How to Set Up Time Off Types and Policies
AccuArk's time off module lets you define the leave categories your organization offers and control how employees earn and accumulate their balances. Before employees can submit requests, you need to configure at least one time off type and assign an accrual policy.
Understanding Time Off Types
A time off type represents a category of leave that employees can request. Common examples include:
- Vacation — Paid time away for rest and personal travel
- Sick Leave — Paid time for illness or medical appointments
- Personal Days — Paid discretionary leave for personal matters
- Bereavement — Paid leave following the death of a family member
- Jury Duty — Paid leave for court-mandated jury service
- FMLA — Unpaid, job-protected leave under the Family and Medical Leave Act
- Unpaid — General unpaid leave of absence
Each type has its own settings and balance tracking, so employees can carry separate balances for vacation and sick leave simultaneously.
Creating a New Time Off Type
Navigate to Employees > Time Off > Types and click Add. Fill in the following fields:
| Field | Description |
|---|---|
| Name | The display name shown to employees (e.g., Vacation, Sick Leave) |
| Color | A hex color value used on the calendar to distinguish this type visually |
| Paid | Whether this leave type is compensated (Yes or No) |
| Requires Approval | Whether requests must be approved by a manager before taking effect |
| Max Days Per Request | The maximum number of days an employee can request in a single submission |
| Min Notice Days | The minimum number of days in advance an employee must submit a request |
| Allow Partial Days | Whether employees can request half-day or hourly increments |
Click Save to create the type. It will immediately appear in the time off request dropdown for employees.
Configuring Accrual Policies
An accrual policy defines how and when employees earn their time off balance. Navigate to Employees > Time Off > Policies to manage policies.
AccuArk supports five accrual methods:
- None — No automatic accrual. Balances are allocated manually by an administrator.
- Annual — A lump sum is granted once per year, typically on the employee's hire anniversary or January 1st.
- Monthly — A fixed amount accrues on the first of each month.
- Per Pay Period — Accrual occurs each pay cycle, aligning earned time with payroll runs.
- Hourly — Time off accrues for every hour worked, ideal for part-time or variable-schedule employees.
For each policy, configure these additional settings:
- Accrual Rate — The amount earned per cycle (e.g., 1.25 days per month for 15 days per year).
- Maximum Balance Cap — The highest balance an employee can accumulate. Once reached, accrual pauses until the balance drops. This prevents unlimited accumulation.
- Carry-Over Maximum — The number of unused days that roll over into the next calendar year.
- Carry-Over Expiry — The date by which carried-over days must be used or they are forfeited (e.g., March 31st).
- Waiting Period — The number of days a new employee must wait after their hire date before accrual begins.
Assigning Policies to Employees
Open an employee's profile and navigate to the Time Off tab. Select the appropriate accrual policy from the dropdown for each time off type. Once assigned, AccuArk begins tracking accrual automatically based on the policy's method and rate.
Tips for Getting Started
- Start simple — Begin with two or three core types such as Vacation, Sick Leave, and Personal Days. You can add more categories later.
- Set carry-over limits — Unlimited carry-over creates growing liability on your books. Define a reasonable cap to keep balances manageable.
- Review maximum balances annually — As your policies mature, revisit cap values to ensure they still align with your organization's needs.
- Use the waiting period — A 90-day waiting period is common for new hires and helps reduce turnover-related leave costs.