You are now ready to fill in the downloaded template. Please note that the example above is the policy assignment template, and you can find detailed information about all other time off import templates at the end of this article.

For the Policy Assignments template, enter the following data:

1. Employee Name: I have added this column to the template for reference purposes only. This column will not import.*
2. Employee #: The exact Employee # listed in BambooHR.*
3. Accrual Policy: The name of the time off policy (not the type category name).  You must enter the policy name exactly as it appears within BambooHR.
4. Time Off Category: The time off category associated with the policy.
5. Accrual Start: The date that you want the system to start accruing time off for an employee. For example, in row #2, Charlotte Abbott is being assigned the Vacation policy as of 1/1/2023. This means that the system will activate this policy and will start accruing as of 1/1/2023. Please note that dates must be in a format with the four-digit year.

After entering all of the appropriate data into the template, save the file as a .csv  or .txt file. It is then ready for import. (See importing steps above.)

For the opening balance template, enter the following data:

1. Employee Name: I have added this column to the template for reference purposes only. I will choose not to import this column at the time data is entered through the importer.
2. Employee #: The exact Employee # listed in BambooHR located on each employee's Personal Tab.*
3. Opening Balance: (Number field) For a positive amount, the number should be entered as shown in lines 2, 3, and 5. For a negative amount (i.e., someone who has currently used more vacation time than they have), enter a negative number as shown in line 4.
4. Time Off Category: The time off category that receives the amount listed in column C. The name of the type must match the name of the time off category within BambooHR.
5. Effective Date: (Date field) The opening balance date. For example, If I were to add an opening balance for an employee as of May 1, 2022, and then put 5/1/2022 in column E. Please note that dates must be in a format with the four-digit year (mm/dd/yyyy). *If you use a different date format in your account, the import will automatically switch the dates to the correct format upon importing the spreadsheet.

After entering all of the appropriate data into the template, save the file as a .csv or .txt (Unicode Text) file.

For the balance adjustments template, enter the following data:

1. Employee Name: I have added this column to the template for reference purposes only. This column will not import.
2. Employee #: The Employee # listed in BambooHR.*
3. Balance Adjustment:  You can add an amount of time by entering a positive number or subtract an amount of time by entering a negative number. Note that you do not enter the time unit label of days or hours in this cell.  The system already knows the appropriate information based on the type category.
4. Time Off Category: The time off category that receives the amount listed in column C. The name of the category must match the name of the time off category within BambooHR.
5. Comment: The note you want to appear with the balance adjustment.
6. Effective Date: (Date field) The date that associates with a Balance Adjustment entry.  Please note that dates must be in a format with the four-digit year.

After entering all of the appropriate data into the template, save the file as a .csv  or .txt (Unicode Text) file. It is then ready for import. (See importing steps above.)

This template allows you to import a group of time off requests into the system all at once.

For the PTO Requests template, enter the following data:

1. Employee Name: I have added this column to the template for reference purposes only. This column will not import.
2. Employee #: The exact Employee # listed in BambooHR.*
3. Date: The date of the time off request. If a request spans multiple days, you will need a separate line for each date in the request. Consecutive dates that span multiple rows in the spreadsheet will automatically group** as one request as long as they are of the same time off category. Note: Dates must be in a four-digit year format.
4. Time Off Category: The time off category that the request will subtract from. The name of the category must match the category name within BambooHR.
5. Amount Requested: The number of hours or days the employee will be taking off for the specific date(s) in the request. If the time off category tracks in days, the number cannot be greater than one. If the time off category tracks in hours, the number cannot be greater than 24. With this import, DO NOT enter a minus symbol in front of the time off request amount to indicate a negative amount ("-") because the system assumes that all values will deduct from the current existing balance. Do not enter days or hours in this field as the system automatically knows the time units based on the time off type category. (Note:  If you enter a minus symbol in front of an amount in the Amount Requested column, the system will add that time amount to the employee's balance.)
6. Note: The note associated with the time off request. If a request spans multiple days, the notes will compile together into one note. So if you have a request that covers multiple days, it is best to only add your note to the first day in the request, and it will apply to the entire request.

After entering all of the appropriate data into the template, save the file as a .csv  or .txt file. It is then ready for import. (See importing steps above.)