Absence Management Software: Tools to Try in 2024

Are you still trying to decipher which leave requests are valid who will cover shifts and what to do with unplanned absences?

In an era where remote work and flexible schedules have become the norm, implementing effective absence management software becomes essential for maintaining productivity and employee satisfaction.

• Automating leave requests and approvals reduces administrative burdens on HR teams.
• The availability of leave balances and scheduled vacations fosters a culture of transparency and trust.
• Analytics features help managers identify trends and plan for staffing needs.
• Custom leave policies ensure compliance with labor laws and regulations.

In this blog post, we’ll explore some of the top absence management software tools, highlighting their features and benefits. Hopefully, they will help you streamline HR processes, enhance transparency, and provide data-driven insights to let your business thrive in 2024 and beyond.

Free Absence Management Software

1. actiPLANS

Key features:

• Visual timeline
• Employee self-service
• Email notifications
• Custom leave types
• Automatic PTO accrual
• Time tracking integration
• Reports
• Mobile app

actiPLANS is a leave management system that streamlines the entire absence management process and helps to save precious business resources. Besides automated PTO accrual, email notifications, and informative absence reports, actiPLANS includes a work scheduling functionality. You can apply it to plan out employee shifts, project activities, locations, and whatnot.

actiPLANS features an intuitive visual timeline that employees may use to submit leave requests in a matter of seconds or view their own or their colleagues’ scheduled time off with ease.

Additionally, actiPLANS lets you create multiple custom leave types, set your own PTO accrual rules, and choose whether to automate the approval of leave requests or run the process manually. It also offers automated email notifications that promptly inform users of any updates regarding the submitted leave requests.

In other words, with actiPLANS, you can customize leave management workflows based on your organizational needs and standards, which helps to ensure impeccable compliance and a truly convenient approach.

actiPLANS has a mobile app – a real game-changer in the era of remote work, giving employees the flexibility to manage their leave requests anywhere, anytime. The app’s compatibility with multiple devices, including smartphones and tablets, allows for optimal accessibility and convenience for employees on the go.

Leave reports generated by actiPLANS are not only informative but also highly customizable, enabling managers to monitor and analyze their teams’ leave patterns and make data-driven decisions. With detailed insights provided by the system, you can optimize workforce planning, increase productivity, and foster a healthier work-life balance for employees.

As for the price, actiPLANS offers a free version for users of up to three members + larger teams can start using actiPLANS at no cost during a 30-day online trial – sign up today!

Best for:

actiPLANS is a perfect match for pretty much any business that requires an efficient leave management solution and employee scheduling solution. The software works exceptionally well for companies with various shifts, locations, and multiple departments, ensuring that the teams are appropriately staffed and employee absences are covered at all times. It’s also useful for businesses that require employees to work remotely or on flexible schedules.

“actiPLANS has been a lifesaver for our HR team. It’s easy to use and has helped us save a lot of time.”

“The customer support at actiPLANS is top-notch. They’re always quick to respond and helpful.”

2. Efficienza

Key features:

• Sick notes
• Overtime tracking
• Reports
• Straightforward interface

Efficienza is comprehensive HR and payroll management solution that includes leave tracking and management capabilities.

Who’s going to be on holiday and when? For how many days was an employee sick this year? Efficienza tracks it all! The solution also features informative reports that will help you make better team management decisions.

One of the standout aspects of Efficienza is its user-friendly interface, which makes it easy for even the least tech-savvy employees to navigate. The dashboard is intuitively designed, with all the necessary information upfront and center. Plus, it includes a color-coded calendar view that provides a quick snapshot of team members’ availability.

Best for:

Efficienza is perfectly suited to the needs of small and medium-sized enterprises that require a simple solution without advanced absence management features.

“Efficienza is a powerful HR system that we rely on for managing employee absence and other HR functions.”

3. Leave Dates

Key features:

• Shared availability chart

• Employee self-service
• PTO accrual
• Notifications
• Calendar integrations

Leave Dates is a robust and user-friendly tool for managing employee leave requests and tracking attendance.

