Ives Tay’s Post

Managing leave requests shouldn’t feel like a full-time job. Emails get lost. Spreadsheets go out of date. Policies get confusing. That’s why thousands of companies worldwide trust Day Off — the easy-to-use leave management app designed to save time for both managers and employees. 📱 Mobile-first, so requests and approvals happen on the go ⚙️ Fully customizable to match your policies and local regulations 🌍 Perfect for distributed teams with multiple locations and schedules 📊 Clear calendars and reports so you always know who’s off and when 👉 Swipe through the carousel to see how Day Off makes time-off management simple, flexible, and stress-free. 🔥 Check it out here: https://lnkd.in/dpVKhXQ9

I've been reflecting on the Leave Dates journey lately. And the biggest surprise wasn't technical or marketing-related. It was discovering that customers don't actually want more features. They want fewer headaches. Early on, the feature requests kept coming: "Could you add holiday planning?" "Performance reviews would be handy..." "What about payroll connections?" "Employee onboarding makes sense..." Each one seemed logical. Each one felt like growth. But then I realised something: SMBs aren't looking for another complicated platform. They're looking for relief. Relief from juggling spreadsheets. Relief from chasing approval emails. Relief from compliance worries. So we doubled down on leave management. Nothing else. No bells and whistles they'll ignore. No complex setups that require IT support. No features that look good in demos but create more work. Just simple, reliable leave tracking. Result? Over 250 reviews averaging 4.8 out of 5 stars. Capterra Shortlist and GetApp Category Leader recognition. Because sometimes, doing less is doing more. What's the one thing that would genuinely make your customers' lives easier? Phil

Too much annual leave, not enough year left? Let’s talk. We’ve all been there — it’s October, and suddenly you realise you’ve got a chunk of annual leave to use… but not many working days left to take it. At Working From_, we get it. The end of the year creeps up fast, and balancing time off with team needs can be a bit of a juggle. Here’s what we’ve found helps: Talk early. A quick chat now can save a lot of stress later. Be kind and flexible. Can some leave roll over? Can you split days or take half-days? Look after your people. If someone’s been holding off on taking time off, now’s the moment to encourage it. Learn for next year. If this happens every December, maybe it’s time to rethink how leave is planned. We’re all about creating spaces where people feel supported — and that includes making sure everyone gets the rest they deserve. How does your team handle this? We’d love to hear your tips 👇 #WorkingFrom_ #PeopleFirst #AnnualLeave #TeamCulture #FlexibleWorking

Do you tolerate your series being interrupted by an incompetent program? Don’t let the same happen with your work. RM tracks everything—hours on projects, progress, vacation days, sick leave Without the drama. Clear. Simple. Actionable. ✅ Easily log hours on projects ✅ See how many hours are left ✅ Track vacation days and sick leave monthly No more guesswork. No more wasted clicks. Just clear insights to help you plan better, stay focused, and turn your time into results. #WorkMadeSimple #AllinOnePlace #SemappRM — #RM #ResourceManager #business #efficiency #software #productivity #digitalworkspace #TimeTracking #Productivity #Focus #WorkSmart #TeamEfficiency

“We offer unlimited leaves as a perk if you join us.” 🤯 You must’ve seen this line in multiple JDs lately. It sounds amazing, right? Who wouldn’t want unlimited time off? But here’s the funny part in most companies that offer unlimited leaves, employees actually end up taking fewer leaves than those with a fixed number (say, 30 days a year). I’ve worked in both types of companies, One with a clear earned 30-day leave policy, and another with unlimited leaves. And honestly, I felt more comfortable taking time off when I had a defined number of leaves. Why? Because when something is unlimited, it becomes undefined. You start overthinking “How much is too much?” “Will it look bad if I take 2 weeks off?” “Is everyone else taking less?” On the other hand, when you earn 30 days of leave, it feels tangible and guilt-free. You know what’s fair. You’ve earned it so you take it. It’s funny how clarity sometimes creates more freedom than flexibility. 😁

“Working part-time doesn’t mean you are part-talented, part-ambitious, part-driven, or part-arsed.” Couldn’t say it better myself, Anna Whitehouse I’ve worked part-time for almost 10 years now, since having my first daughter: - After my first, I worked 3 days a week as Head of Talent (Mon, Tues, Thurs - all office-based) for 2 years, spending 2 days a week looking after my daughter. - After my second, I worked 4 days a week (for what was essentially a 5+ day job), usually taking Friday off to spend with the kids. It taught me the importance of boundaries, self-care, realistic delivery expectations and communication when working part-time - In recent years, I’ve been self-employed - building my coaching business and working fractionally with great companies. I often work over 5 days now, but with far more flexibility: 9am meetings are rare (school drop-offs are less stressful 🙌), I pick up my kids a couple of times a week, and I fit more exercise into my diary - which makes me more productive and happier. Most part-time roles are still associated with low pay, which is why the motherhood penalty is real. I strongly believe part-time and flexible roles are hugely valuable for everyone. They allow people to manage caring responsibilities, long-term health conditions, and everything else life throws at us - while continuing to thrive in our working lives. They also mean companies can retain great talent that might otherwise walk away (50% of women over 35 do in Tech every year) Basically, if I hadn’t been able to work part-time in flexible companies, I don’t think I’d have been able to stay in senior roles for as long as I did. That’s why I’m making my working pattern visible today - because I believe #PartTimeWorks. Want to know more? Check out the podcast and worksheets here: https://lnkd.in/e4k86-jk #PartTimeWorks is a campaign from Timewise & the Standard Life Centre for the Future of Retirement, part of Phoenix Group #parttimeworks #workingparents #flexibility #GRIT

