A Leave Request Process for Small Teams (With a Policy Template)
30 October 2026 · The Rosterly team · 5 min read
A good leave request process for a small business has one channel for requests, a clear notice period, a first-in fair rule for busy periods, a decision within a few days and a roster that reflects approved leave before it's built. Write it as a one-page policy, make sure it matches the legal entitlements where you are, and apply it the same way to everyone.
Leave causes more friction than it should, mostly because the process is informal: a request in a message, an answer weeks later, a roster built before anyone remembered. Here's a process that removes the guesswork, plus a template.
Know the entitlements first
Your process must respect the law where you operate:
•
Australia: the Fair Work Ombudsman says full-time employees get 4 weeks of paid annual leave a year, part-time employees a pro rata amount, and casuals no paid annual leave, though they can ask for unpaid time off.
•
United Kingdom: GOV.UK says almost all workers are legally entitled to 5.6 weeks' paid holiday a year, which is 28 days for someone working five days a week, and bank holidays can count towards it.
•
United States: the Department of Labor says the FLSA doesn't require payment for time not worked, such as vacations, so paid time off is a matter of agreement between employer and employee, though some state and local laws require paid leave.
Sick leave, carer's leave and other types have their own rules. This post focuses on planned leave and holidays.
The process in six steps
1. One channel. All leave requests go through one place: your rostering app or a form, not a group chat or a word at the till.
2. A notice period. Ask for, say, four weeks' notice for a week or more of leave and two weeks for a single day. Check that your notice rules fit any award or contract.
3. A clear rule for busy periods. Decide in advance how you'll handle the weeks everyone wants: school holidays, Christmas, long weekends. Common options are first in, first approved; a rotation year by year; or a cap on how many people can be off at once.
4. A decision within a few days. Approve or decline within three working days, so people can book.
5. Leave on the roster before you build. Approved leave should be visible while you build the roster, and nobody should be rostered on it.
6. Changes and cancellations. Explain how staff can cancel approved leave, and in what circumstances you might need to discuss changing it.
Handling clashes fairly
When two people want the same week:
•
apply your published rule, such as first in
•
check whether skills are covered if both go: who else can open, close or do the specialist job?
•
talk to both people before deciding; one may be flexible
•
record the decision and the reason
Plan for peak periods early. Ask for Christmas and summer requests by a set date, and publish the outcome together.
A leave policy template
Leave request policy
How to request leave
- Request all leave through [the rostering app / leave form]. Requests made by message or in person are not confirmed until they are in [the app / form].
- Please give at least [4] weeks' notice for leave of a week or more, and [2] weeks' notice for a single day.
How we decide
- We'll reply within [3] working days.
- We approve leave unless it would leave us unable to cover the roster safely, for example if too many people with the same skills would be away.
- For busy periods (school holidays, Christmas, long weekends), requests received by [date] are considered together. After that, requests are considered in the order received.
- No more than [2] people can be on leave at the same time.
After approval
- Approved leave appears on the roster, and you won't be rostered during it.
- If you need to cancel or change approved leave, tell your manager as soon as possible through [the app / form].
This policy sits alongside your legal entitlements and your employment contract or award. Sick and carer's leave follow the separate sick leave policy.
Replace the words in [square brackets] for your business.
Leave requests that land on the roster
In Rosterly, staff request leave in the app, managers approve it, and approved leave is checked before anyone is assigned. 14-day free trial, no card needed.
Approving leave verbally. Then nobody remembers, and it's not on the roster.
•
Building the roster first. Then leave is squeezed in afterwards, with swaps and gaps.
•
No rule for peak periods. "Whoever asks the boss first" feels unfair to everyone else.
•
Forgetting skills. Approving both keyholders off on the same weekend.
•
Slow answers. Staff can't book, and resentment builds.
How Rosterly handles leave
•
Requests: staff request leave or unavailability for specific dates and times in the app, with a reason.
•
Approval: managers approve or decline, and everyone affected hears the decision.
•
On the roster: approved leave is checked before anyone is assigned, and auto-fill skips people who are away.
•
Conflicts: clashes are flagged before approval.
Rosterly doesn't track leave balances or accruals; your payroll system does that. Keep availability for regular commitments on an availability form, and move requests out of the group chat as described in why WhatsApp rosters break. For retail teams juggling school holidays, see retail scheduling.