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Time off request form template

Let staff ask for time off before they take it: the dates, the type, part days, cover and a second choice, sent to the manager who approves it.

20 questions · about 2 min · logic · file upload · e-signature

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Your name (required)

Team or department

Your manager’s name (required)

Type of time off (required)

First day off (required)

Last day off (required)

The same as the first day if it is one day.

Full days or part of a day? (required)

Back at work on

What you get back

Every response lands in your results the moment it is sent. Turn on email notifications and each one arrives like this, and the same answers become a row in your spreadsheet.

From PulseFormCreator

Subject New response to Time off request

Your name
Marcus Webb
Work email
marcus.webb@example.com
Team or department
Operations
Your manager’s name
Priya Raman
Type of time off
Vacation or PTO
First day off
2026-12-21

and 7 more answers

A sample email with made-up answers.
submitted_atYour nameWork emailTeam or departmentYour manager’s nameType of time off
2026-09-22T09:41:00.000ZMarcus Webbmarcus.webb@example.comOperationsPriya RamanVacation or PTO

The first 6 of 30 columns. Export to CSV or Excel, or send each response to Google Sheets, Notion, Airtable, Slack or a webhook as it arrives, all on the free plan. The answers above are made up.

What this form asks, and why

The last column shows how many of the 25 real time off request forms we read ask the same thing.

Question Why it is there Real forms
Your name Required On 24 of 25 forms. York County’s form relies on the signature alone. 24 of 25 forms
Work email Required On 1 of 25 forms, the only one we read online. The decision goes here. 1 of 25 forms
Team or department Tells HR whose rota it touches. A team link fills it in. 10 of 25 forms
Your manager’s name Required The approver, named on 6 of 25 forms. Also filled from the link. 6 of 25 forms
Type of time off Required Payroll charges each type to its own balance. 17 of 25 forms list types. 17 of 25 forms
What kind of time off? Required Only when “Type of time off” is Other Shown only after Other. 17 of 25 forms
Their relationship to you Only when “Type of time off” is Bereavement Shown for bereavement. Forms that ask want the relationship, never the name. 2 of 25 forms
First day off Required 25 of 25 forms ask for the dates. 25 of 25 forms
Last day off Required The same date as the first for a single day. 25 of 25 forms
Full days or part of a day? Required Appointments rarely take a whole day. A part day opens two time boxes. 7 of 25 forms
Leaving at Required Only when “Full days or part of a day?” is Part of a day Shown for part days, as on 7 of 25 forms. 7 of 25 forms
Back at Required Only when “Full days or part of a day?” is Part of a day When the team can expect them back that day. 7 of 25 forms
Working days off Required Only when “Full days or part of a day?” is Full days What payroll deducts. Rostered days off make it differ from the dates. 18 of 25 forms
Back at work on Optional. Is the Monday after a Friday finish off too? 8 of 25 forms
Who will cover your work? Optional here, required in the school preset. 3 of 25 forms
If these dates don’t work, what would? Turns a refusal into a yes without a second round. 2 of 25 forms
Jury summons or court notice Only when “Type of time off” is Jury duty or court Shown for jury duty or court, so the notice travels with the request. 1 of 25 forms
Anything else your manager should know? The comments box found on 15 of 25 forms. 15 of 25 forms
Approval Required Stops anyone booking flights on the strength of a sent form. 4 of 25 forms
Your signature Required On 23 of 25 forms. The response records when it was sent. 23 of 25 forms

What we left out

  • Approve and deny boxes. 24 of 25 forms have them. Staff should not see boxes they cannot fill.
  • Leave balance. On 7 of 25 forms, mostly filled in by payroll. Employees rarely know the figure.
  • FMLA tick boxes. On 6 of 25 forms. Extended and FMLA leave belong on your leave-of-absence process, not a day-off request.

What 25 real time off request forms ask

In September 2026 we read 25 time off request forms that organisations use today (US 19, UK 4, Australia 2) and recorded every field. This is how often each one appears. It is part of the Form Field Index.

