Templates
Vacation Planner – & workplace-ready free
Free vacation planner template excel for Excel and Google Sheets. Team vacation planner with requests, balances, and calendar overview. Download now.
- 100% free
- Workplace-ready
- Excel & Google Sheets
What is a leave planner?
A leave planner is a team-level overview of who is off work and when—not a single employee’s request form. Unlike a vacation request template, which one person submits for approval, the planner helps managers and HR see balances, overlaps, and coverage gaps across the roster.
A leave planner Excel template combines an employee list, requests, balance tracking, and a calendar in one file. You record entitlements, approved dates, and remaining days at a glance.
United States
There is no federal minimum paid vacation like UK statutory leave. Many employers offer paid time off (PTO) or separate vacation and sick buckets in policy handbooks. Track accrual, carry-over caps, and blackout dates in your planner—state and city paid-sick laws may also apply.
United Kingdom
Most workers have statutory annual leave (5.6 weeks including public holidays for full-time staff, pro-rated for part-time). Employers may grant more in contract. The planner should reflect working days, not just calendar days, when you deduct leave.
Operating in Germany? German annual leave rules and employer forms differ from US/UK PTO—add local minimums and request formats with your adviser if you employ staff in Germany.
The Ordio leave planner is available in Excel and Google Sheets with tabs for employees, requests, balances, and a calendar. Ordio Absences digitises requests, approvals, and live balances.
Leave planner Excel template 2026 for employees
How to use the leave planner Excel template for your team:
- List staff: On the Employees sheet, enter name, annual entitlement (per your US policy or UK contract), days already taken, and status. A Remaining column can calculate automatically.
- Log requests: On the Requests sheet, enter employee, from/to dates, and type (PTO, vacation, sick, unpaid). Use
NETWORKDAYSor your policy’s day-count rules to exclude weekends where appropriate. - Track status: Mark rows as pending, approved, or declined. Conditional formatting highlights conflicts (e.g. two supervisors off the same week).
- Review balances: The Balances sheet rolls up entitlement, used, and remaining days (and percentage used if helpful).
- Use the calendar: The annual calendar shows approved leave by month—useful for peak-season planning (summer, holidays).
For pro-rated or new hires, calculate entitlement outside the sheet or add a note column—UK statutory leave and US accrual policies differ. The template is free in Excel and Google Sheets.
Benefits of a leave planner template
A leave planner template helps you run fair, visible time-off planning:
- Overview: See who is away, who is available, and how many days remain—fewer double bookings.
- Policy alignment: Document US PTO accrual or UK statutory/contractual leave in one place.
- Time savings: Formulas for working days, remaining balance, and utilisation reduce manual maths.
- Free: Ordio’s template costs nothing—Excel and Google Sheets, no sign-up.
- Scalable: Add rows as headcount grows; switch to software when approvals multiply.
Larger teams benefit from Ordio Absences—digital requests, one-click approval, and integration with scheduling and time tracking. For up to roughly fifteen people, Excel is often enough.
Leave planner vs. leave request: the difference
Leave planner and leave request serve different roles:
| Aspect | Leave request | Leave planner |
|---|---|---|
| Purpose | One employee asks for time off | Manager/HR sees the whole team |
| Contents | Dates, leave type, balance, cover | Roster, requests, balances, calendar |
| User | Employee | Supervisor, office manager, HR |
| Template | Vacation request template | Leave planner template (this page) |
Tips for leave planning in Excel
Use these tips to get more from your leave planner Excel template:
- Plan early: Ask for summer and year-end preferences well ahead—especially in retail and hospitality.
- Check balances before approving: Confirm remaining PTO or UK leave days on the Balances sheet.
- Keep status current: Pending vs. approved vs. declined avoids scheduling on top of leave.
- Back up files: Save monthly snapshots; Google Sheets version history helps.
- Respect blackouts: Note busy weeks in a policy tab so approvers apply consistent rules.
- Upgrade when needed: When email chains replace the sheet, try Ordio Absences for approvals and live rota integration.
Download the Ordio leave planner for 2026 as Excel or Google Sheets—introduce your team list and start coordinating time off without hidden fees.
Plan leave with Ordio
Automatic balances and approvals save time
Automatic leave calculation
Track entitlements without manual spreadsheets
Digital approvals
Submit and approve leave requests online — no paperwork
Overview for everyone
Staff see balances; managers approve in one click
Linked to scheduling
Approved leave updates shift plans automatically
With Ordio:
See how Ordio digitizes leave management
See digital approvals simplify your workflow · No obligation · 15 minutes
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Frequently asked questions about Vacation Planner – free & workplace-ready
How do I create a holiday planner in excel?
Download the Ordio vacation planner Excel template. On the Employees sheet enter names and entitlements; on Requests enter approved dates so working days calculate automatically. The Balances sheet shows remaining time. Use it to plan US PTO pools and UK statutory annual leave alongside Working Time Regulations rest planning.
What is the holiday planner team in excel?
The team sheet lists each employee with entitlement, days taken, and balance. You see who is off and what remains—essential for US shift coverage and UK teams managing statutory annual leave fairly across the year.
Which free holiday planner app for employees is available?
Ordio offers a free Excel and Google Sheets vacation planner. For approvals and mobile requests, Ordio Absences lets staff submit leave and managers approve in one click. The spreadsheet stays free for smaller US and UK teams.
Is the holiday planner template excel free?
Yes. Download the Ordio vacation planner as Excel or Google Sheets with no subscription for the file. It includes requests, balances, and a calendar view. Configure entitlements to match US PTO policies or UK statutory annual leave minimums in your contracts.
How does a holiday planner work for employees?
You record entitlements, approved requests, and remaining days with NETWORKDAYS-style formulas. Spot clashes before peak season. Pair the planner with FLSA-safe scheduling in the US and reasonable notice practices for UK leave.
What is the difference between vacation planner and holiday request?
The leave request form is what one employee submits; the vacation planner is the team view of all requests and balances. Use both together—Ordio provides free templates and optional Absences software for US and UK workflows.
How many holiday days do you have 2026?
UK full-time staff often have 28 days statutory annual leave including bank holidays (pro-rated part-time). US vacation is set by employer policy—there is no federal minimum paid vacation, though FMLA covers qualifying unpaid leave. Enter your contract figures in the planner; do not rely on defaults alone.
Can I also use the holiday planner in google sheets?
Yes. Copy the Ordio vacation planner to Google Sheets; formulas for remaining days and utilisation work online. Share with managers in the US and UK while keeping one live version.