Why most FMLA spreadsheets break
The rolling 12-month method means the window moves every day, a static YEAR() formula silently goes wrong in January, and manually keyed…
The rolling 12-month method means the window moves every day, a static YEAR() formula silently goes wrong in January, and manually keyed "days used" numbers rot the first week someone's out. This file avoids both: the window derives from TODAY(), and hours derive from dates you enter once.
FAQ
Does it work in Google Sheets?
Yes, NETWORKDAYS, EDATE and SUMIFS all work in Sheets. Upload the file to Drive and open with Sheets.
Why is it free? What's the catch?
No catch: it's a useful file with our name on it. If you outgrow it, our online tools are right there.
Calendar-year method instead of rolling?
This file implements rolling-backward (the common one). For calendar-year, the online calculator supports both methods.
FMLA tracking spreadsheet: FAQ
What should an FMLA tracking spreadsheet actually include?
At minimum: a leave log (employee, dates, hours per day), automatic workday counting, a rolling 12-month window, and a per-employee balance summary. Our download includes all four, plus a READ ME tab explaining the rules it follows.
How do you track intermittent FMLA leave in Excel?
Log every partial day as its own row with the actual hours taken, in increments as small as one hour or less. The workbook sums those entries directly instead of assuming full 8-hour days, so short appointments are tracked as accurately as a full week off.
Does the spreadsheet handle military caregiver leave?
Military caregiver leave gets its own 26-week bank, tracked on a separate tab from the standard 12-week entitlement, since it runs on a different 12-month period and cap.
When does a spreadsheet stop being enough?
Once you're tracking more than a handful of employees, or need certification-deadline alerts and always-current history, a single workbook gets risky, one broken formula or overwritten cell and the balance is wrong. That's the point where dedicated software takes over.
How do the rolling formulas actually work?
SUMIFS formulas add up only the hours logged inside the trailing 12-month window, anchored to EDATE(TODAY(),-12), so the total recalculates automatically every time the file is opened, without anyone re-typing dates.
Why don't you ask for an email to download it?
Because most "free" FMLA templates from SHRM or HR vendors gate the actual file behind a signup form. Ours is a direct download, no email, no account, just the spreadsheet.