Leave Management
Requests, approvals and balances with clear visibility
A leave calendar and team-overlap matrix, clash detection before approval, and holiday pay handled properly including rolled-up holiday pay for irregular-hours workers. Manage employee leave requests and holiday balances in one place with RootHR.
No card required · UK-based support · ISO 27001 certified
What is leave management?
Leave management helps employers record, approve and track employee time off, including annual leave, sick leave, parental leave and unpaid leave.
For UK employers, this also means keeping an eye on holiday balances, team cover and holiday pay. This can become more complex for irregular-hours or part-year workers.
RootHR brings leave requests, balances, shared calendars, overlap checks and holiday pay support into one place, helping managers plan cover and keep accurate records.
Leave everyone can see, and trust
Clashes, leave types and holiday pay are managed in one place, helping requests receive a timely, consistent decision without searching through emails or spreadsheets.
Calendar & overlap matrix
See who’s off, check overlaps and plan cover before approving leave.
Clash detection
Flag overlapping leave requests before approval to avoid gaps in cover.
Your leave types
Set up leave types to match your policies, including annual, sick and unpaid leave.
Holiday pay handled
Manage rolled-up holiday pay and untaken leave for eligible workers.
Leave, as your team will actually see it
Explore two views from RootHR Leave Management: the requests managers need to review today and the yearly overview that helps them understand leave across the business.
The approval queue, and the shape of the year
See pending requests, who is off today and how leave is distributed across your organisation's leave types all from the manager's overview.
Every balance, month by month
View each employee's allowance, adjustments, leave taken and remaining balance across the leave year. Balances can be displayed in the relevant unit, whether days or hours.
Four things a leave request should never cost you
See the clash before you approve
See who’s already off, spot leave clashes and avoid cover gaps before approving requests.
Your leave types, your workflow
Set leave types to match your policies and manage requests through clear approval workflows.
Holiday pay done properly
Support 12.07% rolled-up holiday pay and include untaken holiday in final pay.
Buyback and reporting
Manage leave buyback requests and use reports to track leave across the business.
The same six jobs, done two ways
Managing employee leave is part of the everyday work of running a team, particularly when shifts and cover need to be coordinated. Here is the difference a structured leave management system can make.
Without Root HR
- Requests arrive by email or text and remain in an inbox until someone follows up.
- Managers cannot easily see who is already booked off.
- Two people on the same team may be approved for the same days.
- Holiday pay for irregular-hours staff is worked out manually in a spreadsheet.
- Final pay requires recalculating accrued but untaken leave.
- Leave policies are stored in documents that can be difficult to find.
With Root HR
- Leave requests follow a structured workflow to approve, reject or cancel.
- A shared calendar and team-overlap matrix show who is already off.
- Overlapping requests can be flagged before approval, helping managers plan team cover.
- Rolled-up holiday pay calculations are supported for eligible irregular-hours workers using the 12.07% method.
- Accrued but untaken holiday can be accounted for as part of the employee's leaving process.
- Leave policies and employer-defined leave types are kept alongside the requests they support.
Time off shouldn't need a chase-up email
When managers cannot see who else is off, leave requests can sit unanswered and employees are left waiting. A shared calendar, team-overlap matrix and leave clash detection help managers make informed decisions faster and plan cover with greater confidence.
- Flag overlapping leave requests before approval.
- Approve, reject or cancel requests through a structured workflow.
- Support rolled-up holiday pay calculations for eligible irregular-hours workers using the 12.07% method.
Staff check their own balance, so you don't have to
Many leave questions are really questions about remaining holiday. The RootHR mobile app lets employees check their leave balance from the home screen and submit a request without needing to email a manager.
- Check leave balances and remaining days from the home screen.
- Request time off and track the decision in the app.
- Access shifts, documents and payslips in the same place.
Leave doesn't live on its own
Every leave approval can affect the rota, timesheet and payroll. RootHR connects leave management with other workforce processes, helping keep employee records and working-time information consistent.
Attendance & Time
Approved leave is reflected in attendance records, helping prevent a booked day off from being treated as a missing clock-in.
Rota Management
Booked leave is visible while managers build the rota, helping them avoid scheduling employees when they are already due to be off.
Overtime & Exceptions
Approved leave is accounted for in relevant working-time calculations, helping managers distinguish time off from a potential attendance shortfall.
Payroll Support
Rolled-up and termination holiday pay information can be carried through to payroll as part of the wider pay process.
Offboarding
Accrued but untaken leave can be accounted for during the employee leaving process, rather than being calculated at the last minute.
Document Management
Leave policies, employer-defined leave types and HR templates can be kept alongside the requests and processes they support.
Frequently asked questions
Can I add custom leave types?
Yes. RootHR supports employer-defined leave types, allowing you to configure categories that match your organisation’s leave policy.
How do I avoid approving two people off at once?
Use the shared leave calendar and team-overlap matrix to see who is already booked off. Leave clash detection helps flag overlapping requests before approval, so managers can review cover before making a decision.
How is holiday pay calculated for irregular-hours staff?
Eligible irregular-hours workers may receive rolled-up holiday pay calculated at 12.07% of pay for work done. The correct approach depends on the worker’s circumstances and the applicable holiday pay rules. RootHR supports the relevant calculation process.
What happens to unused leave when someone leaves?
Accrued but untaken statutory holiday may need to be paid in the employee’s final pay. RootHR helps employers account for outstanding leave as part of the offboarding and payroll process.
Can staff sell leave back?
Employees can submit leave buyback requests where this is supported by the organisation’s policy. Requests remain subject to employer approval and applicable rules.
Can staff sell leave back?
Employees can submit leave buyback requests where this is supported by the organisation’s policy. Requests remain subject to employer approval and applicable rules.
Get your team’s leave calendar live today
Book a free walkthrough or register with RootHR and set up your first leave policy in minutes.