In many companies, vacation and overtime balances are still kept in separate Excel lists that have to be updated by hand alongside the actual time tracking. That takes time, is error-prone and regularly leads to questions about how many vacation days or overtime hours are actually still outstanding. Especially at the end of the year or during staff appraisals, it quickly becomes clear how tedious it is when these figures are only updated now and then rather than continuously. 1Tool links these balances directly to time tracking and to each employee's individual working time model. The result is an always up-to-date overview, without anyone having to redo the calculation manually or maintain it in a separate spreadsheet.
The individual working time model as the basis
Every employee has an individual working time model stored in 1Tool. Among other things, it defines the hours per weekday, the hourly rate and the vacation entitlement. This takes into account that not everyone works to the same pattern, for example with part-time work, different weekday models or differing vacation entitlements. This model forms the basis for all further calculations relating to working time and balances and needs to be set up once per employee. If the employment relationship changes, for example because working hours are adjusted, the stored model can be updated accordingly, and subsequent calculations automatically take the new values into account. This ensures that the basis for calculating vacation and overtime always matches the actual contractual situation, even as it changes over time. For companies with many different working time models, such as a mix of full-time, part-time and marginal employment, this means each person is treated according to their own individually stored model rather than being measured against a single blanket rule.
Balances calculated automatically on an ongoing basis
Based on this working time model, 1Tool continuously and automatically calculates each employee's vacation and overtime balance. The balances are shown in the time tracking report, at the start and at the end of each month. This makes it possible to see at any time how the balance has developed over the course of a month, without having to create a separate report. For employees, this means more transparency about their own vacation and overtime; for HR, it means a significant reduction in recurring questions, for instance when someone needs to know at short notice how many vacation days they have left. Because the calculation is based directly on the recorded time entries, the displayed balance automatically reflects the working time actually performed and booked, without figures having to be maintained twice. Employees and HR managers both access the same, consistently calculated figure, which avoids discussions about different interim totals in different lists from the outset.
Dedicated time entry types feed into the calculation
Vacation, half-day vacation and sick leave are separate time entry types in 1Tool, each with its own hours logic. When such an entry is recorded, it automatically feeds into the balance calculation, without these times having to be added or converted separately. Importantly, this is an automatic balance calculation based on the recorded time entries, not a formal approval workflow in which a manager has to approve a leave request. 1Tool therefore covers the arithmetic side of vacation and overtime and makes it visible at any time, while the organisational coordination within the team continues as usual. This keeps the separation clear: time entries ensure correct recording, the report delivers the resulting balances, and agreeing on when someone actually takes time off remains a matter for the team. For companies that previously had to add up vacation, half-day vacation and sick leave by hand from various sources, this provides a much simpler and more consistent basis for workforce planning.
Frequently asked questions
Does a manager have to formally approve an employee's vacation?
No, 1Tool does not provide a formal approval workflow at this point. Vacation and overtime balances are calculated automatically based on the recorded time entries.
How often is the balance updated?
The vacation and overtime balance is calculated automatically on an ongoing basis and shown in the time tracking report at the start and end of each month.
Are sick leave and half-day vacation taken into account separately?
Yes, “Vacation”, “Half-day vacation” and “Sick leave” are separate time entry types with their own hours logic that feed into the balance calculation.
How much time does your HR team currently spend manually maintaining vacation and overtime lists?