How to Set Up Time Off in Odoo
Managing leave with emails and spreadsheets is error-prone and time-consuming. Odoo Time Off handles requests, approvals and balances in one place, but it needs setting up to match your real policies. Continuing this series of practical Odoo how-to guides, here is time off.
Set up your leave types
Start by defining the types of leave your business offers: annual leave, sick leave, unpaid leave and any others. Each type can behave differently in terms of allowances and whether it is paid. Setting these up to match your actual policies is the foundation, because everything else flows from how leave types are configured.
Configure allocations
For leave that comes with an entitlement, such as a number of annual leave days, set up allocations so each employee has the right balance. Odoo then tracks how much is used and how much remains. Getting allocations right means balances are accurate and disputes about remaining days simply do not arise.
Set up the approval flow
Decide who approves whose leave and set up the approval flow accordingly. Usually a manager approves their team’s requests. A clear approval path means requests are reviewed properly and employees know their leave is confirmed, rather than wondering whether an email was seen. It removes a common source of uncertainty.
Let employees request their own leave
The big time saver is self-service: employees request leave themselves, see their balances, and get a clear answer. Setting this up takes the administrative burden off HR and managers and gives everyone visibility. It turns leave from a paperwork exercise into a quick, clear process people can handle themselves.
Connect to the calendar and planning
Approved time off should be visible where it matters: on calendars and in planning, so people know who is away. Setting up this connection means leave is not a surprise that derails a project or leaves a shift uncovered. It keeps the whole team’s availability accurate and visible.
Practical tips
- Define leave types that match your real policies.
- Set up allocations so entitlements and balances are accurate.
- Configure a clear approval flow, usually manager-based.
- Enable self-service so employees request and track their own leave.
- Connect time off to calendars and planning for visible availability.
My take
Time off is a small process that causes real friction when handled manually, and Odoo Time Off removes almost all of it. Leave types that match your policies, correct allocations, a clear approval flow and employee self-service turn leave management into something quick and transparent. Connect it to planning and you also stop leave from catching projects and shifts by surprise.
Next in this series: how to set up appointments.
Based on the official Odoo 19 Time Off documentation. Want leave managed without the paperwork? Get in touch.