Free Time Off Request Form Templates
Short answer: A time off request form is a short document an employee fills out to ask for paid time off, sick leave or unpaid leave. It lists the dates, the hours and the type of leave, and a manager approves or denies it. Download free PTO, sick leave and unpaid leave request forms below.
Download a time off request form
There’s no sign-up and no email form. Each template prints on one page.
PTO and vacation request form
For planned paid time off: vacation, personal days or a general PTO bank. Includes the employee’s current balance and the balance after the request.
Sick leave request form
For sick time that’s planned, such as a medical appointment, or reported after the fact. Built to collect only the basics, since some state and local sick leave laws limit what you can ask.
Unpaid leave request form
For time off without pay once paid leave runs out, or for leave your policy treats as unpaid. Includes the return date and an acknowledgment about pay and benefits.
What a time off request form should include
- Employee name, ID and department
- The type of leave
- First and last day off, and the return-to-work date
- Start and end times for a partial day
- Total hours requested
- Current leave balance, for paid leave
- The date the request was submitted
- A manager section to approve or deny, with a reason for a denial
- A line to confirm the time was entered in your time records
Time off request form example
Here’s a filled PTO request for a 3-day vacation.
| Field | Entry |
|---|---|
| Employee name | Jordan Lee |
| Department | Front office |
| Date submitted | March 2, 2027 |
| Type of leave | Vacation |
| First day off | Wednesday, March 24, 2027 |
| Last day off | Friday, March 26, 2027 |
| Return to work | Monday, March 29, 2027 |
| Hours requested | 24 (3 days x 8 hours) |
| Current balance | 56 hours |
| Balance after this request | 32 hours |
| Coverage | Sam will cover the front desk |
| Manager decision | Approved, March 3, 2027 |
| Entered in time records | March 3, 2027, by the office manager |
What your time off policy should say
The form works best when it points to a written policy. Federal law doesn’t require paid vacation, sick leave or holidays. If you offer them, a written policy tells employees how the time works and how to ask for it. Cover these points:
- Which kinds of leave you offer and whether vacation and sick time share one bank
- How time is earned: per hour worked, per pay period, monthly or all at once each year
- Caps and carryover: the most anyone can hold, and what happens at year end
- How to request time off: the form, where it goes and who approves it
- How much notice you need for each kind of leave
- How you decide between overlapping requests, such as first come, first served
- What happens to unused time when someone leaves
State rules on payout and sick leave differ. See PTO laws by state before you finalize your policy.
Source: U.S. Department of Labor, vacation leave, checked Nov 10, 2026.
How much notice to require for time off
For vacation and personal days, federal law sets no notice period, so your policy decides. Pick a period that gives you time to cover shifts, such as two weeks for a week or more off, and say how you’ll handle short-notice requests.
Sick leave and family leave have rules of their own:
- FMLA leave: when the need is foreseeable, the employee must give at least 30 days’ notice if possible and practical. When it isn’t foreseeable, they give notice as soon as possible and practical, usually following your normal process for requesting leave. Source: DOL Fact Sheet #28E, checked Nov 10, 2026.
- State paid sick leave: some states limit the notice and paperwork you can require. In California, for example, the employee gives advance notice when sick leave is planned and notice as soon as practical when it isn’t, and you can’t deny paid sick leave only because there’s no note from a health care provider. Source: California Labor Commissioner, paid sick leave, checked Nov 10, 2026.
The sick leave form below asks only for dates, hours and the type of need, so it fits most rules. Check your state and city before adding questions to it.
How time off requests work in TimeClick
If you’d rather skip paper, TimeClick handles requests and balances in the same program employees clock in with:
- The employee sends the request. After selecting their name on the main screen, they click Launch Employee Options, then Submit Time Request to Admin on the Messages tab. In TimeClick 25, employees can also submit requests and see their balances in the TimeClick mobile app.
- The admin approves or denies it. Requests arrive as messages in the Admin inbox, the first screen in Admin Mode. Select the request and click Approve or Deny.
- The balance updates. When a request is approved, TimeClick deducts the hours and adds the entry to the employee’s time record. Pending requests and past decisions are listed under Accrued Times, Deduction Approval.
- Department heads can approve. To route requests to a department head instead of the main admin, set a Department Head for the department and each employee’s Preferred Department.
Employees can see their own balances and history under Employee Options, View Accrued Time. PTO, vacation and sick time can accrue automatically by hour, pay period, month or year, and approved time off shows up on payroll reports. Full steps: accrued times and PTO guide. Product overview: PTO tracker.
PTO tracking is included on every TimeClick license, from $299 one time with unlimited employees. Start the 14-day free trial. No credit card is required.
Time off request form FAQ
What is a time off request form?
It’s a short form an employee fills out to ask for time away from work. It lists the type of leave, the dates and hours, and has a section where a manager approves or denies the request.
What should a PTO request form include?
The employee’s name and department, the type of leave, the first and last day off, the return date, the hours requested, the current balance, the date submitted and a manager approval section.
How much notice should employees give for time off?
Federal law sets no notice period for vacation, so your policy decides. For FMLA leave, employees give at least 30 days’ notice when the need is foreseeable, if possible and practical. Some state sick leave laws limit the notice you can require.
Can an employer deny a time off request?
Federal law doesn’t require paid vacation, so approving vacation dates is usually up to your written policy. Leave protected by law, such as FMLA leave or state paid sick leave, follows its own rules, so check them before you deny that kind of request.
Can I require a doctor’s note for sick leave?
It depends on your state and city. In California, you can’t deny paid sick leave only because the employee has no note from a health care provider. Check your local sick leave law before asking for one.
Do I have to offer paid time off?
Federal law doesn’t require paid vacation, sick leave or holidays. Some states, such as California, require paid sick leave. See PTO laws by state for your state’s rules.
Can employees request time off in TimeClick?
Yes. Employees submit a time request from Employee Options on the time clock screen, or from the TimeClick 25 mobile app. Admins approve or deny it from the Admin inbox, and approved hours come off the employee’s balance automatically.