Whole or partial shift absence
Record an entire missed shift or only the portion the employee could not work.
Employee absence management software for every type of absence FlowRota absence management
Record full or partial shift absence, ongoing absence periods and paid or unpaid lateness in one connected system.
Create custom absence types, apply the correct pay treatment, review employee self-reports and issue return-to-work forms with the relevant records attached. Absence scores and detailed reporting help teams understand attendance while giving payroll clearer information.
included for £1 per user per month
Record absence at the level it actually happens
Not every absence is a full day. Someone may miss part of a shift, arrive late, be absent for a fixed block of dates or remain away without a known return date. FlowRota gives each situation an appropriate record while keeping absence type, pay treatment, manager review and reporting connected.
A more complete employee absence record
FlowRota brings short, long, planned and employee-reported absence into one process. Managers get clearer records without forcing every attendance issue into the same format.
Custom absence types
Create the categories your organisation needs and use them consistently across shift and period records.
Flexible absence pay
Apply no pay, half pay or full hourly pay to the recorded absence period according to its type.
Employee self-reporting
Let users report absence against a scheduled shift, ready for a manager to review.
Return-to-work records
Issue a tailored form with the relevant absences attached and store the employee’s completed response.
Reporting for payroll
Bring absence duration, type and pay treatment into reports for a clearer payroll check.
Mark a scheduled shift wholly or partially absent
Shift absence keeps the attendance record tied to the staff rota . Managers can mark the whole shift absent or record only the period that was missed.
Preserve both the scheduled work and the absence detail
A shift can show that the employee was absent throughout, left part-way through or missed only a defined portion. The absence is assigned to a custom type and the relevant period can be paid at zero, half or the full value of the employee’s hourly rate.
Features- Full-shift or partial-shift absence
- Custom absence type assigned to the record
- 0×, 0.5× or 1× the employee’s hourly rate
- Paid or unpaid lateness recorded separately
- Employee self-reporting with manager review
- Keep absence connected to the scheduled shift
- Represent short absences without losing worked time
- Give payroll a clearer basis for absence pay
How employee-reported absence moves into manager review
Employees can report an absence against work already scheduled for them, while managers retain control over the reviewed record.
The shift is scheduled
The published rota gives the employee a clear shift against which an absence can be reported.
The employee reports absence
The user selects their scheduled shift and submits the absence rather than relying on an unstructured message.
A manager reviews it
The manager checks the self-reported absence and confirms the appropriate type, duration and pay treatment.
The record feeds reporting
Once reviewed, the absence stays connected to the shift and appears in reports that can support payroll.
Self-reporting does not bypass approval.
Employees can provide the information promptly, while managers keep
the review step needed for consistent absence and pay records.
Track blocks of absence, including ongoing periods
Absence periods work in a similar way to leave periods , but are built for time away caused by absence. Use a fixed date range when the duration is known or leave the period ongoing until the employee returns.
Record a defined block
Add a start and end to capture a continuous absence across multiple days without editing every scheduled shift separately.
Features- Start and end dates for the absence
- One record covering the complete period
- Custom absence type assignment
- Absence pay rate attached to the period
- Duration available for reporting
Benefit: Give managers one continuous record for an absence spanning more than one working day.
Keep an absence ongoing
When the return date is not yet known, the period can remain open. FlowRota updates its duration as time passes until the absence is ended.
Features- No return date required at the outset
- Duration increases while the period remains ongoing
- End the period when the employee returns
- Current absence visible to managers
- Same custom type and pay-rate options
Benefit: Avoid guessing an end date or repeatedly extending a fixed record during longer-term absence.
Apply consistent types and pay
Assign the same custom absence types used for shifts and choose whether the recorded time is unpaid, paid at half the employee’s hourly rate or paid at their full hourly rate.
Features- Organisation-specific absence categories
- 0× hourly rate for unpaid absence
- 0.5× hourly rate for half-pay absence
- 1× hourly rate for full-pay absence
- Consistent treatment across absence records
Benefit: Make the intended payroll treatment visible on the record rather than interpreting it later from notes.
Record the right absence pay and keep lateness separate
FlowRota distinguishes between time missed through absence and a late arrival. Both can carry the pay treatment selected by the business, creating a clearer record for employees, managers and payroll.
Shift absence pay
Apply the rate attached to the absence type to the wholly or partially missed section of a scheduled shift.
Available treatment
0×, 0.5× or 1× the employee’s hourly rate for the absence period.
Absence-period pay
Use the selected absence type and rate across a fixed or ongoing period, keeping the pay instruction attached to the longer record.
Available treatment
0×, 0.5× or 1× the employee’s hourly rate for the recorded period.
Paid or unpaid lateness
Mark the shift late and record whether the period of lateness is paid or unpaid instead of treating every delayed arrival as a larger absence.
