FAQ

Calamari is a modular HR software platform designed for modern, growing teams. It covers four core areas: leave management (Time Off), clock-in/clock-out attendance tracking (Time & Attendance), employee database document management, employee requests (Core HR), performance reviews and goals (Performance). Over 130,000 employees from 106 countries use Calamari.

Calamari is built for small and medium-sized businesses that want to replace spreadsheets and manual HR admin with a lightweight, easy-to-use system. It works especially well for remote-first and hybrid companies, software agencies, SaaS teams, marketing agencies, nonprofits, and companies with shift-based employees (in development) such as cleaning services, restaurants, and logistics firms.

Calamari is deliberately focused and modular. You only pay for the modules you actually use  Time Off, Time & Attendance, Core HR, or Performance  rather than paying for a large suite with features you will never touch. Setup takes days, not months, and the interface is designed for everyday employees, not just HR administrators.

Yes. Calamari is specifically designed to replace Excel and Google Sheets for tracking leave, attendance, employee data, and performance. It automates calculations, approval flows, and notifications that teams currently handle manually.

Calamari is a cloud-based SaaS application only. There is no on-premise version. It is hosted on Amazon Web Services (AWS), which is certified with ISO 27001, SOC 2, and SOC 3. Learn more about security.

The platform and mobile app are available in Polish, English, German, Ukrainian, Spanish, French, Italian, Turkish, Dutch, Portuguese (Brazilian and European), Serbian, Croatian, Thai, Hindi, Chinese, Russian or Welsh.

Calamari onboarding takes an average of 5 days. You can start a free 14-day trial with no credit card required. The Customer Success team helps with initial configuration and importing employee data.

Employees submit time-off requests directly from the web app, mobile app, Slack, or Microsoft Teams. Requests are routed automatically through approval flows (multi-stage or automatic) configured by the admin. Managers receive notifications and can approve or reject requests without leaving their primary workspace.

Yes. Remote work can be handled in Calamari as one of the request types. You can also use Calamari to manage other types of employee requests, such as business trips, overtime, training, or other custom request categories depending on your internal process.

Yes. Calamari supports an unlimited number of absence types (vacation, sick leave, parental leave, remote work, unpaid leave, and any custom type). Policies – including accrual rules, request restrictions, approval flows, and entitlement – can be configured separately per team, department, contract type, or individual employee.

Yes. Calamari includes over 110 public holiday calendars worldwide. You can configure different calendars for different offices or locations within a single account.

Yes. Calamari supports automated accruals, allowing employee balances to be updated automatically based on your company policy. Accruals can be configured in different cycles, including daily, weekly, monthly, annually, or other accrual periods depending on your internal rules.

Yes. Employees can view their remaining entitlement balances at any time from the web app, mobile app, or directly within Slack or Microsoft Teams. This reduces questions to HR and managers.

Calamari's leave calendar is centralized and supports multiple time zones. Managers can see team availability at a glance, and integrations with Google Calendar, Outlook, and Slack keep everyone informed automatically, regardless of where they are based.

Yes. Calamari supports auto-approval rules, so straightforward requests like remote work notifications or short absences can be approved automatically without requiring manual manager action.

Yes. Calamari supports carryover policies, allowing unused allowance to be transferred to the next accrual year according to your company rules. You can define how much time can be carried over and optionally set expiration rules for carried balances.

You can create any leave request restrictions, such as:
- Leave request may not be longer than X days
- Leave longer than X days must be requested Y days before the start date
- Absence can be requested up to X days in the past
- An employee is able to make a request after X months from their hire date
- The absence can be added for a maximum of X days per week
- The requester cannot request time off for a period in which they are assigned as a substitute
- The requester cannot set absent substitute
You can choose whether to show a warning or completely block this type of request.

Calamari offers eight clock-in methods: web browser, mobile app (iOS and Android) with optional GPS tracking, QR codes, NFC cards/key fobs, NFC tags, iBeacons (Bluetooth-based proximity detection), geofencing (automatic clock-in when entering a work zone), and API integration with physical devices like fingerprint scanners. You can mix methods within one company.

The Kiosk app turns any tablet into a shared clock-in terminal you mount at the entrance. Employees identify themselves with a QR code from their mobile app or a printed badge, or by tapping an NFC card assigned to them. The Kiosk can take a photo at every punch so nobody clocks in for a colleague. This is the setup for on-site teams that share one device, such as production, warehouse, or retail staff.

Geofencing lets you draw a virtual boundary around your workplace. When an employee's mobile device enters that zone, Calamari can send a reminder to clock in or automatically log the start of their shift. This is useful for field teams, cleaning crews, or any role where employees work at fixed locations outside the main office.

Yes. The Time & Attendance module includes project time tracking. Employees can log hours against specific projects or activities, and managers can run reports showing time spent per project. This is useful for agencies and any team that bills by project.

