On this page
01. Public holidays02. Leave types03. Record leave04. Pay and overtime05. Check the result06. A typical scenario07. Common mistakes08. Quick checklist09. Frequently asked questions
Under the Attendance menu add holidays (for example Madaraka Day, Mashujaa Day) and leave types, then record each leave period for the employee, and recalculate so reports show leave instead of absence.
Key takeaways
- Add Kenya's public holidays at the start of the year.
- Record leave per employee and period.
- Recalculate after any change.
- Decide how holidays and overtime pay interact.
01Public holidays
Add each holiday as a date (and name) so the software does not mark an unworked day as absence. Kenya's usual list includes New Year's Day, Labour Day, Madaraka Day, Mashujaa Day, Jamhuri Day, Christmas and Boxing Day, plus Good Friday, Easter Monday and Eid holidays that move yearly. Check the official gazette each year for dates.
02Leave types
- Annual leave
- Sick leave
- Maternity or paternity leave
- Compassionate or unpaid leave
Create the types your policy uses so reports can separate them.
03Record leave
- Open the leave or holiday area under the Attendance menu.
- Pick the employee and leave type.
- Enter start and end dates.
- Save and recalculate for that period.
04Pay and overtime
If staff work on a public holiday, your holiday overtime rate may differ. Decide the rule with HR first. See overtime calculation.
05Check the result
Run reports for the month and confirm leave days are not listed as absent. If they are, the leave record or the shift assignment is missing; see absent though punched.
06A typical scenario
On Mashujaa Day an office was closed, yet reports marked everyone absent. Adding the holiday date to the software and recalculating cleared the false absences and removed a payroll argument.
Illustrative example based on common cases, not a named customer.
07Common mistakes
- Forgetting to add moving holidays like Eid.
- Recording leave but not recalculating.
- Treating public holidays as normal days.
- Using the wrong leave type.
- Overlapping leave records.
08Quick checklist
- Holidays added yearly
- Leave types created
- Leave recorded per employee
- Recalculated
- Reports checked
- HR approvals filed
09Frequently asked questions
Does the terminal know about holidays?
No. Holidays and leave live in the software and affect calculation only.
Can I import a list of holidays?
Add them manually or from your version's import tool if available.
What about half-day leave?
Many versions allow a part-day leave with hours; check your leave form.
Is this a payroll system?
No. It supplies attendance data to payroll. See payroll hours.
This guide is part of our ZKTeco K40 and ZKBio Time.Net series. For the full start-to-finish walkthrough with screenshots, read How to Configure a ZKTeco K40 Pro with ZKBio Time.Net.
ZKTeco and ZKBio are trademarks of ZKTeco Inc. Menu names on the K40 Pro and in the software vary slightly by firmware and software version; where yours differ, look for the nearest match. Qyvea is a ZKTeco reseller and installer in Kenya.
