Reduce or spread: choosing the right leave setting
Workzilla gives you two ways to handle leave in target calculations — Reduce and Spread. Neither is wrong. This article explains what each one means in practice so you can make the right call for your firm.
The choice between Reduce and Spread reflects a deliberate decision about how your firm treats leave in relation to performance. Getting it right means your targets are fair, your staff understand the expectation, and your reporting reflects reality. The same logic applies to public holidays — both settings work identically for leave and public holiday handling.
Marcus Reid runs a four-person firm with tight margins. In agreement with his staff, he sets targets that already account for leave — effectively spreading the cost of time off across every period evenly. The calculation happens outside Workzilla: Marcus works out the annual target adjusted for expected leave and public holidays, divides it into equal portions, and enters those figures manually. Staff know that if they take leave, their portfolio should be in order and their files should be able to progress in their absence. The target does not change; the expectation is built in.
Marcus' firm has grown to 20 staff and his margins have improved. One staff member taking leave is no longer a cashflow event. He switches to Reduce, allowing Workzilla to adjust targets down when leave is taken. In a full month of work, the target is higher. In a month where a staff member takes leave, it can be nil.
There is no universal right answer — the best setting is the one that matches how your firm thinks about performance and leave. Both options are there to give you control, and both can be changed at any time.