10 Best Call Off Platforms for Frontline & Deskless Workers

Managing call-offs in manufacturing plants, warehouses, construction sites, and hospitality teams is still far more manual than it should be. Missed voicemails, texts sent to personal phones, and last-minute calls to supervisors create confusion right when coverage matters most. 

Call-off platforms solve this by giving frontline workers a single, reliable way to report absences while automatically logging requests, notifying the right managers, and triggering coverage workflows. For help comparing options, see our buying guide. The result is faster response, cleaner records, and fewer disruptions when someone can’t make their shift.

TL;DR

• Most call-off issues are communication failures at the moment coverage matters most
• App-based and email-driven systems break down for frontline teams without reliable internet, logins, or smartphones
• SMS-based call-off platforms work on any phone, including flip phones, so absences get reported earlier and more consistently
• Yourco enables call-offs through simple text messages, logs every absence automatically, and notifies managers instantly, without apps, downloads, or personal phone numbers

10 Best Call Off Platforms for Frontline Teams

Here are the call-off platforms that give frontline teams a reliable way to report absences, notify managers instantly, and maintain coverage and records in order:

1. Yourco

Yourco is an SMS-based communication and frontline intelligence platform for the frontline workforce. Small businesses and Fortune 500 enterprises trust Yourco to connect with employees instantly, drive two-way engagement, and improve workforce performance, locally and at scale.

 With AI-powered frontline intelligence, Yourco turns everyday frontline communication into real-time      insights, giving leaders visibility into what’s happening on the ground to improve productivity,  engagement, and safety. 

Key features:

• Two-way communication for local teams, with one-way corporate broadcasts from leadership
• AI-powered translation into 135+ employee-preferred languages and dialects
• 240+ HRIS integrations
• Surveys and forms to collect employee data and real-time feedback
• Frontline Intelligence: Turn unstructured frontline communication into actionable insights and reporting (e.g., attendance/call-off trends, safety concerns, sentiment signals)
• Enterprise-grade security: SOC 2 compliant and GDPR-ready
• Enterprise bridge: A centralized, corporate one-way communication layer that delivers leadership updates at scale, built for organizations with 2,001 to 100,000+ frontline employees.

Best for: Manufacturing, warehousing, logistics, and hospitality operations with multilingual workforces and workers without smartphone access.

2. Lattice

Lattice is a performance management and employee engagement platform that combines surveys, feedback, goals, and reviews in one system. It supports pulse, eNPS, onboarding, and exit surveys with AI-driven analysis, real-time insights, and industry benchmarking to help organizations understand engagement trends and take action.

Key features:

• Pulse, eNPS, onboarding, and exit surveys
• AI-powered analysis of survey results and open-ended feedback
• Real-time analytics with demographic segmentation
• Industry benchmarking using Mercer data
• Integrated goals, performance reviews, and feedback
• Slack and Microsoft Teams integrations

Best for: Mid-size to enterprise, desk-based organizations that want to connect engagement surveys with performance management and goal tracking in a single platform.

3. UKG (Ultimate Kronos Group)

UKG is a workforce management platform built for large organizations that need tight control over attendance, leave, and compliance at scale. It centralizes call-offs, planned absences, and long-term leave into a single system.

Key features:

• Complete absence management integrated with scheduling and payroll
• Advanced compliance management for FMLA and state leave laws
• Predictive analytics for absence patterns
• Mobile app for employees and managers
• Automated workflows and approval routing
• Enterprise-grade security and reporting

Best for: Large enterprises (1,000+ employees) requiring comprehensive workforce management with robust compliance capabilities.

4. Workday Absence Management

Workday Absence Management is a platform built to help large organizations manage time off, leave, and availability in a consistent, policy-driven way across the entire workforce. It supports everything from simple PTO to complex leave scenarios.

Key features:

• Track time-off and leave requests, balances, and accruals in one platform
• Voice-activated requests through Workday Assistant
• Slack integration for absence requests
• Automated processes ensuring nothing is missed
• Absence analytics for managers
• Seamless integration with HR, payroll, and time tracking

Best for: Large organizations that rely on Workday HCM and want absence tracking handled within the same system as HR and payroll.

5. ADP Workforce Now

ADP Workforce Now is a platform that handles absence management as part of a broader HR and payroll system. It gives organizations a single place to track time off, run payroll, and manage employee records. By tying absences directly to payroll and reporting, it reduces manual work and helps HR teams keep records accurate without switching between tools.

Key features:

• Integrated absence tracking with payroll and HR
• Automated accrual calculations
• Mobile access for employees and managers
• Compliance management for federal and state regulations
• Customizable absence policies
• Reporting and analytics dashboards

Best for: Mid-size to large organizations (500+ employees) seeking integrated HR, payroll, and absence management from a single vendor.