The system automatically flags late arrivals, early departures, unusually short shifts, and unclosed shifts. Managers receive real-time notifications and can view them in dedicated reports, allowing oversight without constant manual monitoring.

Yes. Employees can submit timesheet changes which managers review and approve through a structured approval flow. Managers can also edit and adjust timesheets from the admin view.

Yes. The QR code kiosk and mobile app are designed for deskless workers. Employees without computers can clock in using a shared tablet at the entrance, a printed QR code, NFC card or their own smartphone. The interface requires no training.

An NFC tag is a card or sticker that stays in one place, by the entrance or in a specific room. Employees tap their own phone against it to clock in, end a shift, or start a break, and Calamari identifies them by the account they are signed into. One tag serves the whole team, costs a few dollars, and needs no dedicated terminal device.

An NFC card belongs to one employee and is read by a shared device running the Kiosk app, so the card identifies the person. A tag works the other way round: it stays in one place, everyone taps the same one, and their own phone identifies them. Cards fit teams without work phones, tags fit offices where everyone carries one.

Core HR is Calamari's employee database, document management and employee requests module. It gives you a centralized, secure place to store employee profiles, employment details, HR documents (contracts, payslips, evaluations), requests and any custom data your organization needs to track.

Yes. You can create fully custom fields in multiple formats: text, long text, dates, lists, multiple choice, and checkboxes. Custom fields can be grouped into categories such as Benefits, Equipment, or Certifications. Access to each field or category can be restricted by role.

Access is fully configurable. Admins can set visibility and edit permissions separately for each field or document catalog – for employees themselves, direct managers, team managers, and admins. Sensitive fields like salary can be locked so only authorized roles can view them.

Yes. The Core HR module includes a document management system with configurable catalog structure, access restrictions, and document statuses. There is full change history and audit trail for all document actions.

Work With Me is a personal profile section where employees describe how they prefer to work – their communication style, working hours, focus time preferences, and how to contact them in an emergency. It helps colleagues and new hires understand how to work effectively with each person.

Yes. The People report builder lets you define reusable report templates based on any employee field. You can filter by contract type, department, location, or any custom field and save templates for recurring use. Examples include contract expiry reports, certifications due for renewal, and equipment tracking.

Yes. You can configure automatic reminders for any date field — contract end dates, probation period endings, certification renewals, or any custom date. Birthday and work anniversary notifications can be sent to Slack, MS Teams, or by email.

Yes. The public API allows you to retrieve, create, and update employee profiles and custom fields programmatically. This makes it possible to use Calamari as the single source of truth for employee data and sync it with payroll, access management, and benefits platforms.

Yes. Employee Requests is a Core HR feature covering any request type you define. Each type has its own form, policy description, and list of required documents. Every request is numbered automatically, routed to an approver and then to an assignee, and visible only to those three people – so bank details or medical information never sit in a shared inbox.

The Performance module covers two things: employee goals with progress tracking, and structured evaluation cycles with self-assessments, manager reviews, peer reviews, and full 360-degree feedback (with external reviews). Questionnaire design, participant management, reminders, and results analysis all happen in one place – and a manager walks into a review already seeing the employee's goals and where they stand.

Yes. Goals are part of the Performance module. Employees set goals for themselves, and managers or admins assign them top-down. An employee can flag a goal as at risk at any point, so a manager sees the problem before the deadline passes, and goals close with a clear status: achieved, partially achieved, not achieved, or cancelled.

Calamari supports 90-degree (manager evaluates employee), 180-degree (adds self-assessment), 270-degree (adds peer reviews), and 360-degree (adds direct reports and external reviewers) review models. You can also design fully custom configurations for project-based reviews or other non-standard processes.

Yes. Calamari gives you granular control over response visibility. You can set visibility separately for process managers and for the person being reviewed. Options include response with reviewer name, anonymous response, or no access to responses. Reviewers can also choose their own anonymity level.

Very flexible. You build questionnaires from scratch using open text, rating scales, single choice, and multiple choice question types. You define your own rating scale labels — including descriptions for every point — rather than using a fixed template.

Yes. The admin panel shows real-time progress across all participants. Admins can send reminder notifications to pending reviewers with one click, without needing to chase people manually.

Yes. External stakeholders can be invited to submit feedback via a shareable form link without needing a Calamari account.

Yes. The Performance module shares the same login, interface, and employee database as Time Off, Time & Attendance, and Core HR. There is no separate account or platform to manage.

Calamari integrates natively with Slack, Google Workspace (Gmail, Google Calendar, Google SSO), Microsoft 365 (Outlook Calendar, MS Teams, Microsoft SSO), Jira, Asana, and Basecamp. A public API is available for custom integrations.

Yes. Employees can submit leave requests, check their leave balances, and view team availability entirely within Slack, without opening the Calamari web app. Managers can approve or reject requests from Slack as well.

