have to opt for an enterprise plan. The price for the enterprise plan has to be negotiated with the sales team.

Software 6: Pause

Pause is One of The Best Leave Management Software For HRs and Business Owners

Pause is an extended absence management software that is easy to use, simple, and affordable for SMBs, startups, and remote teams.

A major pro to this tool is that nonprofit companies can engage in the tool for free.

KEY FEATURES AND USE CASES

Let’s discuss the key features and use cases of this software.

Key FeaturesUse Cases
Google Calendar IntegrationsThis feature synchronizes the leave management system with the Google calendar.
Team OrganizerThis is a centralized platform for designated administrators to manage leave requests.
It also provides an option to prevent overlapping leaves and generate data-related reports.
Instant Requests ResponseIt enables employees to submit leave requests and receive quick updates.

PRICING

Pause charges a flat price of $1/ month for each user.

Software 7: LeaveBoard

LeaveBoard is One of The Best Leave Management Software For HRs and Business Owners

LeaveBoard is created for businesses with more than 300 employees, and is ideal for corporations with workforces in multiple countries. It has top-notch automation features that enable managers to see and approve leaves.

Let’s discuss its features and use cases right away.

KEY FEATURES AND USE CASES

Key FeaturesUse Cases
Overlap WarningThis platform can send a warning if an employee requests a day off that’ll affect your workflow.
In the absence of extra hands to substitute the employee, it’ll issue an alert urging you to deny the request.
Additional Leave OptionsYou can customize the tool for extra functions such as automated leave approvals.
You can also customize the platform to remind employees of their leave options and encourage them to take it.
ReportsLeaveBoard can help create reports based on suggested parameters.

PRICING

This solution has three pricing plans that entail: 

  • Free: Up to nine employees, 
  • Pro: $1.35  per employee. This pricing plan is ideal for 10-80 employees.
  • Enterprise: Organizations with over 80 employees should opt for this option. You’ll need to contact LeaveBoard for precise costs as the price varies with your workforce and the features required.

Software 8: Timetastic

Timetastic is One of The Best Leave Management Software For HRs and Business Owners

Timetastic, is a UK-based leave management platform that’s available in more than 250 countries and has preloaded holidays for all countries. The platform has over 175,000 users, and like other leave management systems in this list, it has top-notch automation and customization policies. 

It has a perfect set of features and secure functionalities, some of which we’ll discuss below.

KEY FEATURES AND USE CASES

Key FeaturesUse Cases
FMLA AdministrationFMLA Administration is the management and implementation of the Family and Medical Leave Act within an organization. This feature offers a way to document compliance.
Role-Based PermissionsIt is a system of assigning and managing access rights based on specific roles or job positions within an organization.
Employee SchedulingIt involves assigning shifts, determining work hours, and ensuring adequate coverage while considering employee availability and approved leaves.

PRICING

Timetastic charges $1.30 per month, per user. It also offers a 30-day free trial.

Software 9: WhosOff

WhosOff is One of The Best Leave Management Software For HRs and Business Owners

WhosOff is a web-based leave management system that helps organizations effectively manage employee leave, absence, and vacation requests. 

WhosOff streamlines the leave management process, making it easier to track and manage employee time off.

KEY FEATURES AND USE CASES

The primary features and use cases that make this tool amass over 650,000 users are.

Key FeaturesUse Cases
COMP/TOIL TrackingThis feature helps organizations to track and manage Comp/TOIL time effectively. Comp/TOIL is the practice of giving employees time off instead of paying them overtime.
Flexible Sick ReportingIt provides flexible reporting for employees as they can use the tool to request sick leave, specifying dates and durations of their illness.
Absence ManagementIt offers comprehensive absence management features by allowing employees to request different types of leaves.

PRICING

The price for this leave management software is set at £1.50 per user, for a minimum of 10 users.

Software 10: Freshteam

Freshteam is One of The Best Leave Management Software For HRs and Business Owners

Freshteam is an all-encompassing human resource and absence management software for workforce monitoring and tracking. Beyond this, Freshteam helps to attract, hire, and onboard new hires, offboard existing employees, and manage information.

It has patronage as it currently caters to more than 15000 businesses around the world, some of which include PharmEasy, Honda, and Cisco. Let’s delve into their standout features.

KEY FEATURES AND USE CASES

Key FeaturesUse Cases
Integration with Multiple Free and Paid ToolsFreshteam is integrable with many kinds of tools, from accounting tools to messaging platforms and job boards.
Mobile-CompatibleFreshteam is available as a mobile app for both Android and iOS operating systems. As such you can manage your workforce on the go.
Multi-Lingual SupportFreshteam supports German, English, Russian, Spanish, Chinese, Thai, Dutch, Japanese, Italian, and French languages.

PRICING

Freshteam offers 1 free plan, and 3 paid plans. Let’s break down what its paid plan entails: 

  • Growth: $1/ employee + $59.99 platform fee per month. 
  • Pro: $2/ employee + $99 platform fee per month. 
  • Enterprise: $4/ employee + $169.99 platform fee per month.

Summary

Leave management software are tools that track workforce availability and prevent disproportionate spread in your labor resources. In this article, we’ve discussed the intricacy of leave management tools, their key features, and how much they cost.