5 Benefits of Automating Time-Off Requests

Automation moves the HR tech industry forward. And Paycom's latest award proves it. Our automated time-off request feature, GONE®, was named a 2024 Top HR Product by Human Resource Executive magazine. Each year, the publication recognizes the best tech introduced to the market over a 12-month period.

Time-off decisions are a hassle for everyone.

Take managers, for example. When they get a time-off request - or many closer to a holiday - most HR software makes them approve or deny it. If the supervisor manually calculates coverage while overloaded with other tasks, an employee has to wait. Whether the manager approves or denies the request, the days (or weeks) it took them to respond can spur their team members to:

• cancel plans because of an untimely approval
• blame their leaders for an unclear scheduling policy
• miss a slim window to book an affordable flight or cruise
• abandon the trust their employer painstakingly built with them

Not to mention the ever-changing regulatory landscape. Legislation like predictive scheduling laws require employers to carefully balance time and attendance - or potentially face fines and other costly penalties for perceived time-off favoritism.

These frustrations seem like the name of the game when it comes to managing time off. But it doesn't have to be this way.

Why should HR automate time-off requests?

Reviewing time-off requests is another tedious, yet necessary aspect of a supervisor's role. Even when it's a seemingly routine process, every decision takes time and conscious effort. With enough volume, the practice results in:

• delays
• errors
• employee frustration
• time lost for mangers to lead

But just because reviewing time-off requests involves choice doesn't mean it can't be automated.

GONE is a revolutionary enhancement to Paycom's time-off requests tool. The tech allows you to set a variety of time-off decision-making criteria to ensure operations keep moving. This makes it easy to provide prompt responses to time-off requests without compromising schedule coverage.

Once GONE is set up, Paycom takes care of the rest, with automated decisions flowing seamlessly and accurately into payroll.

How do automated time-off requests work?

GONE doesn't just calculate allowances or notify employees. It automates the decisions around time-off requests and:

• gives employees instant responses
• frees supervisors from time-consuming reviews
• saves HR pros from being constant mediators
• protects executive leadership from understaffing and noncompliance

Using GONE, HR pros and admins can set rules for time-off requests. This opens the door to fair and consistent approvals without the need for managers to:

• log in to Paycom
• reference leave policies
• manually approve or deny requests

GONE also standardizes the approval process to ensure fairness and timeliness. For instance, if a company has a policy that gives senior members priority for time off, HR can use GONE to automatically check employee tenure and resolve conflicting requests - without manager intervention.

GONE doesn't completely remove agency or responsibility from supervisors, either. They always have the option to override an automated decision with reasoning - like if a leader knows staffing needs will be met despite a lower head count. Whatever the rationale is, GONE immediately conveys it to an affected employee.

By automating time-off requests, employers ensure standardization across their organizations. The result? Greater compliance help, agile leadership and more equitable workplaces.

5 benefits of automated time-off requests

Processing time-off requests raises bigger obstacles than you might think. With the chance for regulatory issues, frustrated employees and a mountain of administrative labor, automation through GONE gives enterprises a multifaceted edge.

Here are just five of its biggest benefits.

1. Decrease errors

We all make mistakes. That's what makes us human. Unfortunately, this truth doesn't help address double-booking employees or an empty schedule during a retailer's busiest sale.

GONE shields your organization from blunders like this by verifying a time-off request can be approved before it has a chance to hurt operations. It also helps protect employees from the frustration of lost requests.

Plus, GONE's customizable rules help avoid lulls in business spurred by too many absences. You could limit the total approved requests for a specific day or even set blackout periods for busier times. Even better, GONE automatically ensures approved time-off requests reflect in payroll and schedules, so HR and your managers don't have to.

2. Eliminate time-consuming tasks

The more time HR and managers spend in the administrative weeds, the less time they have to drive business forward. By automating the choices involved with approving and denying time-off requests, both departments secure a new lease on their roles. Instead of reconciling schedules, they can:

• focus on strategic initiatives
• support executive vision and goals
• engage and retain more employees

Speaking of employees, GONE keeps them out of the dark, too. The tech instantly approves, denies or holds their time-off requests until a later date, so your people will immediately know when they'll get a response.

GONE builds trust in employees by helping them better plan their lives, not linger in limbo without a clear timeline.

3. Reduce bias and discrimination

No employee wants to be treated unfairly. But human error and snap judgment unintentionally can create a sense of favoritism and a toxic workplace.

After all, how would you feel if you were denied a Black Friday off for the fifth year in a row, while your co-workers who have been on the job for less than a year excitedly talk about their plans for an extended holiday weekend?

With inconsistent rules around leave, morale takes a hit. GONE clears up the bias by ensuring time-off policies are applied uniformly to everyone. Consider it your foundation for a more equitable environment.

4. Help ensure compliance

With GONE, HR easily can set rules to grant time-off requests while helping avoid noncompliant approvals in a quick, appropriate fashion. For example, GONE helps ensure the consistency of a first-come, first-served requirement if your policy calls for it. Or you could give priority to employees who have requested the least amount of time off.

5. Improve brand loyalty

Who trusts a business to navigate the future if it relies on outdated and barely functional tech? Job candidates never look forward to working for an employer behind the curve.

An automated time-off process like GONE's puts your employees' convenience first. At the same time, it empowers managers with a tool to reduce their stress through quick and painless time-off requests.

This streamlined process is key to fostering a workplace where people actually want to work. Plus, it shows employees you prioritize their well-being and need for a break. That mutual understanding turns into loyalty, which is your best defense against turnover.

Use our Time-Off Requests Cost Calculator to learn how GONE boosts your bottom line.

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