  1. Dates of leave 100% (25 of 25 forms)
  2. Supervisor approves or denies 96% (24 of 25 forms)
  3. The employee's name 96% (24 of 25 forms)
  4. Employee signature 92% (23 of 25 forms)
  5. Date beside the employee signature 80% (20 of 25 forms)
  6. Total days or hours 72% (18 of 25 forms)
  7. Type of leave 68% (17 of 25 forms)
  8. Comments 60% (15 of 25 forms)
  9. Date the request is made 40% (10 of 25 forms)
  10. Department or unit 40% (10 of 25 forms)
  11. Second approver 32% (8 of 25 forms)
  12. Date the employee returns to work 32% (8 of 25 forms)
The 25 forms we read
  1. Herrin Community Unit School District No. 4 · school district, US
  2. Cedar City Corporation (Utah) · city government, US
  3. Daemen University · university, US
  4. East Texas Baptist University · university, US
  5. York County Department of Emergency Services (Pennsylvania) · county government agency, US
  6. Houston County (Georgia) · county government, US
  7. City of Evansville (Wisconsin) · city government, US
  8. Long Beach Unified School District · school district, US
  9. Uniting Church in Australia, Queensland Synod · church, Australia
  10. Work & Training (Group Employment) · group training organisation (apprentices and trainees), Australia
  11. Central Consolidated School District (New Mexico) · school district, US
  12. Pleasant Hill School District No. 1 (Oregon) · school district, US
  13. St. Paul Baptist Church · church, US
  14. U.S. Office of Personnel Management (OPM Form 71) · federal government agency, US
  15. Town of Longmeadow (Massachusetts) · town government, US
  16. Wills Eye Hospital · hospital, US
  17. Complete Care Agency · home care agency, UK
  18. BeRecruit · recruitment agency (temporary workers), UK
  19. Fisk University · university, US
  20. Colorado Mesa University · university, US
  21. New York State Department of Transportation (PER 35a) · state government agency, US
  22. Rutgers University-Camden, School of Arts and Sciences · university, US
  23. Shrewsbury and Telford Hospital NHS Trust · NHS hospital trust, UK
  24. City of London Academies Trust · multi-academy trust (schools), UK
  25. NYC Health + Hospitals · public hospital system, US

How the form changes as people answer

Most people see a shorter form. These questions and screens only appear when an answer calls for them.

  1. When “Type of time off” is Other

    shows “What kind of time off?”

  2. When “Type of time off” is Bereavement

    shows “Their relationship to you”

  3. When “Full days or part of a day?” is Part of a day

    shows “Leaving at”, “Back at”

  4. When “Full days or part of a day?” is Full days

    shows “Working days off”

  5. When “Type of time off” is Jury duty or court

    shows “Jury summons or court notice”

  6. When “Type of time off” is Sick or medical appointment

    shows the “Request sent, …” ending

  7. At the end

    shows one of 2 thank-you screens: “Request sent, …”, “Request sent, …”

Make it yours

  1. Give each team its own link

    Add ?team=Operations&manager=Priya Raman to the link and both questions arrive filled in.

  2. Copy the manager in

    Turn on the Connect tab’s Email me card and add each manager under Also send to. It is free.

  3. Keep a leave calendar

    Connect Google Sheets and each request becomes a row. Add an Approved column for the decision.

Good practice and the law

Questions about this template

How much notice should staff give?

Whatever your policy says: the forms we read ask for anything from 48 hours to six weeks. Put yours in the note at the top.

Should staff say why they need sick leave?

No. “Sick or medical appointment” is enough, and no form we read asks for a diagnosis. Certificates go to HR separately. That choice ends on a screen reminding them to call in if they are ever too unwell on the day.

What if two people ask for the same week?

The form cannot see who else is off, so it asks for a second choice up front. Sort your leave sheet by first day to spot the clash before you reply.

Does it work for annual leave in the UK or Australia?

Pick “Annual leave” above the preview: time off in lieu and compassionate leave, a half day at either end, and a total in working days.

Which form do you need?

The time off request form is one of the request forms. If it is not quite the job, one of these may be.

Start with the time off request form template

Open it in the editor, add your notice period and teams, and share the link with staff.

Use this template

Updated 22 September 2026. Evidence read September 2026 from 25 real forms.