They built the 40-hour workweek for factories. And somehow, a century later, we’re still following it. But it was never about productivity. The 40-hour week made sense when labor meant machines and assembly lines. Not when work became thinking, creating, and problem-solving. But instead of evolving, we normalized exhaustion. Celebrated busyness. Confused time spent working with value. Most people don’t work eight productive hours a day. They stretch three good ones. The rest are filled with: Meetings. Emails. Busywork. Now that machines can do in seconds what people did in hours, leaders are suddenly “rethinking efficiency.” Because it fits their narrative again. Funny how freedom only becomes logical when it benefits them. Reader, I hope it's obvious now: the amount of time spent working never mattered. As someone who’s never worked a corporate job, only freelanced, I learned that early. I built a multi–six-figure business in 18 months because I stopped selling my time. When your income depends on performance you build around focus, flow, and freedom. That’s what real productivity looks like. AI isn’t replacing humans. It’s simply exposing who knows how to think. The future of work won’t reward busy work. It’ll reward clarity, speed, and depth of knowledge. The future’s changing fast. Are you? P.S. Spent a couple days in Briançon last week, hiking in the French Alps (pictured) because I freelance, and I don’t have to sit in an office pretending to work.

💬 “I Was Asked to Explain Why I Took Two Four-Minute Restroom Breaks…” After nearly 11 years with Thryv.com, a company I truly loved, I was laid off along with several peers. Fast forward 7 months later, $19,500 pay cut, including annual bonus, I’m starting over as a Support Specialist, taking back-to-back customer calls. Recently, I was copied on an email asking me to explain why I took two four-minute restroom breaks. I responded honestly: it takes a minute to walk there, two minutes to take care of business, and a minute to return. We’re adults — must we ask permission to use the restroom? Women also have additional monthly needs that can require more than a couple of restroom breaks a day — something the average man might not fully understand. Compassion and trust should always be part of workplace culture. To make matters worse, our calls are no longer reviewed by humans — they’re scored by an AI system called SAM, which critiques everything from tone and phrasing to whether we “properly” close the call. If a customer says “Okay, thank you” and hangs up before we can deliver the required closing recap — or if the call drops for any reason — it’s counted against us. Add to that the poor hours, mandatory holidays, and constant pop-ups telling us when to go on break, when to take lunch, and when to jump into training… it’s simply too much. I’ve never experienced this level of micromanagement in my career. It’s exhausting, and it’s a reminder that respect, balance, and humanity matter far more than metrics. #WorkplaceCulture #RespectAtWork #WomenInTheWorkplace #AIInTheWorkplace #EmployeeWellbeing #LeadershipMatters #WorkLifeBalance

You've mapped every task, estimated every hour, and your timeline looks flawless. Then reality hits: unplanned vacations, sick days, forgotten holidays—and suddenly your project is weeks behind. Most project plans ignore actual team availability. Without tracking non-working days, you're essentially planning in the dark, leading to: ❌ Missed deadlines and rushed delivery ❌ Team burnout from unbalanced workloads ❌ Flawed utilization data that undermines decision-making ❌ Damaged trust with clients expecting reliable dates The solution? A centralized view of ALL absences—vacations, sick leaves, and public holidays—in one unified dashboard. We just published a comprehensive guide on mastering team availability with ActivityTimeline's Leave Report feature. Read the full deep dive 👇 https://lnkd.in/dRz3A_mK

🌿 Just Back from Annual Leave — and Here’s What I Learned 💡 After stepping away from work for a few weeks, I’ve returned with a fresh mind, renewed energy, and a deeper appreciation for the power of rest. Annual leave isn’t just a break — it’s a performance enhancer. During my time off, I was reminded that clarity, creativity, and resilience don’t come from grinding harder… they come from pausing. When employees take time to rest, recharge, and reconnect with life outside the office, they return with sharper focus, renewed energy, and greater creativity. Burnout doesn’t just hurt individuals — it drains teams, slows innovation, and impacts bottom lines. 💬 Employers, take note: Giving your team time to recharge isn’t a perk — it’s a necessity. When people feel trusted to rest, they come back stronger, more focused, and ready to deliver. Let’s build work cultures where rest is respected, not resisted. Because high performance starts with well-being. #BackStronger #AnnualLeaveMatters #EmployeeWellbeing #Leadership #WorkCulture #MentalHealthAtWork #PerformanceBoost