Leave quotas for fitness staff
Many studios keep casual leave, sick leave and earned leave plus leave without pay, with comp-off for events worked on weekly offs. The law sets the floor for earned leave: staff who put in at least 180 days of work in a calendar year earn one paid day for every 20 days worked, and can carry unused leave forward up to 30 days; see the leave rules. Some gyms go above the floor to keep good trainers, for example 1.5 days of EL a month, which is 18 a year.
Half days that fit the split shift
For a trainer on a split shift, a half day usually means dropping either the morning block or the evening block. ZeniaHR lets leave be applied as a first-half or second-half half day, so write into your policy that first half means the morning block and second half means the evening block. A trainer can then sit a certification exam in the morning or attend a family function in the evening without losing a full day of leave.
Peak months and PT client cover
January, the weeks before summer and the pre-wedding months are when new members join and need the most attention. Restrict EL of more than three days in those weeks through a longer notice period and a shorter maximum spell in the leave rules, and tell staff in November. When a personal trainer applies for leave, the club manager checks who will take each client's sessions before approving; the session changes themselves are made in the gym's booking software, not in ZeniaHR.
Comp-off for events on weekly offs
Fitness challenges, society events and marathon camps often fall on Sundays. A trainer who works one on a weekly off earns comp-off, which ZeniaHR either picks up from the worked day on its own or HR adds by hand for the event. Each credit has an expiry, so plan it into a quiet weekday within the following weeks. The Leave Ledger shows every credit, use and lapse, which settles arguments about who is owed what after a busy season.
How to set it up in ZeniaHR
- Edit the default CL, EL and SL quotas and import each studio's opening balances through Data Import.
- Set EL notice and maximum days per spell, and tighten both before January and the pre-summer season.
- Allow half days on CL and EL, and define first half and second half in your policy for split-shift trainers.
- Make the club manager each trainer's reporting manager, so leave reaches them before HR.
- Set comp-off expiry, and grant comp-off by hand after weekend events that were not rostered.
Read more about leave management in ZeniaHR.
Roles this applies to
See leave management for gyms and fitness studios in a demo
We set up your locations, shifts and rules on a video call and show it running for your team. Free for your first 50 employees.
Book a free demoSee pricingFrequently asked questions
How much leave do gym trainers get?
Each gym sets its own quota within the law, which gives staff who work at least 180 days in a calendar year one paid day of earned leave for every 20 days worked. A policy might, for example, offer 12 days of CL, 6 of SL and 18 of EL a year, plus comp-off for events on weekly offs.
Can a gym restrict trainers' leave in January?
Many gyms limit long leave in January and before summer through notice periods and maximum spell rules, while keeping sick and emergency leave open. Announce the rule well before the season, explain why, and give trainers first choice of leave in the quieter months that follow.
What happens to PT sessions when a trainer is on leave?
The club manager arranges cover before approving the leave: sessions are moved to other days with the client's agreement or handed to another trainer for that period. The changes are made in the gym's booking software, and the session payout goes to whoever delivers the session, as the incentive policy states.