Why approving time-off requests feels like a chore — and how to fix it

Taking time off lets us recharge, realign, and return to work with a fresh perspective. But managing time off paints a different, bleaker picture — so much so that organizations struggle. 

Time-off requests are a hassle for everyone involved. They overload managers with approvals that require them to manually calculate schedule coverage and stay updated on their employer’s time-off policies. When supervisors miss those approvals, HR, payroll, and other admins sink time into tracking them down. All while employees wait in the dark, hoping someone addresses their request in time. If employers don’t provide time off fairly and equitably, they could face unwanted turnover, fines, or penalties from predictive scheduling and other laws.

Is this just the cost of offering time off? Does this expected perk have to come with everyday annoyance?

Not anymore. A commissioned study conducted by Forrester Consulting on behalf of Paycom revealed that for a composite organization representing interviewed clients — with 30 managers and 400 employees — managing time off didn’t need to waste time. 

How did an organization overcome time-off hassles?

Using the automated feature, GONE®, in Paycom’s Time-Off Requests tool, the composite organization received a projected three-year ROI of up to 821% and annually saved: 

• Each manager has nearly a workweek* of unproductive hours
• HR, finance, and admin staff almost 200 hours
• Up to 240 hours in avoidable overtime

Managing time-off requests requires choice — but even those decisions can be automated. For example, Paycom’s time-off tool lets organizations automate the process with guidelines they set. Once someone submits their time-off request, supervisors and employees instantly receive a notification about the decision. 

This helped the study’s composite organization prevent costly errors, unnecessary busywork, and an outdated process.

Time-off automation allowed the organization to create a stronger culture around consistency and transparency. Rather than wait days for decisions that put the onus entirely on managers, employees got the answers they needed immediately. The interviewed clients could easily add or remove time-off decision criteria in the face of new business requirements.

“With [Paycom’s] GONE, I know that all PTO requests are going to be handled instantly and fairly, without considering which individual is requesting it,” said the director of HR for a retailer interviewed by Forrester Consulting. 

5 key benefits of automating time-off requests

Automated time-off decisions could help optimize organizations beyond just the employers interviewed by Forrester Consulting. Here are five ways the tech could streamline operations.

1. Decrease errors

As humans, we make mistakes. But that truth doesn’t help managers who face an understaffed peak season. By automating time-off requests, organizations can ensure they have the coverage they need before authorizing exceptions to denied requests.

When automated time-off tech works in a single HR software, it ensures approved requests immediately flow to payroll and schedules. That way, HR and managers don’t accidentally create errors by rekeying data.

2. Eliminate time-consuming tasks

Forrester Consulting found each manager reclaimed nearly a workweek when the composite organization automated time-off tasks. HR and other admin staff saved ample time, too. Instead of fixing schedules and wasting hours tracking down approvals, HR and managers alike could focus on running their business, engaging and retaining more employees, and supporting company goals and strategy.

3. Reduce bias and discrimination

Errors, unmanaged processes, and snap judgments can unintentionally spur favoritism and a toxic workplace. And with inconsistent rules around leave, morale takes another hit. 

Automated time-off tech can reduce bias by ensuring fair leave policies for everyone based on the set criteria. That foundation gives HR an opportunity to focus on raising equity in other areas.

4. Help ensure compliance

Since automated time-off tech relies on employer rules, HR can easily manage requests and avoid non-compliant approvals. For example, an organization could use the tool to ensure the consistency of a first-come, first-served policy. Or it could help prioritize the requests of employees who have seniority or taken the least amount of time off — which could be required by local or state law. 

5. Improve employee loyalty

As the interviewed organizations saw an uptick in the quality of their employee experience, automated time-off tech demonstrates that employers prioritize their workforce’s convenience. It can make life easier for managers, too. Given they already lead under pressure, quick, painless, and automated time-off management can give supervisors one less task to worry about.

Read the full Forrester Consulting study to learn how automating time-off tasks benefited a composite organization.

This post was created by Paycom with Insider Studios.

Disclaimer text:

*Refers to up to 30 hours of a traditional 40-hour workweek.

A commissioned study was conducted by Forrester Consulting on behalf of Paycom (October 2024). Results are for a composite organization based on interviewed clients with a three-year projected ROI of 102%-821% and include annual savings of up to 192 hours for HR, finance, and admin teams.