PTO request form template

In an always-connected digital world, maintaining a healthy work-life balance is important. Paid time off (PTO) is an employment benefit that supports this balance, but navigating the process isn’t always straightforward. Employees may feel uncertain or hesitant about requesting time off while managers who handle PTO requests can find the process difficult alongside their other responsibilities.

Using a PTO request form template promotes a clear, trackable process that simplifies requests and approvals related to vacation, sick days, and personal leave. It helps organize requests, manage coverage, reduce approval bottlenecks, and create an absence audit trail, making the time-off process smoother for everyone involved.

What is a PTO request form?

A PTO request form is a standardized way for employees across teams to ask for time off. This singular digital form converts disparate, ad hoc requests into a consistent record of requests and approvals. Introducing a PTO request template makes the process easier for everyone: employees requesting time off, managers approving those requests, and HR team members managing the organization’s PTO policies.

In today’s fast-paced workplaces, a written, digital request prevents things from slipping through the cracks and provides a reliable audit trail. Even a PDF-based system falls short because it requires manual updates and redistribution for every change.

Digital PTO request forms embedded directly into your work OS offer streamlined workflows by reducing time spent on manual tasks and increasing transparency with real-time visibility into approvals.

Essential fields to include in your PTO request form

A PTO request form should simplify the process of requesting time off by gathering all the necessary information for an approver to review, reducing the need for back-and-forth communication. It should also align with your organization’s time-off policy, including accruals, different types of time off, holiday policies, and rollover rules.

Your organization’s PTO request form should include the following fields:

• Employee details: Name, department, location, and time zone
• Requested leave type: Vacation, sick, personal, floating holiday, parental, jury duty, bereavement, or other
• Date request was made: Keep track of when a request was submitted
• Length of time off requested: Include start and end dates, along with partial-day hours
• Coverage plan: List the primary contact while away and provide a link to the hand-off plan
• Approver: List the manager or PTO approver(s)
• Attachments: Include any notes or documentation
• Status: Track the request status (for example, submitted, pending, approved, denied) with timestamps for the audit trail
• Policy acknowledgement: Provide a link for employees to review the PTO policy

How to use this template in Slack (step-by-step)

Below, we’ll show you how a PTO request form template is created in Slack using channels, canvases, lists, and other user-friendly features within the platform.

Here’s how to use this template to track PTO requests in Slack:

1. Create a new channel. Click the “Use this template” button to create a private #request-time-off channel.
2. Update channel permissions. Add HR team members and managers to the channel, as they will be responsible for approvals and oversight. Set posting rules specific to your organization.
3. Add a canvas tab. Add a “Request instructions” canvas tab. Be sure to include details like company policies, required lead times, approvers, and coverage expectations.
4. Launch a workflow. Click “Start workflow” and update the form to include the required fields, such as the type of PTO, requested dates, manager, coverage plan, and any additional notes.
5. Track approvals. The workflow automatically populates a “Time off request tracker” list. Each form submission becomes a row with fields like status, dates, notes, and the designated approver.
6. Assess requests. Approvers can review requests directly in Slack by changing the status to “approved” or “denied.” Configure notifications so the requester is automatically notified of any changes within Slack.
7. Manage edits. To make changes, like adjustments or cancellations, reopen the item, make necessary changes, and use the notes section to record timestamps for audits.
8. Keep records. Review your list in the way that works best for you, filtering by team, date, and leave type. Export either filtered or full views of the list for payroll or HRIS as needed.

How to keep your form policy- and compliance-friendly

Creating an automated PTO request form template might be new for your organization, but you’re not starting from scratch. Consider your company’s PTO policies and any local or state requirements. For example, some states require PTO and sick time to be tracked separately. Align HR standards with template fields to ensure immediate functionality.

Examples of how to boost compliance within your template include:

• Set clear expectations. Boost transparency by publishing lead-time expectations and blackout dates that align with your company’s policies in the Slack canvas.
• Require coverage plans. Prevent staffing shortages and missed deadlines by requiring employees in customer-facing roles to submit a link to a documented coverage plan with their request.
• Document an escalation path. Develop and share processes for urgent and same-day requests that require immediate attention.
• Respect privacy. Allow employees requesting medical or personal time off to share as much or as little as they’d like about the nature of their request by making detail fields optional. Additionally, due to the sensitive nature of medical requests, store minimal personal identifying information.
• Keep an activity log. Track requests with an immutable activity log that includes status changes and timestamps for future reference.

How to customize a PTO request form for your organization

We’ve covered the basics of a PTO request form, but every organization and team is unique, with distinct needs, policies, and procedures. Think about adding a personal touch to your PTO request form template with these optional adjustments and integrations:

• Introduce conditional fields. Different types of leave need varying levels of specificity, depending on the category. For example, a person requesting time off for family leave may be required to provide documentation, while a person requesting vacation time is not.
• Account for multiple approvers. In some cases, PTO requests need approval from multiple stakeholders. Account for multilevel approvals by including extra fields in your template form.
• Integrate your HR software. Check PTO accruals and balances against PTO requests using the HR software your organization already uses via Slack’s integrations with popular platforms, including BambooHR, Workday, and Greenhouse.
• Sync the team calendar. Establish a team PTO calendar for increased visibility into upcoming staffing shortages and coverage plans. Update the team calendar and share it during team check-ins.
• Factor in regional holidays. Thanks to remote work, today’s teams are more diverse than ever, with colleagues spread across the globe. Strive to be inclusive by considering different regional holidays when planning your PTO and vacation schedules.
• Automate reminders. Don’t let pending approvals linger. Set up automations to include reminders for status updates.

Regardless of what you choose to include, prioritizing the unique needs of your organization by creating a customized, comprehensive form will better support your team in the long run.

Six common mistakes with PTO request forms (and how to fix them)

Even the most optimized PTO request process is only as effective as the team managing it. Common roadblocks include unclear policies, incomplete audit trails, and failure to use modern technology.

Here are six common mistakes with PTO request forms and how to fix them:

1. Having unclear processes. Demystify the process of requesting PTO by clearly designating approvers. Enhance transparency and streamline the review process by listing owners in your canvas and pre-assigning approvers in your form template.
2. Keeping a paper copy. Storing PTO in a static document like a PDF offers visibility, but it interrupts the workflow and requires tedious, manual updates for every change. Instead, improve time management by integrating your PTO process directly into your workflow with a Slack form and a corresponding time-off tracker list that updates in real time.
3. Leaving an incomplete record. When working with static documents, any status change or request must be manually recorded. This can result in an inconsistent record, providing an incomplete picture. Make sure all changes are documented with date and time stamps for full compliance.
4. Lacking organizational visibility. PTO requests often stall in the approval queue, leaving both employees and managers in the dark. With a Slack template, savvy teams can use views and notifications to alert them to coverage needs and status changes.
5. Not complying with policies. Given the detailed nature of local and organizational policies, PTO request forms must adhere to set standards. Managers should assess PTO request forms against internal resources to ensure compliance.
6. Not requiring a coverage plan. Shore up your team against staff shortages by requiring employees to submit coverage plans with their PTO requests. Reducing gaps in coverage is especially important for customer-facing and deadline-oriented roles.

Integrate your PTO request form into automated workflows

There’s a time and place to put a pencil to paper — but it’s not when you’re requesting PTO. A clear, automated PTO workflow hosted by digital tools streamlines the process, reducing back-and-forth communication, improving coverage, and providing HR with a reliable record. Integrate your PTO request form template into the systems your team already uses with a Slack workflow that uses familiar interfaces, including channels, canvases, workflow, and lists. [# /]