SOURCE:    Vacation Tracker
TITLE:     Guide: TOIL (Time Off in Lieu) / Comp Time (Compensatory Time)
URL:       https://vacationtracker.io/knowledge-base/guide-toil-time-off-in-lieu-comp-time-compensatory-time/
LANG:      en
PUBLISHED: 2024-02-22
UPDATED:   2026-10-28
READING:   3 min
SUMMARY:   TOIL (Time Off in Lieu), or Comp Time, compensates overtime with time off instead of pay. See how Vacation Tracker tracks it alongside regular leave.

Guide: TOIL (Time Off in Lieu) / Comp Time (Compensatory Time)

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Last updated on October 28, 2026

Guide: TOIL (Time Off in Lieu) and Comp Time (Compensatory Time)

Time off given for overtime worked, tracked alongside regular leave.

3-minute read

TOIL (Time Off in Lieu), also called Comp Time, is a way to compensate employees for overtime with equivalent time off instead of overtime pay. Vacation Tracker tracks it alongside regular leave so those hours don't get lost in a spreadsheet.

Plan availability: TOIL is part of the Complete plan.

Why TOIL exists

Overtime happens. When the company pays for it in dollars, payroll handles it. When the company gives back time instead, someone has to track those hours, decide when they were earned, and make sure the employee actually gets to use them. Without a system, TOIL usually lives in a spreadsheet or a manager's head, where it gets forgotten, disputed, or lost when the person moves teams. Tracking TOIL inside Vacation Tracker gives you a single source of truth that sits next to regular leave, so those hours are visible, taken, and closed out cleanly.

How it works

TOIL is added for the day the overtime is worked. The date can be in the past, today, or in the future
Once approved, those hours are added on top of the User's regular quota
TOIL can be requested in full days, half-days, or hourly increments (down to 1 hour)
Balances appear on the User's profile next to their other leave types, so there's no side ledger
Requests flow through the same Approver as regular leave, so nothing new to learn for approvals

Who can request TOIL

Admins pick one of two models when enabling TOIL. There's no wrong answer; the choice depends on how overtime is verified in your company.

Self-service

Users request their own TOIL.

Faster, lower overhead
Approver still reviews before it lands in the balance
Best when overtime is generally known to the Approver or when the company runs on trust

Admin and Approver only

Users can't submit TOIL themselves.

Admins or Approvers add TOIL on the User's behalf
More control over what qualifies
Best when overtime is verified centrally (time-tracking, payroll, or manager sign-off) before it's converted to time off

What this means for each role

Administrator: turns TOIL on, picks the self-service model, and decides which leave types it applies to. Owns the policy.
Approver: approves TOIL requests like any other leave, with visibility into who's earned what and when.
User: sees their TOIL balance alongside other quotas. If self-service is on, they submit TOIL for the dates they work overtime.

Common Questions

Yes. The Request TOIL form (under Request Leave) accepts past, today, and future dates, so you can add TOIL for overtime that is already planned.

Yes. TOIL supports hourly increments even if your other leave types are tracked in days. The two coexist; the User's profile shows TOIL in hours and other leave in days.

It can if your policy says so. Admins configure whether TOIL accumulates indefinitely, expires after a set window, or follows a custom rule. Set it the way your labor laws and company policy expect.

What's Next?

How Do I Enable / Configure TOIL? How Do I Request TOIL (Time Off in Lieu) / Comp Time? How Do I Add TOIL for a User?

Need help?

Regular Users: If you have any questions, email us anytime at hello@vacationtracker.io.
Admins and Approvers: You can reach us via live chat Monday to Friday, 9 AM – 5 PM EST, or email us anytime at hello@vacationtracker.io.

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