Leave management software for agencies

Staff projects around holidays, not despite them

Client deadlines don't move for annual leave. Leavepad is the agency holiday planner that gives account managers, producers and studio leads one calendar of who's off, so you can plan cover before you promise a launch date.

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Sound familiar?

The launch week everyone booked off

Two designers and the developer are away the week the client finally signs off, and nobody noticed until Monday.

Resourcing in one tool, holidays in another

Producers plan in their project tool while leave lives in a spreadsheet, so the plan is wrong the moment someone books a week away.

Freelancers filling gaps at the last minute

Without early warning of who's out, cover gets booked late and at a premium.

Resource planning

Approve annual leave with the project plan in mind

Every request lands with the right team lead, who can check the team calendar for launches and other leave before approving. Pending requests show on the calendar too, so producers see what's coming.

  • Requests go to each person's own manager
  • Approve or decline with a note in one click
  • Pending and approved leave on one calendar

Time off in lieu

Track time off in lieu after late nights and launches

Agencies run on the occasional weekend push. Add earned days to someone's time off in lieu balance, and they book it like any other leave, so goodwill is never forgotten.

  • A time off in lieu balance per person
  • Every adjustment saved with a reason
  • Booked and approved like holiday

Multiple studios

One holiday planner for every studio and office

Run each office or sister agency as its own organisation, with its own country, public holidays and working week. People who work across studios switch between them from one login.

  • Separate public holidays per office
  • One login for people in several studios
  • Each organisation's data kept apart

More ways Leavepad helps agencies

One calendar for the whole studio

Approved leave and public holidays for every team, a couple of weeks or the whole year at a glance.

Managers for every team

Design lead, head of accounts or studio director: requests go to whoever manages that person.

Leave types for agency life

Holiday, sick leave, training and conference days, each with its own allowance and approval rule.

Public holidays imported

Import public holidays for your country so they're on the calendar and never counted as leave.

Book on behalf

Studio managers can log leave for someone who's on a shoot, on site or just forgot.

Time zone aware

Dates follow your company's time zone, so a day off is the same day for the studio and the client team.

What Leavepad replaces

One leave management system for agencies, instead of the spreadsheets, messages and wall charts you use today.

  • Studio holiday plannerA wall chart in the studio
  • Resourcing around leaveChecking three tools before a kickoff
  • Leave requestsChat messages to the studio manager
  • Time off in lieuFavours nobody wrote down
  • Office holiday calendarsOne spreadsheet per office

Guide

How to plan agency resourcing around annual leave

Most agency leave problems are planning problems. These five habits keep projects staffed without making holidays hard to book.

  1. 1

    Share key project dates early

    Launches, shoots and pitches go on the team calendar as soon as they're confirmed, so people can see them when they plan time off.

  2. 2

    Ask for longer holidays well in advance

    Set a notice period for a week or more away, such as four to six weeks. Short breaks can stay flexible.

  3. 3

    Check the leave calendar before committing to dates

    Before agreeing a deadline with a client, check who's off that week. It takes seconds and saves the scramble later.

  4. 4

    Agree cover and handovers

    For every approved holiday, name who covers the work and when the handover happens. Note it on the request so the approver sees it.

  5. 5

    Track time off in lieu properly

    When people work late or over a weekend for a launch, record the time owed straight away and make it easy to take.

Free leave calculators for agencies

Leave management software for agencies: FAQ

How do agencies plan resourcing around annual leave?

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Start from one shared calendar of approved leave and public holidays, check it before committing to project dates, and ask people to book big holidays early. Leavepad keeps that calendar up to date with every approved request, so producers plan from the real picture.

Can managers see clashes before approving leave?

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Yes. The team calendar shows everyone's approved and pending leave, so a manager can check who else is away on the requested dates before approving.

Can we track time off in lieu for overtime?

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Create a time off in lieu leave type with a yearly allowance of zero, then add days to a person's balance when they work late or over a weekend. They book it like any other leave.

How much notice should agency staff give for annual leave?

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It's up to your policy. Many agencies ask for four to six weeks for a week or more away and a few days for single days. In the UK, if your contract says nothing, the legal default is notice of at least twice the length of the leave.

We have offices in two cities. Does that work?

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Yes. Each office can be its own organisation with its own country, public holidays and working week, and people who work across both can switch between them from one login.

Can freelancers see the leave calendar?

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Anyone you invite to your organisation can see the team calendar. Invite regular freelancers as employees if you want them to see who's off and book their own days away.

Built for every kind of team

Retire the holiday spreadsheet

Set up Leavepad for your team in a few minutes. Invite your people and they can book time off today.

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