How it works
- In Leave rules, set the CO type: earned automatically or granted by HR only, the hours for a full day and for half a day, and the expiry days.
- With automatic earning on, ZeniaHR checks every morning, for the day before, who worked on a weekly off or holiday and for how long.
- Worked hours at or above the full-day figure earn 1 day; at or above the half-day figure earn half a day. The credit is dated the day worked.
- HR can also earn comp-off for everyone over a date range, or grant a credit to one person with the date worked and a note. A day is never credited twice.
- Employees see each credit with its expiry in My Self-Service and the app, and apply for CO like any other leave.
- Leave uses the credits that expire first. Unused credits lapse after the expiry days, recorded as a lapse entry on the ledger.
What you can set
- Comp-off is earned automatically, or granted by HR only.
- Hours worked for 1 day of comp-off: 8 by default.
- Hours worked for half a day of comp-off: 4 by default, always fewer than the full-day hours.
- Unused comp-off expires after N days; leave the box empty if it never expires. The recommended value is 60 days.
- CO leave rules like any other type: the recommended setup asks for 1 day's notice, allows no back-dating, never counts weekends and allows half days.
- Earn comp-off for these dates and Expire old comp-offs, on the Leave Ledger page, for catch-up runs.
- Overtime payout as comp-off, set in the overtime policy, so approved extra hours can land as a CO credit.
Why comp-off belongs in the system, not a register
Comp-off kept in a notebook or a WhatsApp group creates three problems: nobody knows the real balance, old credits are claimed months later, and a supervisor's promise becomes HR's dispute. When ZeniaHR earns comp-off from the same punches that drive attendance, the credit matches the hours actually worked. Expiry is applied by date, and the oldest credit is used first. Where rest-day work also takes someone beyond the prescribed working hours, the overtime rules apply, so read the working hours and overtime rules before settling extra hours with time off.
Worked example: a stock count and a holiday shift
Suresh supervises a warehouse in Bhiwandi with Sunday as his weekly off. The CO type uses the recommended values: 8 hours for a day, 4 for half a day, expiry after 60 days. On Friday 2 October 2026, Gandhi Jayanti, he works 5 hours, which earns half a day. On Sunday 4 October he works 9 hours for a stock count, which earns 1 day. His balance on Monday 5 October is 1.5 days.
The 2 October credit expires on 1 December and the 4 October credit on 3 December. On Monday 19 October he takes 1 day of comp-off. ZeniaHR uses the half day from 2 October first because it expires first, then half a day from the 4 October credit. The remaining half day stays available until 3 December and lapses the next day if unused.
Practical setup tips
Switch on automatic earning only where punches are reliable. For field staff who work a holiday without punching, grant the credit by hand with the date worked and a note naming the job. Tell employees the expiry rule when the credit is earned, not when it lapses. If you pay some rest-day work as overtime and repay some as comp-off, set the overtime payout to the employee's choice so each person decides once per request.
See comp-off management in a demo
We show it on a video call with your own shifts, leave types and rules. Free for your first 50 employees.
Book a free demoSee pricingFrequently asked questions
What is comp-off in HR?
Comp-off, or compensatory off, is a paid day off given to an employee who worked on a weekly off or holiday. Instead of extra pay, the employee earns leave to take later. In ZeniaHR comp-off is a separate CO leave balance with its own expiry, so it never mixes with casual or earned leave.
How many hours of work earn a full day of comp-off?
By default, 8 hours worked on a weekly off or holiday earn 1 day and 4 hours earn half a day. HR can change both figures in the CO leave rules, as long as the half-day figure stays below the full-day figure. Hours under the half-day figure earn nothing automatically, though HR can still grant a credit by hand.
Does unused comp-off expire?
Only if you set an expiry. The recommended setting is 60 days from the day worked; leaving the box empty means credits never expire. Employees see each credit's expiry date in My Self-Service, and when they take comp-off, the credit that expires first is used first.
Can HR give comp-off for a day with no punches?
Yes. On the Leave Ledger page HR picks the employee, enters the days, the date worked and a note, and grants the comp-off. If that date was already credited automatically, ZeniaHR tops it up to the days asked for instead of crediting it twice.