What Lattice's HRIS Shutdown Means for Your Leave Management Strategy

If you got the email about Lattice discontinuing their HRIS, you're probably already comparing replacement options. But here's the thing: before you commit to another full HRIS platform, it's worth asking yourself how much of it you were actually using in the first place.

Watch the full breakdown:

Why Lattice Made This Call (And Why It Makes Sense)

Let's be fair about what happened. Lattice didn't pull any shady moves here. They launched their HRIS in October 2024, grew their customer base steadily through 2025, then announced in November 2025 that they'd discontinue payroll and HRIS features. Payroll access ended in March, and HRIS access ends July 31, 2026.

They partnered with Workday and decided to focus on what they do best: performance management, structured reviews, goal tracking, and succession planning. That's a smart strategic move. The HRIS was new and unproven. Performance management is where Lattice has always excelled.

The Trap Most Teams Fall Into When Replacing an HRIS

Your first instinct is probably to replace an HRIS with another HRIS. You start looking at the big platforms, which are typically more expensive and loaded with features you'll never touch. That's a lot of money and a lot of setup time.

Take a step back. How much of your previous HRIS did you actually use? Were you satisfied with the depth of the features you did use? Most teams aren't.

Why Specialized Tools Often Beat All-in-One Platforms

We've already had several calls with former Lattice customers who realized they don't need another full HRIS. They need specific solutions for specific problems. If leave management is your daily pain point, a dedicated tool will serve you better than another HRIS module you'll barely use.

Yes, I work at Vacation Tracker, so take this with a grain of salt. But here's what you get when you choose a specialized platform over an HRIS:

What Vacation Tracker Does (And What It Doesn't)

Vacation Tracker does one job better than anyone else: PTO and leave management. That's requesting time off, approving requests, tracking balances and accruals, giving managers visibility into who's out, and providing energy management insights through our Recharge feature.

It's not a payroll system. It's not benefits administration. It's not any of the other modules you'd find in an HRIS. Vacation Tracker and Lattice were never direct competitors. But many teams want a standalone leave tracker with more depth than an HRIS module provides.

Why Teams Choose Vacation Tracker After Leaving an HRIS

First, adoption is easy. The platform lives inside Slack, Microsoft Office, and Google Workspace. If you don't use those platforms, there's also a mobile and web app. When you meet people where they already work, they actually use the tool.

Employees can request leave from the platforms they use every day. Managers can approve it just as quickly.

Policy Depth, Visibility, and Security Features That Matter

The policy depth is second to none. We support location-specific leave policies, unlimited custom leave policies, and everything you can imagine from accruals to carryover to time off in lieu.

You'll always know who's out and when. We have notifications you can set to whatever cadence you like for team visibility. Managers can get insights into employee energy levels through Recharge.

We're also SOC 2 Type 2 certified and GDPR compliant. Security matters when you're handling employee data.

The Real Question: Do You Need a Full HRIS or Specialized Tools?

The big weakness for Vacation Tracker is that it isn't an HRIS. It's solely focused on leave management and doing it better than anybody else.

So the real decision you have to make is: how many modules do you need from an HRIS, or can you piece it together with specialty tools?

Lattice is still amazing for engagement, reviews, and performance management. If you need one platform for payroll, benefits, and all the other HRIS functions, starting with Lattice's Workday partnership might be good. Shopping around could work too.

Don't Reflexively Buy What You Had Before

For many people, an HRIS is just too much. Don't reflexively buy another one just because that's what you had before. Take a step back and analyze the situation.

Vacation Tracker can be up and running in just a few hours. We have a 14-day free trial so you can test it out to see if it's something you like.

The Lattice shutdown is annoying, but it's rare. The opportunity here is to find out if you really need all these different platforms or if you can narrow it down and save money at the same time.

Try Vacation Tracker free for 14 days and see if a specialized tool solves your leave management problems better than another HRIS module ever could.

Nicholas Lydon

Nick is the Content Marketing Manager at Vacation Tracker, where he turns leave management, HR headaches, and the occasional oddly specific PTO question into content people  can watch. He spends most of his time creating videos, articles, campaigns, and creative experiments that make HR a little less boring.