6. Dayforce 

Dayforce Absence Management is a platform that provides a complete, connected view of absences that integrates with scheduling, attendance, and pay. The platform emphasizes employee self-service and real-time visibility.

Key features:

• Real-time insights into accruals and future balances
• Automated bidding engine for time-off requests
• Policy enforcement with black-out periods and union agreement compliance
• Four-week calendar view for planning visibility
• Mobile access for anywhere, anytime requests
• Pattern detection to reduce unplanned overtime

Best for: Mid-size to enterprise organizations needing absence management tightly integrated with scheduling and workforce management.

7. BambooHR

BambooHR is a platform that allows employees to submit PTO and sick leave requests through a self-service portal while managers approve requests through a centralized dashboard.

Key features:

• Self-service portal for time-off requests
• Centralized dashboard showing who's out
• Automated accrual tracking
• Calendar integration
• Mobile app access
• Reporting on time-off trends

Best for: Small to mid-sized businesses (under 500 employees) that need basic absence management built into a larger HR system.

8. Connecteam

Connecteam is a mobile-first workforce management platform designed for deskless and frontline teams. The platform combines absence management with scheduling, communication, and task management.

Key features:

• Mobile-first design for frontline workers
• Time-off request and approval workflows
• Integration with scheduling and time tracking
• Team communication tools
• Training and onboarding modules
• Free tier available for small teams

Best for: Small to mid-sized businesses with frontline teams who need an affordable all-in-one solution for workforce management.

9. Deputy

Deputy is a platform that offers flexible shift scheduling with integrated absence management and labor compliance features. The platform emphasizes ease of use for managers handling last-minute staffing changes.

Key features:

• Shift scheduling with absence integration
• Labor compliance management
• Mobile app for schedule viewing and time-off requests
• Auto-scheduling to fill coverage gaps
• Integration with payroll systems
• Real-time labor cost tracking

Best for: Retail, hospitality, and healthcare organizations needing flexible scheduling with integrated absence management.

10. Calamari

Calamari is a specialized leave management software designed for global workforces. The platform offers efficient leave and absence management with support for multiple countries and time zones.

Key features:

• Multi-country leave policy support
• Automated replacement and recall lists
• Employee availability management
• Centralized leave request processing
• Integration with popular payroll systems
• Slack and calendar integrations

Best for: Organizations with international or multi-location workforces needing to manage different leave policies across regions.

Eliminate Call-Off Confusion With SMS-First Communication

Call-off platforms only work when frontline workers actually use them. In many operations, that’s where traditional systems fall apart. App logins, forgotten passwords, language barriers, and unreliable internet access slow reporting down or stop it altogether. When absences come in late or through side channels, managers lose time, coverage suffers, and records become incomplete.

Yourco solves this by meeting workers where they already are: on their phones. Any employee can report a call-off by sending a simple SMS, in their own language, from any phone they already carry. No downloads. No training. No personal phone numbers involved. Managers get notified immediately, every message is logged automatically, and coverage workflows can start right away instead of after the damage is done.

What sets Yourco apart is that call-offs are not treated as isolated messages. They become structured, searchable records that support scheduling decisions, compliance reviews, and long-term staffing planning. Over time, managers gain visibility into absence patterns across locations and shifts, while HR teams maintain clean documentation without manual follow-ups or spreadsheets. The result is faster response when someone can’t make a shift and far fewer surprises on the floor.

Try Yourco for free today or schedule a demo and see the difference the right workplace communication solution can make in your company.

Frequently Asked Questions

What makes call-off management harder for frontline and deskless workers?

Most frontline workers do not have company email, shared computers, or reliable internet access. When call-offs rely on voicemails, apps, or personal texts, messages get missed or arrive too late. The issue is not willingness to report absences, it is using tools that do not match how frontline teams actually communicate.

Are SMS-based call-off platforms better than apps for frontline teams?

In most cases, yes. SMS works on any phone and requires no downloads, passwords, or training. Because texting is familiar and always available, workers report absences faster and more consistently, which matters more than extra features when shifts need coverage quickly.

How do call-off platforms help with compliance and record keeping?

Call-off platforms automatically time-stamp and store absence messages in one system. This creates a consistent record without manual follow-ups or reconstruction later. While not a substitute for legal guidance, these logs help support internal reviews, documentation, and policy consistency.

Which call-off platform is best for large, multilingual frontline teams?

Platforms built for non-desk workers perform best in complex, multi-location environments. Yourco supports SMS-based call-offs in 135+ languages and dialects, works without internet access, and keeps all absence records in one place, making it well-suited for manufacturing, logistics, construction, and hospitality teams.