Leave Management System
Also known as: leave management software, absence management system, LMS (leave)
A leave management system is software that automates how a team requests, approves, and tracks time off, keeping every leave balance accurate in real time.
A leave management system is the software that replaces spreadsheets and email threads for handling time off. It gives employees a place to request leave, gives managers a way to approve it, and keeps everyone's balance, accrual, and carry-over correct automatically.
Compared with a general HR platform, a dedicated leave management system focuses on doing one job well: booking and tracking absence. That means a shared calendar, real-time balances, policy rules that apply themselves, and reports — without the weight (or cost) of a full HRIS.
What a leave management system does
At a minimum it handles the request-and-approve workflow, maintains accurate balances, and shows who's off on a shared calendar. Stronger systems add accrual, carry-over with caps and expiry, pro-rata for part-timers, public holidays per office, half-days and TOIL, blackout periods, and analytics like the Bradford Factor.
Absenca is a leave management system built around exactly this: a shared calendar and wallchart, request/approve flows, automatic balances, and Slack, Microsoft Teams, and Google Chat bots — all included on every plan, free for up to 15 people and then $0.75/user a month.
See it in Absenca
Absenca is a focused leave management system — shared calendar, approvals, and automatic balances — free for up to 15 people, then $0.75/user.
Frequently asked questions
- What's the difference between a leave management system and an HRIS?
- An HRIS covers the whole employee lifecycle — payroll, records, sometimes recruiting. A leave management system focuses only on time off, so it's simpler to set up and usually far cheaper. Absenca is a leave management system, not a full HRIS: it doesn't do payroll or timesheets.
- Do you need a leave management system for a small team?
- Once you're past a handful of people, spreadsheets start to drift — balances, carry-over, and part-time pro-rata get error-prone. A dedicated system keeps them right automatically. Absenca is free for up to 15 people, so small teams can use it at no cost.
Related terms
Stop calculating this by hand
Absenca handles accrual, carry-over, pro-rata, and public holidays automatically — so every balance is right without a spreadsheet. Free for up to 15 people.