Leave Dates provides automated reminders and has a powerful reporting functionality.

The tool generates detailed reports on employee attendance and time off balances, allowing managers to make data-driven decisions about staffing and resource allocation.

Leave Dates also includes a built-in calendar, which makes it easy to schedule available staff and ensure that critical projects are fully staffed.

Best for:

This software is best suited for all types of companies, whether big or small, as it has customizable settings, eliminates the hassle of manual leave management, and streamlines the entire process.

“The integration with Google Calendar makes it easy for employees to view their schedule and request time off.”

4. greytHR

Key features:

• Custom leave types
• Process automation
• Flexible settings
• Analytics

greytHR is a leading payroll and HR management system that offers a range of features to help businesses streamline their HR processes. One of its standout features is its powerful leave management tools, which make it easy for organizations of all sizes to manage employee leave requests and schedules effectively.

With greytHR, businesses can set up customized leave policies and easily categorize different types of leave, such as sick leave, annual leave, maternity leave, and more. Besides, the software offers extensive process automation capabilities. It automatically calculates leave entitlements and tracks employees’ PTO balances, eliminating the need for manual calculations and reducing the risk of errors.

Best for:

greytHR offers a free version with limited absence management functionality, which may be enough for small organizations that are just starting to digitalize and streamline their HR processes. The paid plans, on the other hand, are comprehensive and robust enough for medium-sized and large organizations alike.

“The mobile app for employees is a huge time-saver. Employees can easily request time off and view their schedules on the go.”

Paid Absence Management Apps

1. absence.io

Key features:

• Quick leave requests and approval
• Absence calendars
• Substitutes for absentees
• Notifications
• Reports

This one is a cloud-based absence management system that offers advanced features such as predictive modeling and risk assessment and integrates with other HR tools and payroll systems.

With absence.io, you can manage your employee’s absences with a clear overview, a simple approval process, and custom leave types. It includes such handy features as a shared team calendar, email notifications, iCal integration, and multiple device access.

Best for:

absence.io is an exceptional tool for HR managers in medium to large-sized companies that struggle with managing employee absences efficiently and effectively.

“absence.io has been a game-changer for our HR team. It’s so easy to use and has helped us save a lot of time and hassle.”

2. Appogee Leave

Key features:

• Team calendars
• Email notifications
• Integration with Google Workspace

Appoggee Leave offers an easy-to-use solution that simplifies the leave request process, automatically tracks employee absences, and efficiently manages PTO policies. It is a flexible and scalable leave management solution that caters to businesses of all sizes, provides customizable leave policies, real-time approvals, and mobile access.

Appogee Leave integrates seamlessly with other tools by Appogee HR, such as Appogee HR Success and Appogee Time Tracking, enabling managers to track employees’ absences in combination with their working time and attendance data. This integration reduces duplication of records while providing accurate employee information in real time.

Best for:

Appoggee Leave’s extensive features and benefits make it a valuable tool for small to medium-sized businesses looking to streamline their HR processes, save time, and increase employee satisfaction.

“Appogee Leave is a powerful absence management system that has helped us improve our efficiency and compliance.”

3. Bindle

Key features:

• Employee self-service
• Flexible PTO accrual rules
• Reports
• Notifications

Bindle is a modern and intuitive HR tool that includes leave management as a core feature. It offers centralized employee data management and seamless integration with payroll systems.

With Bindle, you can manage all aspects of your time off in one place. From calculating balances to approving requests, Bindle makes it easy to stay on top of team absences.

4. CaptureLeave

Key features:

• Multiple views
• Customization
• PTO automation
• Messaging
• Document Management

Capture Leave is a user-friendly and affordable leave management tool that is designed to boost process efficiency.

It provides customizable leave policies and easy-to-use dashboards and offers a range of advanced features and functionalities to enable organizations to manage and track their employee leaves in a truly effortless way.

