Does approving require the manager to learn a new tool?

No — they just type 'approved' into the Status column of a Google Sheet they can already see.

How fast does the calendar block happen after approval?

Within 30 minutes, on the poll cycle. You can shorten that interval in the schedule trigger if needed.

HR & RecruitingStructurally Validated

Employee Time-Off Approval

An employee submits a time-off request through a simple form — it's logged, and the manager gets a Slack ping. When the manager marks the request 'approved' in the sheet, a second automated check (running every 30 minutes) picks it up, blocks the dates on the team calendar, and emails the employee their confirmation — no manual calendar work.

Automation flow

Step 1

Time-Off Request Webhook

Captures the employee's request from a form.

Step 2

Log Request

Saved to a sheet with status 'pending'.

Step 3

Notify Manager

Slack message asks the manager to approve or reject.

Step 4

Poll for Approvals

Every 30 minutes, checks for rows marked 'approved'.

Step 5

Block Calendar & Notify

Approved dates are blocked on the team calendar and the employee is emailed.

Services used

Google SheetsGoogle CalendarGmailSlack

What you'll need

| Tool | Cost | Why | |---|---|---| | n8n Cloud or self-hosted | Free tier works | Runs the automation | | Google account (Sheets, Calendar, Gmail) | Free | Request log, approval state, calendar block | | Slack workspace | Free tier works | Notifies the manager |

What's included

Manager approves with a single sheet edit — no separate app
Calendar block happens automatically on approval
Employee gets both a receipt and an approval confirmation
Full request history stays in one sheet

Estimate what this could save you

Times per week

Minutes each time

Your hourly value ($)

3.6 hours/month

≈ $108/month in your time

A rough estimate based on what you enter above — not a guarantee. Actual time saved depends on your process.

Works well with this automation

Candidate Interview Scheduler

Finds the first open slot on the interviewer's calendar within a candidate's availability window and books it automatically.

$15

Onboarding Paperwork Tracker

New hires get an auto-generated checklist, and HR gets reminded if anything's outstanding near start date.

$15

Ad Platform Lead Router

Meta/LinkedIn Lead Ads leads are instantly logged, auto-replied to, and pushed to sales on Slack.

$22

Save with the complete system: HR & Recruiting Bundle

Instead of buying separately: $98 — System: $39

View system

Questions about this template

$15one-time

Secure checkout via Polar. Delivered by email instantly.

Structurally validated: automatically checked for valid n8n format before every deploy.

Difficulty: Medium
Setup time: ~15 min
Integrations: 4
Node count: 12
Format: .json + guide