SOURCE:    Vacation Tracker
TITLE:     No More Last-Minute Surprises | Vacation Tracker
URL:       https://vacationtracker.io/get/no-more-surprises/
LANG:      en
PUBLISHED: 2026-11-10
UPDATED:   2026-11-11
SUMMARY:   Vacation Tracker shows everyone who's out, and when, before it turns into breaking news. Works in Microsoft Teams, Slack and Google Workspace. 14-day free trial.
No More Last-Minute Surprises | Vacation Tracker
The VT News reporter, live on air, holding up his hand

No more last-minute surprises.

Vacation Tracker shows everyone who's out, and when, before it turns into breaking news.

Start free trial Book a demo

14 days free · No credit card

UFO spotted landing in Louisville, Kentucky

Breaking: UFO sighting confirmed. Live: Crowds gather downtown. Staffing: Camera operator's vacation starts at 5:00 PM. Developing: More to come.

Live updates

Minute by minute

  1. 4:58 PMThe UFO is descending over downtown Louisville.
  2. 4:59 PM"Hold on, something is happening."
  3. 5:00 PMOur camera operator checks his watch.
  4. 5:00 PMVACATION TIME.
  5. 5:01 PMThe camera hits the ground.
  6. 5:02 PMHumanity's first contact, filmed from ankle height.
A UFO with glowing lights descending over an apartment building The reporter on air, hand to his earpiece, as people run behind him The view from the dropped camera: legs running past at ground level The reporter, crouched on the rooftop, grinning into the camera at ankle height
The cameraman, camera on his shoulder, checking his watch Close-up of his smartwatch: 5:00 PM, VACATION TIME
Aug 12, 2026 · 7:30 PM

Official statement

He did nothing wrong. Our process did.

We apologize to viewers who witnessed humanity's first contact from ankle height.

Our camera operator's vacation was approved weeks ago. It was written on a form, filed in a drawer, and seen by no one.

We are reviewing how we track time off, effective immediately.

Signed: The VT News Newsroom

Developing story

VT News found a better way.

It's called Vacation Tracker.

Update

Newsroom sees vacation weeks ahead

His time off sits on the shared team calendar and the Wallchart the moment it's approved.

Wallchart · NewsroomPTO
Mon 10Tue 11Wed 12Thu 13Fri 14
Frank MillerCamera · from 5 PM Wed PTO
Dan ReyesReporter
Update

Crew gets the memo before the shoot

A "who's out today" update lands in the team's Teams or Slack channel every morning.

Microsoft Teams· #field-crew
Vacation Tracker8:00 AM
Out today
Frank Miller · Camera · PTO
Update

Double booking caught before approval

Managers see who else is off before they approve a request.

Microsoft Teams· Vacation Tracker
Frank Miller requested PTOThu Aug 13 to Fri Aug 21 · 7 working days
1 other camera operator off these dates
DenyApprove
Update

Alien invasion week declared a blackout period

Block time off during your busiest weeks with automatic rules.

Automations · Newsroom
Blackout periodAlien invasion week: no time off
Max people awayNo more than 1 camera operator at once
The VT News reporter, smiling, giving a thumbs up
VT News · Louisville · End of broadcast

That's all from Louisville. Back to you.

Make your team's time off the one thing that's never a surprise.

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Back to you in the studio

Works where your team works

Nobody learns a new tool. They request time off where they already chat.

Microsoft Teams iPhone Android ChatGPT Claude Copilot Google Workspace Slack

Microsoft Teams

Approvers get every request in their Teams chat, and each office's channel gets its own who's-out update.

Slack

Your team requests leave, checks balances and sees who's out across time zones without leaving Slack.

Google Workspace

New people in your directory are added automatically, and approved leave lands in Google Calendar.

Also on iPhone and Android, and in ChatGPT, Claude, Copilot and Gemini through MCP.

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Rest easy knowing we’re certified to effectively safeguard your data.

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Vacation Tracker FAQ

Plans

How much does Vacation Tracker cost, and what's the difference between Core and Complete?

Core is $2 per user per month and Complete is $4, each with a 25-user minimum. Core covers up to 3 locations and 10 departments, with custom leave types, public holidays, approvals and every integration. Complete adds unlimited locations, accruals, TOIL, hourly leave, multi-level and substitute approvals, blackout periods and limits on how many people are away at once. Both start with a 14-day free trial, no credit card.

Setup

How long does setup take, and who has to do it?

Most teams are up and running in under a day, often in under 30 minutes. One admin connects Microsoft Teams, Slack or Google Workspace, and your people are imported from the directory automatically. Then you add locations, holidays and leave policies, and employees start requesting leave where they already work. Live chat, email and personalized onboarding calls with our customer support team are there if you get stuck.

We track leave in spreadsheets today. Can we bring our balances and history over?

Yes. Import users, past leave records, opening balances, carryover and TOIL balances from our template or your own file. Employment start dates come in too, so allowances are right from day one. Our team can also help with data migration.

Leave

We have offices in different states and countries. Can each one have its own holidays and leave rules?

Yes. Each location, and each sub-location such as a US state or Canadian province, gets its own public holidays, leave policies, workweek and time zone. Import holidays for 150+ countries and their regions in one click, add company days off, and give each office its own Location Admin. Approvals follow your departments and sub-departments.

Can we track sick days, remote work and other leave types, not just vacation?

Yes. Create any leave type you need, such as PTO, sick leave, remote work, parental leave or birthdays, each with its own allowance and rules. Make sensitive types private, so colleagues only see that someone is away, not why. See who's away on the Wallchart and in the daily or weekly who's-out update.

Integrations

Does it connect to our HR and payroll systems?

Yes. Vacation Tracker connects to ADP Workforce Now, BambooHR, HiBob, Remote and Deputy, so employee records and approved leave stay in sync. You can also export leave balances and history to Excel or CSV for payroll, build your own workflows with Zapier, the Open API and webhooks, or connect ChatGPT, Claude, Copilot or Gemini through our MCP server.

Security

Is our employee data secure, and where is it stored?

Vacation Tracker is SOC 2 Type II certified and GDPR compliant. Data is encrypted in transit and at rest, access is role-based, and people can sign in with Microsoft, Google or Slack single sign-on. The platform is hosted on AWS in North America and Europe and goes through annual penetration tests.