Time Off and Unavailability can both be used to track your staff’s absences. However, you need to ask yourself for what purpose you need to do so. In this article, we'll go over the main purposes of each feature and provide a comparison of their capabilities so that you can be sure you're making the best decision for your business's needs.
Comparing Time Off and Unavailability
Time Off, otherwise known as paid time off (PTO), is used to track paid or unpaid absences. This is best for allocating pay, record keeping, compliance and legal reasons, and data reporting. Although Time Off is its own feature, it is also integrated into the Time Clock and Job Scheduler. On the Time Clock, you'll be able to see on your employees' timesheets their paid or unpaid absences, and they will automatically be calculated into their payroll. On the Job Scheduler, you'll see the Time Off appear as well and a conflict will be indicated if a shift is scheduled for that same day. On the other hand, Unavailability is limited to the Job Scheduler feature and is best used for scheduling purposes.
How Each Feature Appears on the Job Scheduler
You'll notice that on the Job Scheduler, time off and unavailability appear similar. The differences amount to the label given for each. Unavailability will be labeled as "Unavailable" while Time Off will show the specific name of the Time Off policy.
When a shift is assigned to a user on the same day as when they are unavailable or on time off, a conflict will be signaled.
Comparison of Capabilities
| Time Off | Unavailability |
For which purposes should you use this feature for? | To allocate pay, record keeping, compliance, and legal reasons, data reporting | Scheduling |
Where can you see absences? | On the Time Off feature, Job Scheduler, Time Clock | Job Scheduler |
How is pay set? | Time Off can be paid or unpaid | Pay is not recorded |
Are they limited or unlimited? | Time Off policies can be set up as limited or unlimited policies | Unavailabilities are unlimited |
Can you set recurring dates? | No | Yes - learn more about it here! |
Can admins set absences on behalf of users? | Yes | Yes |
Can users and admins choose to set a full day or partial day? | Yes | Yes |
How can you remove the absence? | From Time Off or from the Time Clock | From the Job Scheduler |
Can you set limitations? | Yes - Limitations include the option to require admin approval for time off requests and to limit how far in advance time off can be requested | No - admins can turn on/off the ability for users to mark unavailability from the Job Scheduler setting |
When a shift is assigned on the same day, will it appear as a conflict? | Yes | Yes |
Additional Resources:
Plan limitations
Adding unavailability is available from the Basic Operations plan and above.
Repeating unavailability is available from the Advanced Operations plan and above.
Time Off is available on Connecteam's HR Hub
Conflicts on a schedule are available from the Advanced Operations Plan. Conflicts between 2 Schedules are from the Expert Plan and above.
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