How to Create Leave Tracker in Excel (Super easy)

Step 1: Go to the template page

Our sister company Absentia has created a free Excel leave tracker template that you can download and use right away.

Step 2: Configure Your Leave Tracker

• Choose Tracking Method: Decide whether you want to track absences in days or hours:
  • Days: Use codes for different types of absences (e.g., S for sick leave).
  • Hours: Enter the number of hours absent directly into the cells.
• Select Custom Start Date: Choose the start date for your leave tracker. For instance, if your leave year is from April to March, set April as your starting month.
• Specify Number of Employees: The template is flexible and can be adjusted for any number of employees. You only need to set their names once in the first month's tab.
• Define the Year: You can select the year your leave planner starts, making it adaptable for any year, including future years like 2025 or 2026.
• Determine Number of Months: By default, the template covers 12 months, but you can extend it to 24 months (2 years) or more if needed.

Step 3: Customize Leave Types

• Default Leave Types: The template comes with default leave types like Vacation, Sick Leave, Half Day, Maternity/Paternity, etc. These are tracked using specific codes:
  • Vacation (V)
  • Half Day Morning (H1)
  • Half Day Afternoon (H2)
  • Sickness (S)
  • And more
• Add Custom Leave Types: There are options for custom leave types. You can rename these according to your needs.

Step 4: Download the Excel leave tracker

• Hit download Once you're happy with the configuration you've chosen, download and open the file in Excel.

Step 5: Set Up Employee Details

• Enter Employee Names: On the first sheet, you will see cells designated for employee names. Enter the names of all employees here. These names will automatically populate the other sheets, so you only need to enter them once.

Step 6: Record Absences

• Enter Absences: For each day an employee is absent, enter the appropriate code or number of hours in the respective cell for that day.
  • If tracking in days, use codes (like S for sick leave).
  • If tracking in hours, enter the number of hours directly.
• Monitor Monthly and Yearly Totals: The template automatically calculates monthly totals for each employee at the end of each row. Yearly totals and breakdowns by leave type can be found on the separate "Totals" tab.

Step 7: Check out the Totals Page

• Analyze Data: The "Totals" tab provides a comprehensive breakdown of all absences per employee, showing both monthly and overall totals. If tracking in days, this tab also includes a breakdown by leave type.