Why it helps
Managers can see the attendance exception and its pay treatment without losing the rest of the worked shift.
Pay treatment follows the relevant record.
This makes it easier to understand how a short absence, longer
period or late start should be handled when payroll is reviewed.
Issue and store return-to-work forms in FlowRota
Replace disconnected documents and follow-up messages with a form linked to the employee’s actual absence. Administrators define the questions, managers issue the form and employees submit their answers through FlowRota.
Administrators set the questions
Build the organisation’s return-to-work questions in the admin panel so managers issue a consistent form after absence.
Features- Custom return-to-work questions
- Central setup in the admin panel
- One repeatable form structure
- Questions ready for managers to issue
Managers attach the absence records
When issuing a form, the manager attaches the relevant shift absences or absence periods so the request has the right context.
Features- One or more absence records attached
- Shift and period absence supported
- Form issued directly to the returning employee
- Clear link between the form and time away
Employees respond and the completed form stays on record
The employee fills in the questions after returning from absence. Their completed response is stored in FlowRota rather than being left in an inbox, paper file or separate form system.
Benefits- Give the employee a clear action to complete
- Keep the response with the relevant absence context
- Provide managers with a consistent follow-up record
Give employees visibility over their absence score rank
Users can see their own absence score ranking and how they compare with other staff in their teams. The visibility can encourage reliable attendance and help deter avoidable absence.
Use rankings as context, not a verdict
An absence score can make an attendance pattern easier to understand, but it should not be the sole basis for a decision. Managers should consider the underlying records, approved leave, disability-related absence, individual circumstances and the organisation’s attendance policy before taking action.
Clear scheduling and attendance records work together. Read how shift cost and duration are calculated when reviewing how absence affects the hours attached to a shift.
Choose the absence record that matches what happened
Shift absence, absence periods and lateness each solve a different recording problem.
| Method | How it works | Practical advantage |
|---|---|---|
| Shift absence | Marks all or part of a specific scheduled shift as absent. | Best for a missed shift or a defined section of work, with custom type and absence pay attached. |
| Absence period | Records a block of absence with fixed dates or leaves it ongoing while the return date is unknown. | Best for absence spanning multiple days or an uncertain duration. |
| Shift lateness | Marks a scheduled shift late and records whether the delayed period is paid or unpaid. | Best for a delayed start where the employee still works the rest of the shift. |
Bring every absence record into reports for payroll
FlowRota reports across shift absence, absence periods and lateness so payroll does not have to reconstruct time away from messages, spreadsheets and separate forms.
Absence duration
See the time missed through a partial shift, full shift or longer absence period.
Absence type
Group records by the custom categories used by the organisation instead of deciphering free-text notes.
Pay treatment
Report whether the relevant absence period uses no pay, half pay or the employee’s full hourly rate.
Lateness
Include paid and unpaid lateness so delayed starts can be reviewed separately from other forms of absence.
Connect absence management with rotas, leave and attendance guidance
Attendance makes more sense alongside the work that was planned and other time away. These pages add useful context for scheduling, approved leave, predictable rotas and last-minute cover.
Frequently asked questions about absence management software
What absence records can FlowRota manage?
FlowRota can record full or partial shift absence, blocks of absence as absence periods, ongoing absence periods and paid or unpaid lateness. Records can be assigned to custom absence types.
Can absence cover only part of a shift?
Yes. A scheduled shift can be marked wholly or partially absent, allowing the record to reflect the part of the shift the employee missed.
Can different absence types use different pay rates?
Yes. Custom absence types can be paid at zero, half or the full value of the employee’s hourly rate for the recorded absence period.
Can an absence period be ongoing?
Yes. An absence period can remain ongoing when the return date is not yet known. Its duration updates as time passes until the period is ended.
Can employees report their own absence?
Yes. Employees can self-report absence against their scheduled shifts. A manager can then review the submitted record.
How does shift lateness work?
A shift can be marked late and the lateness recorded as paid or unpaid, keeping delayed starts separate from other absence records.
How do return-to-work forms work?
Administrators set the form questions in the admin panel. A manager issues the form with the relevant shift or period absence records attached, the employee completes it, and the response is stored in FlowRota.
What are absence score rankings?
Users can see their absence score rank and how it compares with other staff in their teams. This provides a visible attendance measure that can help encourage reliable attendance when used fairly and with appropriate context.
Does absence reporting support payroll?
Yes. FlowRota includes absence records in reports so managers and payroll teams can review absence duration, type and the applicable pay treatment.
How much does FlowRota cost?
FlowRota costs £1 per user per month after a 30-day free trial. No credit card is required to start the trial. Visit the pricing page for full details.
Try absence management with your own team
Create custom absence types, record shift and period absence, test employee self-reporting and build a return-to-work form. The trial is free for 30 days, no credit card is required, and continued access costs just £1 per user per month.
Start your free trial