Besides, the software includes document management functionality for uploading and storing any files and documentation in a secure and centralized location.

Best for:

The platform’s customizable settings and intuitive design make it a good solution for small and medium-sized businesses.

“The software is very easy to use. The interface is intuitive and user-friendly. It is easy to add employees, create leave policies, and approve or deny leave requests.”

5. DaysPlan

Key features:

• Custom leave types
• Team calendar
• Notifications
• Mobile app

DaysPlan is robust leave management software that offers advanced features such as time-off modeling and shift planning. It delivers an efficient and effective vacation functionality that helps businesses optimize staffing and ensure compliance.

With DaysPlan, you can easily view and manage your team’s time off requests, PTO balances, and upcoming absences – all in one place. The platform sends out automated reminders for upcoming vacations, minimizing the risk of any miscommunication or scheduling errors. Not only that, but you can also export your team’s absence data to your Google or Outlook calendar with just a few clicks.

Best for:

This software solution is designed to cater to all types of businesses and their employee management needs, making it a valuable asset for organizations operating in various industries.

“Days Plan has been a great tool for our company. It has helped us to streamline our time off process and reduce the amount of time that our HR team spends on administrative tasks.”

6. LeavePlanner

Key features:

• Leave calendar
• Employee self-service
• Time off reports
• Custom leave types and PTO rules

LeavePlanner is acloud-based leave management system that offers extensive customization options that provides automated workflows, reporting capabilities, and employee self-service features.

The platform allows managers and team leaders to customize their leave management policies, ensuring that each team’s unique needs are met.

You can use LeavePlanner to:

• Get an overview of all employee leave at a glance
• Stay up to date with who is taking leave and when
• Approve or reject leave requests with ease
• Avoid potential conflicts by managing leave balances effectively

Best for:

LeavePlanner is best suitable for small and medium-sized businesses that want to streamline leave management and simplify it for every stakeholder involved.

“LeavePlanner has been a great tool for our company. It has helped us to reduce the amount of time that our HR team spends on administrative tasks and improve the accuracy of our time off tracking.”

7. Mycroft TimeOff

• Straightforward interface
• Custom leave types
• Reports

Mycroft TimeOff is a simple downloadable tool for managing employee leave and absenteeism. Thanks to its easy-to-use interface,

Mycroft TimeOff makes it simple to stay on top of your team’s leave balances and ensure that everyone is taking the time they need to recharge.

TimeOff includes a basic set of leave management systems that ensure a smoother and easier process as compared to spreadsheets and paper-based tools. It lets you define and manage different types of leave + set specific guidelines for each type. For example, you can set a maximum number of vacation days per employee or indicate how much notice must be given before taking a sick day.

Best for:

The software can be used only on Windows XP, Vista, 7, and 8. It’s best suitable for small and medium-sized teams (primarily made of retro lovers).

“The integrations with other HR systems and tools make Mycroft TimeOff a valuable asset for our organization.”

8. PlanMyleave

Key features:

• Location-based settings
• Complex leave policies
• Employee self-service
• Simple leave request approval

PlanMyLeave is its flexible leave management system that allows organizations to customize their policies and rules based on their specific needs.

This means that organizations can define different leave types, such as sick leave, vacation leave, and maternity leave, and set up unique rules for each type, such as minimum and maximum durations, eligibility criteria, and approval workflows.

With its help, you can:

• Manage employee leave records, accruals, and balances in one place
• Access leave information and reports from anywhere, at any time
• Generate accurate leave reports for your employees
• Automatically calculate leave balances for your employees
• And much more!

Best for:

The software is a good match for small and medium-sized businesses with employees working from multiple locations.

“I like the effective communication feature. It helps me pass important information across to employees with ease.”

9. Attendance Calendar by Smart Apps

Key features:

• Familiar calendar interface
• Custom absence reasons
• Integration with HR tools

Attendance Calendar is a web-based time and attendance management tool that includes leave tracking and reporting capabilities by Smart Apps.

