Manage holiday requests without clashes or confusion

Step by step

1. Create the request form

   Make a Google Form with: name (dropdown of staff), first day off, last day off, type of leave (holiday, unpaid, other) and an optional note. Turn on email notifications for new responses.

2. Set up the sheet with AI help

   Link the form to a Google Sheet, then ask your AI assistant for the formulas you need.

   Prompt to copyMy Google Sheet of holiday requests has these columns: A Timestamp, B Name, C First day, D Last day, E Leave type, F Note. Give me beginner-friendly, step-by-step instructions to: 1) add column G 'Working days' that counts weekdays between C and D (using NETWORKDAYS), 2) add column H 'Status' with a dropdown of Pending, Approved, Declined, 3) highlight a row orange if its dates overlap with another Approved request, using a custom formula in conditional formatting, 4) make a summary tab showing each person's approved days so far this year against an allowance of [number] days. Give the exact formulas and say where to paste them.

3. Make a shared team calendar

   Create a separate Google Calendar called Team holidays and share it with staff as view-only.

4. Approve and add to the calendar

   When an alert arrives, check for orange clashes, set the Status, reply to the person, and add approved leave as an all-day event on the team calendar.

5. Check balances monthly

   Look at the summary tab once a month and remind anyone who has lots of leave left.

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