# Squadra HR vs a leave spreadsheet

A spreadsheet for balances and an inbox for approvals works for a while. This page is about the point where it stops working, and what moving off it involves.

## When a spreadsheet is enough

-   Everyone works the same full-time schedule
-   One person keeps the sheet and knows its formulas
-   Leave is approved face to face and written down the same day
-   Nobody needs a report the sheet can't produce

## Signs you have outgrown it

-   A part-timer or a four-day week breaks the pro-rata formula
-   Requests arrive by email and chat, and one gets missed
-   Carry-over and expiry at year end take an afternoon of checking
-   Someone asks who changed their balance, and there's no record
-   Pay, ID numbers and health notes sit in a file anyone with the link can open

## What changes after the move

| Topic | Spreadsheet and email | Squadra HR |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Balances | A formula someone maintains | A ledger of dated entries, posted every night |
| Approvals | Email, chat or a word in the corridor | A request to the line manager, approved on a phone |
| Who changed what | File history, if anyone looks | An append-only audit log |
| Sensitive fields | Visible to anyone who opens the file | Encrypted, and shown only to the person and HR |
| Cost | Free, plus the hours spent checking it | Free up to 3 employees, then per employee |

## Send us the sheet

We load your people and opening balances and check them with you. Free for up to 3 employees.