Accurate attendance and leave records keep payroll right, help you spot patterns early and make end-of-service calculations straightforward. For small and medium teams, a spreadsheet does the job well.
Set up a monthly attendance sheet
- List employees down the side and the days of the month across the top.
- Use simple codes: P present, A absent, L annual leave, S sick leave, H public holiday, W weekend, R remote.
- Count each code per employee with
COUNTIF, and calculate attendance % = present ÷ working days. - Highlight absences with conditional formatting so they stand out.
Our Daily Attendance Sheet has the codes, totals and colours ready.
Track leave balances
For each employee, record the annual entitlement, days carried forward, days taken and days remaining. Log each request with dates, type and approval. In the UAE, full-time employees are generally entitled to 30 calendar days of annual leave a year after one year of service, with 2 days a month in the first year after six months. Check the law and your contracts for the details.
The Leave Tracker records requests and approvals and shows days taken by type.
Connect it to payroll
- Unpaid leave and unauthorised absence reduce pay for the month.
- Overtime hours from timesheets add to pay.
- Leave balances feed the leave encashment in final settlements.
Close each month's attendance before running the payroll calculator so the figures agree.
Spot patterns early
Review sick days and late arrivals monthly. A Bradford Factor calculator highlights frequent short absences, which are often more disruptive than one longer absence.
Do it in minutes: download the Daily Attendance Sheet (instant download, works in Excel and Google Sheets). Need the related files too? Browse attendance and leave templates or get 25 business templates for AED 29 in our value packs.
This guide is general information, not legal, tax or financial advice. Rules change, so check the latest official guidance or ask a qualified adviser for your situation.