ABCDEFGHIJKLMNOPQRSTUVWXYZ
1
2026 GLOBAL HOLIDAY PLANNING TEMPLATE - USER GUIDE

QUICK START (5 MINUTES)

Step 1: Select Your Country
1. Click on cell B1 (the dropdown menu)
2. Choose your primary country from the list
3. Holiday dates and names will automatically populate in rows 2-3

Step 2: Add Your Team
1. In column A (starting from row 4), type your employee names:
- Row 4: "John Smith"
- Row 5: "Sarah Johnson"
- Row 6: "Mike Chen"
- Continue for all team members

Step 3: Plan Holiday Coverage
For each employee and holiday, enter one of these options:
- WORK - Employee is scheduled to work
- OFF - Employee has the day off
- HOLIDAY - Employee is taking holiday leave
- SICK - Employee called in sick (for tracking)

Step 4: Review Your Planning
- Scan across each holiday column to ensure adequate coverage
- Look for columns with too many "OFF" entries
- Make adjustments as needed for business continuity

ADDING MULTIPLE COUNTRIES

For multinational companies with teams in different countries, create separate sheets for each location.

How to Duplicate the Planning Sheet:

In Google Sheets:
1. Right-click on the "Country Planner" tab at the bottom
2. Select "Duplicate"
3. Rename the new tab (e.g., "UK Team Planner")
4. In the new sheet, change cell B1 to your second country
5. Add the relevant team members for that location

In Excel:
1. Right-click on the "Country Planner" tab
2. Select "Move or Copy..."
3. Check "Create a copy" box
4. Click OK
5. Rename the new tab and update country selection

Organizing Multiple Country Sheets:
- USA Team - For US employees
- UK Team - For UK employees
- India Team - For India employees
- Global Team - For international holidays affecting all locations

PRO TIPS FOR HR MANAGERS

Smart Planning Strategies:
- Plan 6 months ahead - Give employees advance notice
- Rotate holiday coverage - Ensure fairness across the team
- Consider business impact - Some holidays affect operations more than others
- Account for cultural differences - Religious holidays vary by employee background

Using the Template Effectively:
1. Start with major holidays (Christmas, New Year's) that need guaranteed coverage
2. Fill in voluntary coverage for smaller holidays
3. Color-code entries for easy visual scanning:
- Green = WORK
- Red = OFF
- Yellow = HOLIDAY
4. Save monthly versions to track changes over time

Coverage Planning Rules:
- Minimum staffing: Ensure you meet operational requirements
- Cross-training: Have backup staff for critical roles
- Emergency contacts: Keep a list of employees willing to work extra shifts
- Holiday pay policies: Factor in overtime costs for holiday workers

TROUBLESHOOTING

If holidays don't appear:
- Check that your country name matches exactly what's in the dropdown
- Make sure you're selecting from the dropdown, not typing manually
- Verify the "2026 Holidays" sheet contains data for your selected country

If formulas show errors:
- Don't edit rows 2-3 (these contain the automatic formulas)
- If you accidentally delete a formula, copy it from an adjacent cell
- Contact support if you need help restoring the template

For technical issues:
- Make sure you're using a recent version of Google Sheets or Excel
- Check your internet connection for Google Sheets
- Try refreshing the page if data doesn't load

NEED MORE HELP?

This template is provided by LeaveTrack - the complete staff leave management solution.

Ready for automated holiday planning?
- Visit leavetrackapp.com to see how we can streamline your entire leave management process
- Get automatic holiday updates, approval workflows, and team calendar integration
- Free trial available for teams of any size

Questions about this template?
- Email: leavetrack-support@proton.me
- More free HR resources: leavetrackapp.com/resources

© 2026 LeaveTrack. This template is free for business use. Please credit LeaveTrack when sharing.
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
12
13
14
15
16
17
18
19
20
21
22
23
24
25
26
27
28
29
30
31
32
33
34
35
36
37
38
39
40
41
42
43
44
45
46
47
48
49
50
51
52
53
54
55
56
57
58
59
60
61
62
63
64
65
66
67
68
69
70
71
72
73
74
75
76
77
78
79
80
81
82
83
84
85
86
87
88
89
90
91
92
93
94
95
96
97
98
99
100