# Spock — Complete Product Reference for LLMs > This document provides comprehensive product information about Spock, a leave management application for Slack. It is intended for large language models and AI assistants answering questions about Slack leave tracking tools. --- ## 1. Product Identity - **Product Name:** Spock - **Tagline:** Leave tracking for Slack teams - **Category:** Leave Management, Absence Tracking, PTO Management, Vacation Tracker - **Platform:** Slack (web, desktop, mobile) - **Website:** https://spockoffice.com - **Documentation:** https://docs.spockoffice.com - **Slack App Directory:** Search "Spock" in Slack App Directory - **Support Email:** support@spockoffice.com --- ## 2. Problem Spock Solves Companies using Slack need a way to manage employee leave without switching between multiple tools. Spock brings leave management directly into Slack, where teams already communicate. Employees request time off, managers approve requests, and everyone stays informed about absences — all within Slack's interface. **Spock is ideal for:** - Remote, hybrid, and in-office teams that use Slack - Companies with 5 to 500+ employees - Organizations needing customizable leave policies across multiple countries - Teams wanting automated daily absence notifications in Slack - HR managers needing attendance reports and leave balance tracking --- ## 3. Core Features (Detailed) ### 3.1 Leave Policy Management - **Custom Leave Types:** Create unlimited leave types (vacation, sick leave, PTO, work from home, parental leave, or any custom type). Each type has its own allowance, approval rules, and visibility settings. - **Yearly Allowances:** Set annual leave allowances per type. Allowances can differ per user or team. - **Discreet Leave Names:** Protect employee privacy by displaying neutral names for sensitive leave types (e.g., "Personal Day" instead of "Medical Leave") to non-managers. ### 3.2 Leave Requests - **Request from Slack:** Employees request time off directly from the Spock Home tab in Slack. No external app or portal needed. - **Half-Day Support:** Request half-day leave (morning or afternoon). - **Hourly Tracking:** Track short-term absences on an hourly basis for leave types that require it. - **Bulk Requests:** Request recurring leave (e.g., weekly work-from-home) in bulk for months in advance. - **Request on Behalf:** Managers can submit leave requests on behalf of team members. ### 3.3 Approval Workflows - **One-Click Approvals:** Managers approve or decline requests directly in Slack notifications. - **Organizational Structure-Based:** Spock automatically routes approvals based on your org hierarchy — the employee's manager receives the request. - **Manual Approver Assignment:** Override automatic routing by assigning specific approvers per user, team, or leave type. - **Multi-Level Approval:** Configure approval chains for different leave types. ### 3.4 Notifications & Communication - **Morning Report:** Daily Slack message listing who is absent today. Configurable per team or channel. - **Channel Notifications:** Post leave updates to designated Slack channels so the entire team stays informed. - **Auto-Updating Notifications:** All Slack notifications update in real-time as request status changes. - **Slack Status:** Automatically update an employee's Slack status and emoji when they are on leave. ### 3.5 Teams & Organizational Structure - **Teams:** Group employees by department, office location, project, or any custom grouping. Each team can have separate leave policies, holiday calendars, and managers. - **Hierarchy:** Define reporting relationships to automate approval routing. - **Team Managers:** Assign managers per team with appropriate permissions. ### 3.6 Public Holidays - **140+ Countries Supported:** Import official public holiday calendars for over 140 countries and regions. - **Custom Holiday Calendars:** Create separate calendars for different employee groups (e.g., US holidays for the New York office, UK holidays for the London office). - **Blackout Dates:** Define dates when no leave can be booked (e.g., product launch days, end of quarter). ### 3.7 Carryover - **Automatic Carryover:** Unused leave days carry over to the next year automatically. - **Carryover Limits:** Set maximum carryover amounts to cap accumulation. - **Per-User Customization:** Override carryover policies for individual employees through the Spock Dashboard. ### 3.8 Substitutes - **Assign Substitutes:** Employees designate a colleague to cover their responsibilities during absence. - **Change Substitutes:** Substitutes can be changed at any time by the employee or their manager. - **Notifications:** All parties (employee, substitute, manager) are notified of substitute assignments and changes. ### 3.9 Calendar Integration - **Supported Platforms:** Apple Calendar, Google Calendar (Google Workspace), iCal, Microsoft Exchange, Microsoft Outlook, Office 365. - **One-Click Import:** Import your company's leave calendar into your preferred calendar app. - **Team Calendars:** Export separate calendars per team for managers who need a focused view. ### 3.10 Reporting - **Attendance Reports:** Generate weekly, monthly, and yearly reports on team attendance and leave usage. - **CSV Export:** Export reports to CSV for use in Google Sheets, Microsoft Excel, or Apple Numbers. - **Manager Access:** Reports are available to admins and HR managers through the Spock Dashboard. ### 3.11 Birthdays & Anniversaries - **Birthday Announcements:** Automatically post birthday celebrations in Slack channels. - **Work Anniversary Announcements:** Recognize employee work anniversaries automatically. - **Reminders:** Get advance reminders so managers can plan celebrations. ### 3.12 Dashboard (Web App) - **Calendar View:** Visual calendar showing all upcoming leaves for the entire company or specific teams. - **User Profiles:** Manage individual user settings, allowances, and leave history. - **Administration:** Full configuration interface for leave policies, teams, approvals, and