It allows you to track both absences and tardiness, as well as view statistics on attendance over time. The interface is clean and user-friendly, making it a breeze to use.

Attendance Calendar is merely one of the many tools produced by Smart Apps, and you can easily integrate it with them to make staff management a seamless experience.

For instance, in combo with the Time Off Request and Schedule Publisher apps, you can not only keep track of attendance but also approve leave requests, manage employee shifts, and publish schedules all in one place and get more time to focus on other important aspects of running your business.

Best for:

As a stand-alone tool, Attendance Calendar is best suitable for small teams due to its limited functionality. However, in sync with other tools by Smart Apps, it may serve as a cost-efficient HR solution for larger teams as well.

“I like the size of these calendar and the dry erase ability. These calendars are great for all our guys out on the projects.”

10. TimeOff.Management

Key features:

• Personalized and team calendars
• iCal integration
• Reports

TimeOff.Management is a comprehensive absence management system that offers advanced features such as predictive analytics and integration with biometric systems.

As a standard leave management system it allows employees to request time off in a few simple clicks and view colleagues’ availability. It provides managers with an efficient approval process and lets them generate detailed reports that help to manage employee attendance and track absences.

Best for:

With its intuitive interface and flexible settings, TimeOff.Management is perfect for businesses of all sizes. However, it’s more appropriate for smaller teams due to its very basic functionality.

“The customer service is great. The system can be tailored to the organizations needs.”

11. eSchedule

Key features:

• Employee scheduling
• Custom leave types
• Instant notifications
• Mobile app

eSchedule is a cloud-based employee scheduling and leave management solution that provides real-time visibility into employee availability and time off.

Using this software, your team will spend less time scheduling vacations and get some extra hours for doing more important stuff.

Besides, eSchedule automates shift planning and includes the timecards feature that helps to track the exact time when your employees work.

eSchedule’s absence management features are extremely user-friendly and easy to navigate, even for individuals with limited technical expertise. The dashboard is well-organized, providing an instant snapshot of employees’ leave and availability statuses, ensuring speedy decision-making and accurate scheduling.

Best for:

As a flexible employee scheduling and workforce management solution, eSchedule is best suited for service industry businesses with multiple employees and work locations.

“I love that eSchedule allows us to track employee availability and time off requests in one place. It saves us a lot of time.”

HR Absence Management Tools

1. Calamari

Key features:

• Time clock
• Absence calendars
• Automation
• Custom leave types

Calamari is an HR management system for keeping track of time off and attendance. Not only does it make things easier for your employees, but it also helps you keep an eye on things and makes sure that everyone is where they’re supposed to be. Plus, its squid-themed design is sure to put a smile on everyone’s face.

The software’s robust reporting tools allow managers to monitor absenteeism patterns across the organization, identify potential problems and gaps in the workforce, and take remedial action as needed.

Additionally, Calamari software enables employees to self-manage their time off requests, reducing the workload of managers and HR professionals.

Best for:

Calamari’s user-friendly interface and customizable settings make it the perfect solution for businesses of all sizes.

“The Calamari team walked us through every step, answered ever question, and were super personable. Great customer service and the software is truly amazing and easy to use”

2. Cezanne HR

Key features:

• Automated PTO accrual
• Visual dashboards
• Automation
• Mobile app
• TOIL management

Cezanne HR is another powerful HR and payroll management system that offers advanced leave management capabilities. It lets businesses manage their employee data, recruitment, onboarding, performance management, payroll, and time and attendance tracking all from one platform.

The absence management module of this intelligent HR software lets you track employee leave and generate informative absence reports for your business needs. Use these reports to:

• Get an overview of employee absences for a specific period of time
• Filter absence data by type of leave (e.g. vacation, sick leave, etc.)
• Generate reports in PDF or Excel format

Best for:

Cezanne HR is suitable for large companies seeking to manage versatile employee data and run multiple HR processes in a single place.

