Leave Tracking Spreadsheet
EquiLeave has created a (free) leave tracking spreadsheet. Features include:
Automated calculations for key leave case information
Dozens of automatically generated leave metrics
A simple, easy-to-use interface
How it works
The spreadsheet has three tabs. One for active leaves, one for closed leaves, and one for metrics.
In each row of the Active Leaves tab, a leave administrator can enter information about an employee’s leave of absence. Some of the cells have automated formulas to provide information about the leave. For example, one cell calculates the duration of the leave.
The Closed Leaves tab is where you can store information about prior leaves. Once a leave has been completed, the leave administrator should cut the entire row associated with that leave from the “Active Leaves” tab and paste it into the “Closed Leaves” tab.
The Metrics tab has formulas that will automatically give you some basic metrics about leave of absence usage at your company, including the number of employees on leave, the type of leaves taken, and the average duration of leaves.
Detailed breakdown
Here’s a detailed breakdown of all the columns in the Active Leaves tab and how you can use them:
Columns A - K. This is where you can enter basic information about the employee, including their name, employee ID, personal email address, state, hire date, department, job title, manager, FLSA classification, and normal days per workweek. Here’s why you might need some of that information:
The state can help you track whether the employee might have a leave entitlement for that particular state. You can also create metrics related to the employee’s state (e.g., how many employees are on leave in a given state).
The hire date can be important for determining whether an employee is FMLA eligibile.
The department and manager information might assist with keeping leaders updated on when an employee is on leave.
Having the employee’s personal email address handy can help a leave manager communicate with an employee during their time away about logistics like their return-to-work date.
The employee’s FLSA classification can support payroll determinations. You can choose between “exempt” or “non-exempt.”
The normal days per workweek can help with intermittent FMLA tracking. An employee on intermittent FMLA leave is entitled to 12 workweeks of time off per leave year. A workweek is determined based on their usual days of work per week. So, if an employee works 3 days per workweek, then they would be entitled to 36 days of intermittent FMLA leave. If an employee works 5 days per workweek, they would be entitled to 60 days of intermittent FMLA leave.
Columns L - O track some basic dates and information about logistics related to the leave.
The date of the request tracks when the employee makes the request. This can be important if you want to document that you promptly communicated with the employee about the leave request. That can be important for compliance, too. After an employee makes a request for leave that could qualify for FMLA, the employer has 5 business days to give the employee a completed FMLA notice of eligibility. Tracking when the request was made can help document your efforts to comply with rules like that.
Column M tracks whether the request was granted. You could put a date in that column to identify when the request was granted.
Column N asks you to enter the date when your HRIS was updated to reflect the leave. It can be important to update payroll systems to indicate whether and when an employee is on a leave of absence. Column N is a reminder to do that (or that it has been done).
The manager notified column helps you remember to keep the employee’s manager in the loop about the request. Add the date you notified the manager about the upcoming leave.
Columns P - W track some basic information about the leave:
Leave status (Active, Upcoming, Closed). Here, you select whether the person is actively on leave, whether the leave is coming up, or whether the leave is closed because it already happened or wasn’t granted.
Under Leave Reason, you can select the reason why the employee is on leave.
Leave Schedule refers to whether the employee is taking a continuous leave or intermittent leave.
In the cells for the leave start date and end date, you enter the first and last day of the employee’s leave.
In column U, you can document whether the leave qualified for time off under the FMLA. This can help you track how much time off an employee is taking under the FMLA.
In column W, you might document whether the leave qualified for time off under a state law, for example, the California Family Rights Act.
In column X, you can document the employee’s actual return day. Note that the actual return date is not necessarily one day after the leave end date. For example, the leave might end on a Friday and the employee might return to work the next Monday.
Column Y (“Leave Length (Days)”) will automatically calculate the number of days between the leave start date and end date.
Columns Z - AD are compliance focused:
Under “Notice of Eligibility Date” (column Z), you can document that date you provided the employee with their FMLA notice of eligibility (if applicable).
Under “FMLA documentation received,” you can track the date that you received any documentation you requested from the employee, for example, a certification of the employee’s serious health condition.
In column AC, you can document that date you sent the employee their FMLA designation notice.
In column AD, you can note the status of the employee’s application for short-term disability.
Columns AE through AI track information related to the employee’s return to work and notes about the leave.
Video
For more information, check out our video covering the leave of absence tracker.
Our tracker does not guarantee compliance. You are responsible for ensuring your organization is compliant with leave laws and recordkeeping obligations.