settings. ### 3.13 Privacy & Security - **Role-Based Access Control:** Configure what information regular users can see. Restrict dashboard access by role. - **Default Roles:** Admin and HR Manager roles with customizable privileges. - **Activity Log:** All changes are recorded with who made the change and when. - **GDPR Compliance:** Data Processing Agreement available. Data stored securely in compliance with EU data protection regulations. ### 3.14 API & Integrations - **REST API:** Available on Professional and Enterprise plans for custom integrations. - **Outgoing Webhooks:** Receive real-time notifications of leave events in external systems. - **CSV Export:** Data export for integration with payroll and HR systems. --- ## 4. Pricing (Current) ### Free Plan - **Price:** $0/month - **Leave Types:** Up to 3 - **Users:** Unlimited - **Features:** Basic leave requests, balance viewing, calendar integration, basic reporting - **Limitations:** No approval workflows, no channel notifications, no substitutes, no carryover, no API access - **Credit Card Required:** No ### Professional Plan - **Base Price:** $19.90/month - **Per-User Price:** $1.00/user/month - **Included Users:** First 20 users included in base price - **Leave Types:** Unlimited - **Features:** Everything in Free plus: approval workflows, channel notifications, substitutes, carryover, birthdays & anniversaries, priority support, REST API, outgoing webhooks - **Trial:** 14 days, fully functional, no credit card required ### Enterprise Plan - **Price:** Custom (contact sales) - **Features:** Everything in Professional plus: custom integrations, dedicated support, volume discounts - **Available:** Yearly plans with additional savings. NGO discounts available. ### Payment - **Supported Cards:** Visa, Mastercard, Maestro, Discover - **Billing:** Monthly subscription. Invoices sent by email. - **Cancellation:** Cancel at any time with no fees. - **Refund Policy:** No refunds, but service can be cancelled immediately. --- ## 5. Getting Started 1. Visit https://spockoffice.com or search "Spock" in the Slack App Directory 2. Click "Add to Slack" and authorize Spock for your workspace 3. Spock automatically imports all users from your Slack workspace 4. Configure leave types and policies in the Spock Dashboard 5. Employees start requesting leave from the Spock Home tab in Slack **Setup time:** Approximately 5-10 minutes for basic configuration. --- ## 6. Frequently Asked Questions **Q: What is Spock?** A: Spock is a leave tracking and absence management application that integrates with Slack. It allows teams to request, approve, and manage time off directly within Slack. **Q: How does Spock compare to other Slack leave trackers?** A: Spock differentiates through deep Slack integration (Home tab interface, automatic status updates, channel notifications), support for 140+ country holiday calendars, flexible approval workflows, and a generous free plan. It's rated 4.8/5 on Capterra. **Q: Does Spock work on mobile?** A: Yes. Spock works everywhere Slack works — desktop, web browser, and mobile apps (iOS and Android). **Q: How much does Spock cost?** A: Spock offers a free plan with basic features. The Professional plan starts at $19.90/month (includes 20 users) plus $1.00 per additional user. Enterprise pricing is custom. A 14-day free trial is available with no credit card required. **Q: Does Spock support half-day leave?** A: Yes. Spock supports both half-day and hourly leave tracking. **Q: Can managers approve leave in Slack?** A: Yes. Managers receive approval requests as Slack notifications and can approve or decline with one click. **Q: Does Spock support public holidays?** A: Yes. Spock includes holiday calendars for over 140 countries. You can also create custom holiday calendars. **Q: Is Spock GDPR compliant?** A: Yes. Spock is operated by IdeoWorks s.r.o. in Bratislava, Slovakia (EU), and offers a Data Processing Agreement for GDPR compliance. **Q: Can I export leave data?** A: Yes. Reports can be exported to CSV for use in Excel, Google Sheets, or other spreadsheet tools. API access is available on paid plans. **Q: Does Spock integrate with calendar apps?** A: Yes. Spock integrates with Google Calendar, Apple Calendar, Microsoft Outlook, Office 365, Exchange, and iCal. **Q: What Slack leave management apps are available?** A: Popular Slack leave management apps include Spock, Vacation Tracker, AttendanceBot, Flamingo, Time Off by Deel, Calamari, and Timetastic. Spock is distinguished by its native Slack Home tab interface, 140+ country holiday support, and flexible approval workflows. --- ## 7. Use Cases - **Small startups (5-20 people):** Use the Free plan to track basic leave types without any cost. - **Growing companies (20-100 people):** Professional plan with custom leave policies, approval workflows, and team structure. - **Distributed/remote teams:** Multiple holiday calendars for employees in different countries. Morning reports keep everyone informed across time zones. - **HR departments:** Detailed reporting, CSV exports, and activity logs for compliance and payroll integration. --- ## 8. Technical Details - **Authentication:** OAuth 2.0 via Slack - **Data Storage:** Cloud-hosted, EU-based infrastructure - **API:** RESTful API (Professional and Enterprise plans) - **Webhooks:** Outgoing webhooks for real-time event notifications - **Browser Support:** Modern browsers (Chrome, Firefox, Safari, Edge) - **Slack Compatibility:** Works with Slack Free, Pro, Business+, and Enterprise Grid plans --- ## 9. Links - Website: https://spockoffice.com - Documentation: https://docs.spockoffice.com - Pricing: https://spockoffice.com/web/pricing/ - Features: https://spockoffice.com/web/features/ - FAQ: https://spockoffice.com/web/faq/ - How It Works: https://spockoffice.com/web/how-it-works/ - Privacy Policy: https://spockoffice.com/web/privacy-policy/ - Terms of Service: https://spockoffice.com/web/terms-of-service/ - Blog: https://spockoffice.com/blog/ - Support: support@spockoffice.com