“I’m particularly impressed with Cezanne HR’s reporting capabilities. It’s easy to generate reports on a variety of HR metrics, which helps us make better decisions.”

3. Deskera

Key features:

• Automation
• Comprehensive reports
• Resource planning
• Flexible policy settings
• Calendars

Deskera is an all-in-one business management solution that includes HR and leave management capabilities. It also provides integrated time tracking, payroll, and performance management tools.

Desktera offers a straightforward yet effective leave and attendance management functionality that is simple to use and easy to navigate. Plus, it includes a variety of features that will help you keep track of employee leave and attendance, including:

• A comprehensive leave and attendance tracker
• A customizable dashboard that allows you to see employee leave and attendance at a glance
• A notification system that alerts you when an employee is approaching their leave limit, etc.

Best for:

Deskera is a game changer for medium-sized and large businesses looking to maximize their efficiency and productivity.

“I’m really happy with Deskera’s customer support. They’re always quick to respond and help us with any questions we have.”

4. PurelyHR

Key features:

• Calendar view
• Time clock
• Scheduler

PurelyHR is comprehensive software designed to make work on your HR tasks smoother and more efficient.

With features like time tracking, employee self-service, and performance evaluations, PurelyHR provides a wealth of benefits for every user.

Using PurelyHR, employees can easily submit leave requests and track their status in real time. Thanks to such simplicity, they can better plan their time and feel more satisfied with the workplace. As form managers and employers, they can apply the platform to view employees’ leave balances and previous leave requests, ensuring they make informed decisions when approving or denying requests.

Best for:

PurelyHR is a scalable solution that makes a good match for companies of any size but is especially cost-efficient for large ones.

“I love that PurelyHR integrates with our other business systems, such as payroll and benefits.”

5. Mitrefinch

Key features:

• Absence monitoring
• Data analytics
• Mobile access
• Employee self-service
• Time clock

Mitrefinch is a leading provider of workforce management solutions. It offers a range of tailored solutions, including those for time and attendance management, employee scheduling, and payroll.

With Mitrefinch, you can automate your leave policies, eliminating the need to manually calculate leave balances and accruals. It helps to maintain accurate and up-to-date records of employee leave, including hours taken, balances, and leave patterns. This information is critical in forecasting business staffing needs and ensuring compliance with state and federal labor regulations.

Best for:

This solution is particularly useful for large organizations with multiple locations and a mobile workforce, which is easier to control thanks to Mitrefinch’s geofencing and GPS tracking functionality.

“I’m impressed with Mitrefinch’s data security and compliance features. It gives us peace of mind knowing that our employee data is safe.”

6. Humanity

Key features:

• Scheduling
• Employee tracking
• HCM integration
• Workforce forecasting

Humanity is an innovative workforce management platform designed to revolutionize the way businesses and organizations handle their staff-related needs. It offers numerous benefits, including efficient employee scheduling, accurate time tracking, and more streamlined team management overall.

Humanity offers a centralized dashboard where all employee leave requests can be viewed and managed. This ensures that leave requests are not lost or missed and that all requests are processed in a timely manner. Moreover, the software allows managers to approve or deny leave requests directly from the dashboard, streamlining the process and saving time.

Best for:

Medium-sized and large organizations from a great variety of industries, including healthcare, retail, education, manufacturing, etc.

“I love that Humanity allows employees to self-schedule and swap shifts. It makes our lives so much easier.”

Conclusion

Ultimately, it’s your decision which absence management software to choose. Depending on the size of your organization and the necessary metrics tracked, there are different and even more advanced systems out there to consider.

Finding the right system for your business is key – it’s an investment in the future of your organization. So, evaluate all of the above software options and make sure it meets all of your objectives.

And if you’re looking for a good place to start, give actiPLANS a shot!

Whether you need an automated leave tracking tool or a flexible work scheduling solution, actiPLANS has you covered. Plus, with its free version and low prices, you are sure to find just what you need without breaking the bank.

Don’t hesitate to give actiPLANS a try today!