Yes. The Calamari app for Microsoft Teams allows employees to clock in, clock out, mark breaks, switch projects, and view their timesheet without leaving Teams. Notifications about shifts and leaves are delivered to Teams channels.

Yes. Approved time-off requests can be automatically synced to each employee's Google Calendar or Outlook calendar, keeping team availability visible without manual calendar management.

Yes. Calamari supports SSO via Google, Slack, Microsoft 365, and Jira. A SAML integration is available as a paid add-on for organizations requiring enterprise SSO with detailed authentication logs.

Yes. Calamari provides a public REST API. The standard quota includes 2 requests per second, 600 requests per hour, and 6,000 requests per day. The API supports employee data management, leave requests, and timesheet entries.

Yes. Calamari has an MCP (Model Context Protocol) integration, so your AI assistant can act inside Calamari on your behalf. Employees can submit a leave request, clock in and out, fill in a timesheet for a whole date range, assign hours to projects, check their remaining leave balance, or ask who is out next week, all in plain language and without opening the app. See how AI works with Calamari.

Yes. Calamari is fully GDPR compliant. Data is hosted on Amazon Web Services in secure data centers. Each client has its own isolated database. Data is encrypted at rest and in transit using SSL 256-bit encryption.

All data is hosted on Amazon Web Services (AWS), certified with ISO 27001, SOC 2, and SOC 3. Calamari is working toward its own ISO 27001 certification.

Security measures include data encryption at rest and in transit, a separate database per customer, regular penetration testing and vulnerability scans, AWS native security tooling, MFA for all internal systems, full audit logs for all data changes, code review for every system change, and an incident response process.

Yes. Calamari has granular role-based access controls. Admins can define visibility and edit permissions per field, per document catalog, and per module — separately for employees, direct managers, team managers, and admins. Change history is tracked and auditable for all employee profile modifications.

Calamari uses modular per-user-per-month pricing.

Billed annually:
Time Off at $2/user/month,
Time & Attendance at $2.50/user/month,
Core HR at $2/user/month,
and Performance at $2.50/user/month.

A SAML add-on is available at $0.80/user/month.
A minimum fee applies, equivalent to a 10-seat subscription per module.

No. Calamari is modular  you only pay for the modules you use. You can start with just Time Off and add Time & Attendance or Core HR later as your needs grow.

Yes. Calamari offers a 14-day free trial with full access to all features and modules. No credit card is required to start, and your data remains in the system when you activate a paid subscription.

No. You can subscribe monthly or annually and cancel at any time without penalty. If you cancel mid-subscription, access continues until the end of the paid period, but Calamari does not provide refunds for unused time.

You can add users at any time. When you upgrade, you are only charged for the additional users for the remainder of the current billing period. Downgrades take effect at the next renewal. The minimum charge is equivalent to 10 active users per module.

No. You only pay for active employees. Archived employees' historical data — leave requests, timesheets, documents — remains accessible at no additional cost. This is useful for audits and compliance reporting.

Yes. Nonprofits can contact team@calamari.io to discuss discount options.

Calamari accepts credit and debit cards (Visa, Mastercard, Maestro) and bank wire transfer (available for annual plans). You can pay in EUR or USD.

Average onboarding takes 5 days. Calamari's Customer Success team helps with the initial configuration of your absence policies, import of employee data, and any integrations you need. For larger teams, setup support is charged additionally.

Yes. Calamari supports bulk data import from CSV files for employee profiles, custom fields, and leave balances. The Customer Success team assists with data import during onboarding.

No dedicated training is required. Employees can start submitting leave requests or clocking in within minutes of receiving an invitation link. The interface is designed to be self-explanatory for everyday users.

Support is included in all plans via chat and email. Calamari also offers an extensive online Help Center with documentation for all modules. The Customer Success team is available for onboarding assistance and configuration questions.

Yes. Calamari supports multiple holiday calendars, multiple time zones, multiple languages, and country-specific absence policies within a single account. This makes it suitable for international and distributed teams.

Yes. Calamari was built for hybrid and remote work. Leave calendars are shared in real time, time tracking works from any location via mobile app or browser, and integrations with Slack, Teams, and Google Workspace keep distributed teams aligned without extra tools.

Yes. The Time & Attendance module is designed for shift-based work. QR code kiosks, NFC, and mobile clock-in cover deskless and field workers. A Work Schedules module for managing rotating shifts is also in development.

Yes. Calamari integrates natively with Jira, Slack, and Google Workspace — the standard tech stack for software teams. Project time tracking allows tracking billable hours per client. Leave management supports unlimited PTO and flexible approval flows.

Yes. Calamari has nonprofit clients and offers a discount on subscription pricing for eligible organizations. The platform handles volunteer management, part-time and contract employees, and grant reporting requirements through custom fields and reporting.

Yes. Leave policies, approval flows, and attendance rules can all be configured differently per contract type. Custom fields in Core HR allow you to store and filter by any employment detail relevant to your organization.