Free Vacation Request Form: PTO Request Form with Balance, Multi-Date Time Off Request, and a Manager's Time Off Request Log (PDF, Word, Excel)

What is on the vacation request form

Type of leave

Vacation or PTO, personal, sick, bereavement, jury duty, military, unpaid or FMLA. Some types are protected by law and may not be refused in the normal way.

Dates and return

The first and last day off and the day the person is back, which avoids confusion over weekends and holidays.

Balance before and after

The hours available before the request and what is left after it. Excel subtracts the hours requested.

Coverage

Who handles the person's work while they are away, agreed before the request is approved.

Decision and payroll

Approved, approved with changes, or denied with a reason, signed and dated, and marked once it is in the calendar and payroll.

A simple time off process

The employee fills in the request with the dates, type and hours, checks the balance, and arranges who will cover their work. The manager checks the team calendar for clashes and blackout dates and decides within a set time, a week is common, writing the reason if the answer is no or the dates change. Once approved, the dates go on the team vacation calendar, the hours go to payroll, and the employee keeps a copy. Ask for vacation requests with a reasonable amount of notice, two weeks for a few days and a month or more for a week or longer, and say so in the policy.

Handling clashes fairly

The most common cause of resentment over time off is a sense that some people always get the weeks they want. Decide clashes by a rule everyone knows: first come, first served by the date the request was received is the simplest and the easiest to defend which is why the log records the date received. Some companies rotate priority for popular weeks such as Christmas, or use seniority. Set blackout periods (peak season, inventory, year-end close) at the start of the year and a maximum number of people off at once. When you must refuse, offer an alternative, as in the sample.

Leave that is protected by law

Not all time off is at the manager's discretion. In the US, eligible employees can take job-protected leave under the Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA) for their own serious health condition, a family member's, or a new child; employers must not count it against attendance or refuse it in the usual way. Jury duty and military service are protected too, and many states and cities have paid sick leave laws that limit when you can ask for notice or a doctor's note. Route those requests to HR. This form is a practical template, not legal advice; check the laws where your employees work.

PTO balances and payroll

Keep balances in one place, ideally the payroll system, and copy the current balance onto each request. Accrual rules vary: some companies grant the year's PTO on January 1, others accrue a few hours per pay period. A few states require unused vacation to be paid out when someone leaves, and some don't allow "use it or lose it" policies, so check yours before writing the policy. Track sick days separately on the sick leave tracker if your state requires seperate records.

Editing the files

The PDFs are fillable and can be emailed to a manager for signature. The Excel versions work out the balance after the request and total the hours. Add your company name and policy reference in Word, or change the leave types to match your handbook.

Questions

What should a vacation request form include?

Employee name and department, type of leave, first and last day off and the return date, hours requested, the balance before and after, coverage arrangements, and the manager's decision and signature.

How much notice should employees give for vacation?

Many companies ask for two weeks for a few days and a month or more for a week or longer. Put the rule in your policy.

Can an employer deny a vacation request?

Generally yes for ordinary vacation, based on business needs and a fair policy. Leave protected by law, such as FMLA, jury duty or military leave, is different.

How do I handle two people asking for the same dates?

Use a known rule, such as first come first served by the date received, and offer alternative dates to the person refused.

Does the form calculate the PTO balance?

Yes. The Excel version subtracts the hours requested from the balance before.