Usage

Welcome to BookYourPTO Cloud. Follow this guide to create your organization, manage users, and configure leave policies.

First Time Setup

Create Your Organization

1. Navigate to https://app.bookyourpto.com
2. Click Register to create the first administrator account
3. Fill in your organization details:
   • Organization name
   • Admin email and password
   • Time zone and country (for holiday detection)

Configure Leave Types

BookYourPTO includes 8+ pre-configured leave types, including:

• Annual Leave
• Sick Leave
• Maternity/Paternity Leave
• Unpaid Leave
• Remote Work Days
• Custom leave types

Navigate to Settings > Leave Types to enable, disable, or customize leave types for your organization.

Managing Users

Adding Users

Users are added one at a time:

1. Go to Users > Add User
2. Enter employee details (name, email, department, role)
3. Set initial leave balance
4. Click Create User

User Roles

BookYourPTO supports five role levels:

• Employee: Can request leave and view their own records
• Department Head: Can approve department-wide requests
• HR: Full access to leave records and reporting
• Administrator: Complete system access including organization settings

Leave Management

Requesting Time Off

Employees can submit leave requests by:

1. Navigating to Calendar or Dashboard
2. Clicking Request Leave
3. Selecting leave type, dates, and duration (full, half, or quarter-day)
4. Adding optional notes
5. Submitting for approval

Approval Workflows

Configure multi-level approval chains in Settings > Workflows:

Employee → Department Head → Administrator

You can customize approval paths based on:

• Leave type (e.g., sick leave requires only department head approval)
• Duration
• Department structure

Balance Tracking

Leave balances are automatically calculated based on:

• Accrual schedules: Monthly, yearly, or custom
• Carry-forward policies: How unused leave transfers to next year
• Expiry rules: When unused leave expires

Configure these in Settings > Leave Policies.

Calendar Integration

Connect Google Calendar

1. Go to Settings > Integrations
2. Click Connect Google Calendar
3. Authorize BookYourPTO to access your calendar
4. Approved leave will automatically sync as calendar events

Connect Outlook

1. Go to Settings > Integrations
2. Click Connect Outlook
3. Sign in with your Microsoft account
4. Calendar events will be created for approved leave

Branding & White-Labeling

Customize your organization's appearance:

1. Go to Settings > Branding
2. Upload custom logos (light and dark mode)
3. Configure custom domain (requires DNS setup)

Reporting and Analytics

Generate Reports

Access reports from Reports section:

• Leave balance reports (by department, user, or leave type)
• Approval history and audit trails
• Team availability forecasts
• Trend analysis (peak leave periods)

Export Options

All reports can be exported in:

• CSV format (for Excel/Google Sheets)
• PDF format (for printing or sharing)
• JSON format (for custom integrations)

Email Notifications

Notification Types

BookYourPTO sends automated emails for:

• Leave request submissions
• Approval/rejection notifications
• Balance low warnings
• Upcoming leave reminders
• Approval timeout escalations

Customize email templates in Settings > Email Templates.

Security Best Practices

Access Control

• Review user roles quarterly
• Disable inactive user accounts
• Enable two-factor authentication (if available)
• Monitor audit logs for suspicious activity

Data Retention

Configure data retention policies in Settings > Compliance:

• How long to keep historical leave records
• Audit log retention period
• User data deletion policies (GDPR compliance)

Getting Help

• Documentation: Browse this documentation site
• In-app help: Use the help option inside BookYourPTO, or contact your organization's administrator
• Support: Visit forum.bookyourpto.com for support