Why Time Off Management Matters
Poorly managed leave policies lead to payroll errors, understaffing, and employee dissatisfaction. With Odoo 18's Time Off module, you gain complete visibility and control over every vacation, sick leave, or holiday — while making the process easy for your staff and HR team.
Creating Leave Types and Policies
You can define multiple types of time off based on your company's policies:
- Paid Time Off (PTO)
- Sick Leave
- Unpaid Leave
- Maternity/Paternity Leave
- Public Holidays
Each leave type can have its own accrual rules, approval levels, carryover policies, and balance limits.
How Employees Request Time Off
Employees can submit time-off requests easily through the Odoo portal:
- Select leave type
- Choose dates (full days or half days)
- Add optional notes or attachments (like a doctor's letter)
They can also view their remaining leave balance, see their request history, and check approval status in real-time.
Approval Workflows for Managers
Odoo offers configurable approval flows, such as:
- Single-step approval (Manager ➤ HR)
- Two-step approval for longer or special leaves
- Email and in-app notifications for approvers
- Auto-deny rules if policies are violated (e.g., exceeding available balance)
This speeds up the process while ensuring accountability and consistency.
Calendar and Team Planning Views
Odoo's calendar makes it easy for teams to plan around each other's absences:
- Color-coded time-off calendar by department or role
- Filter by leave type or employee
- Prevent overlapping absences in critical roles
- Sync leave data with shared calendars (Google Calendar integration available)
It's a simple way to maintain staffing balance — especially for shift-based teams.
Integration with Payroll and Contracts
Time-off records are linked directly to HR contracts and payroll, so you can:
- Automatically deduct leave balances and reflect them in payslips
- Manage paid vs unpaid time for accurate salary calculations
- Update balances after promotions or contract changes
This ensures your financial data stays clean and compliant.
Time Off Reports and Usage Tracking
Track how time off is used across your organization:
- Leave summaries by employee or department
- Unused leave balances
- Average leave taken per employee
- Absenteeism trends and flags for overuse
These insights help improve workforce planning and policy adjustments.
Best Practices for Leave Management
- Set clear leave policies and communicate them during onboarding
- Encourage timely submissions — avoid last-minute leave requests
- Use team calendars for visibility and planning
- Regularly audit leave balances for accuracy
- Link leave usage to performance and burnout prevention strategies
Conclusion
With Odoo 18, managing employee time off becomes seamless, fair, and transparent. Empower your people to take the time they need — without creating operational headaches or compliance risks.
Need help configuring time-off workflows for your team? Let our Odoo experts support you!
