Leave & absence management online

Leave requests filed from the app, approved by the manager, with the day balance computed automatically — annual, sick, study and unpaid leave, all on one team calendar.

Leave requests by email or on paper mean balances kept in spreadsheets that no longer add up, approvals stuck when the manager is away, and overlaps discovered too late. 4mystaff digitises the whole leave and absence flow: the employee files the request from the app, it automatically reaches their direct manager in the org chart for approval, and the annual-leave balance updates itself. You see on a team calendar who is off and when, avoid being short-staffed, and track every absence type — annual leave, sick leave, unpaid leave, short permissions, family-event leave or training leave.

Leave requests filed from the app, auto-routed to the direct manager in the org chart.
Annual-leave balance computed automatically, including pro-rata for part-time or new hires.
All absence types: annual, sick, unpaid, short permissions, family events, professional training.
Team calendar: instantly see who is off, avoid overlaps and check minimum coverage.
Annual-leave entitlement set per employee, with carry-over rules you configure.
Multi-step approval (manager + HR) when needed, with notifications and deadlines.
Sick leave recorded as an absence and linked to the timesheet — no unjustified “missing” hours.
Absenteeism and remaining-balance reports per employee, team and company, exportable.

A leave request, from filing to approval

The employee picks the leave type, the date range and, optionally, attaches a document (for example a medical certificate). The request goes automatically to their direct manager, following the reporting lines in the org chart; the manager approves or rejects it in one tap, able to see who else on the team is off in that period. When a second step is needed (HR validation), the flow includes it. The employee is notified at every status change, and approved days are automatically deducted from the balance.

The day balance, computed correctly — including pro-rata

The law guarantees a minimum period of paid annual leave, and contracts can grant more. 4mystaff automatically computes each employee’s balance: the annual entitlement, days taken, days remaining and, for those hired during the year or working part-time, the pro-rata calculation. Carry-over of unused days follows the rules you configure, in line with the law. There is no longer a situation where the spreadsheet balance differs from reality or where an employee takes more days than they are owed.

Sick leave and the link to the timesheet

Sick leave is recorded as a justified absence, with the certificate attached, and is reflected automatically in the timesheet — so those days do not appear as unjustified gaps at month-end close. Any sick pay is calculated outside 4mystaff; the HR record — the date range and the supporting document — is kept in 4mystaff. The same approach applies to maternity leave, childcare leave or leave to care for a sick child.

The team calendar and coverage planning

The greatest value of a leave module is visibility: the team calendar shows at a glance who is off and when, by department and company. The manager sees whether approving a request would leave the team short during a busy period and can ask to reschedule. HR tracks absenteeism with aggregate reports — days taken per team, the total balance of unused leave (a liability the firm must manage at year-end) and absence patterns. All these reports are exportable.

Legal references

Directive 2003/88/EC, art. 7 — minimum four weeks' paid annual leave
CJEU, C-350/06 and C-520/06 (Schultz-Hoff) — carry-over of leave not taken because of sickness
Directive (EU) 2019/1158 — work-life balance (parental and carers' leave)

Frequently asked questions

How many days of annual leave is an employee entitled to per year?

At least the minimum set by law — in the EU, at least four weeks of paid annual leave — and the collective or individual contract can grant more. 4mystaff computes each employee’s balance, including pro-rata for those hired during the year.

How is leave calculated for an employee who joins mid-year?

Pro-rata, in proportion to the period worked in that year. For example, an employee who starts on July 1 is entitled to roughly half the annual leave. 4mystaff does this automatically, with no spreadsheet kept by HR.

Are unused leave days lost at year-end?

Carry-over rules depend on national law and your contracts; in some cases, such as leave not taken because of sickness, unused days must be carried over. 4mystaff tracks carry-over per the rules you configure and flags large remaining balances.

Who does a leave request go to for approval?

The employee’s direct manager, per the reporting lines in the org chart. If the process also requires HR validation, the flow includes a second step. You don’t configure the recipient separately — it is taken automatically from the structure.

Is sick leave managed here too?

Yes, as an HR record: the date range is recorded, the certificate is attached and the absence is reflected in the timesheet. Any sick pay is calculated outside 4mystaff.

Can I see who is off before approving a request?

Yes. At approval, the manager sees the team calendar for the requested period and can avoid overlaps that would leave the team short. There is also a company-wide calendar for an overview.

Related resources

Time & attendance online →Clock in/out from the app or a terminal, the worked-hours report, overtime and exceptions — all in one monthly hours report.Departments and an org chart online →Build your org structure with as many levels as you need — departments, teams, reporting lines and roles — kept current automatically when someone is hired, promoted or leaves.Skills and qualifications records →Diplomas, certificates and training records kept in each employee’s digital file — so you can see at a glance who is qualified for which role or shift.

Bring order to leave, without Excel and emails

Set current balances, leave types and approval flows — employees can file their first digital request as soon as their accounts are active. Try it free for 6 months, no card.

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