Seeking Feedback on My Leave Card Format for a Media Firm – How Would You Improve It?

Hi,

I am a senior HR executive, and I have been given the task of building processes in my company. I have drafted a leave card format and have attached it to this message.

I would appreciate it if all of you could review it and provide me with your suggestions and feedback. Please note that I work for a media firm.

Warm Regards, Karl

Hi Karl,

The designed card format is sufficient for the Leave Record. Never forget to update it accordingly with the employee's signature as well as the HR signature. Also, inform the staff about their Leave balance on a regular basis.

Regards,
Rachna

Dear Karl,

This card, if in hard format, must have a duplicate copy - the original with the employer and the duplicate with the employee. Additionally, you may like to insert additional columns to automatically calculate balance leave and accumulated leave, etc. You may also want to explore the idea of maintaining registers with all the columns that provide a holistic view of leave records for all employees. Link the leave records to a leave certificate to be signed by the line manager instead of appending the line manager's signature on the leave card. This will reduce the need to move the card around frequently.

Bharat XLRI

As a stand-alone record, it's fine.

Do you plan to accommodate inter-employee comparisons or analysis of leave patterns based on parameters such as work area, immediate supervisor, whether leaves were taken next to weekends/paydays/festivals, and whether they were unscheduled or not?

Surya

Hi Bharat,

I didn't really get you. What I plan to do is keep a copy with me. I guess keeping one copy with the employee is a good idea. However, I am the only person handling HR activities for 100 employees, so is it practical?

About the other aspect, please mail me some kind of format if possible.

Regards,
Karl

No specific format, just a sheet of paper, call it the leave requisition:

- Name
- ID No
- Type of leave: EL/CL/Sick Leave/... blah blah
- From
- To
- Prefix and suffix
- Leave already availed
- Signature of employee
- Signature of line manager

Once this reaches you recommended by the line manager, prepare a leave certificate, give one copy to the employee, keep the record of the requisition, and another copy of the leave certificate with you in a file. Use these to post an entry in the leave register.

Now you no longer have the need to maintain leave cards; the register will give you all the details whenever required.

Bharat

Hi Karl,

I am also working as an HR Executive in a media firm that is into BTL advertising. In this field, what I have noticed is that most of the time the employees would be outdoors either on a client meet or in the field. So, keeping a hard copy of the leave card may not work out easily, especially when you are dealing with 100 employees.

The way I have done it is, I have created a soft copy of the leave file and have asked the employees to submit their leaves via email to their superiors, with a copy to me.

Formulas can be used in the leave file for each cell. For example, when you make an entry in the "leave taken" cell, a digit automatically gets reduced in the leave balance section.

This way, it becomes easier to monitor availed leaves for such a large number of employees in a short period of time. Having a hard copy of the record, and getting the employees in the office all the time, poses a challenge and can lead to procrastination in leave monitoring, resulting in the accumulation of work.

Hi Manoj,

I really like your idea; it saves a lot of my time too. Could you do me the favor of emailing me the Excel format that you have prepared, if possible? I am not that proficient with Excel and its formulas.

My email id is karl.furtado@gmail.com. Please notify me on citehr if you are able to do so.

Thank you,

Karl

Yes, Bharat,

I do have a leave request letter format in place but no leave register.

Warm Regards,
Karl Furtado

Dear Mr. Karl,

Your work on the Leave Card is good.

My doubts are:

1. Whether it is for the HR file and Records? Or

2. Do you want your employees to use this every time when they avail leave?!

My suggestion would be that you can try this as your page of Leave records in HR under Personnel records. If so, please delete the columns of Employee's signature, HOD's signature, etc.

In case you want your employees to know their leave balance, a copy of the above card can be given. If it is for the application of leave, you may follow this:

LEAVE FORM

___________________________________________
Dt:_______________

Employee's Name:

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Employee No: Dept:

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Type of Leave requested for: CL/PL/SL/Maternity Leave

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Duration of Leave: -------- Days from--------- to--------------

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Reasons for Leave:

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Any Training Programme to be attended during this period of leave, if so, give details:

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

If any urgent/important work is to be attended to, who is given charge of the same in your absence:

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Contact address and Phone number (during Leave)

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

HOD's approval:

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

HR Remarks: Posted by:

__________________________________________________ ___________

Thanks and Regards,

Balraj S.

Hi Balraj,

Since it has only been a month since I took on the responsibility, there is already a leave application letter similar to the one you have drafted in place. The reason I have the card is that the employee and I have a record of the leaves taken and the balance. This is because the accounts and admin department are based in another location and are in charge of the attendance activities.

Regards,
Karl