# HRlab — Absence Management

HRlab by HRlab GmbH holds a panel rating of 2.5/5 from 6 AI judges (category median 1.5/5), as of 2026-10-15. Provenance: EU-Made; sovereignty: not determined.

- Vendor: HRlab GmbH (https://www.hrlab.de)
- Category: [Absence Management](https://whats-best.ai/software/absence-management.md)
- Provenance (editorial classification): EU-Made
- Canonical page: https://whats-best.ai/software/absence-management/hrlab
- Alternatives: https://whats-best.ai/software/absence-management/hrlab/alternatives ([markdown](https://whats-best.ai/software/absence-management/hrlab/alternatives.md))
- Data as of: 2026-10-21 · evaluated 2026-10-15 · oldest source captured 2026-10-13

**AI-generated.** Every score, rationale and verdict here is written by a panel of AI judges from public evidence — an analysis, not a hands-on test. Every fact quotes the vendor page it was read from. No score can be bought. How scores are made: https://whats-best.ai/methodology

## At a glance

- Vendor: HRlab GmbH
- Headquarters: Not stated on the vendor’s pages as of 13 Oct 2026
- Data hosting: Not stated on the vendor’s pages as of 13 Oct 2026
- Free plan: Not stated on the vendor’s pages as of 13 Oct 2026

## The panel's verdict

HRlab is a cloud-based HR platform from HRlab GmbH, Berlin, aimed at small and mid-sized companies with up to 2,000 employees. The strongest finding is payroll handover, where scores cluster at 7: interfaces to DATEV Lodas and DATEV Lohn + Gehalt are included as standard without extra cost, transfers run client-exact with a monthly change report of master and movement data, and wage types are configurable per organisational unit. Requests and approvals score 6 to 7 on web and app requesting with one-click, multi-level release. The weak spots are absence data protection, at 1 to 3, where no public information was found on who may see a sickness reason, or on retention and access logging, and pricing transparency, at 2 to 3, with no price figures, pricing basis, minimum users or minimum term captured. Sovereignty spans 4 to 6: the team lead scored 6 and the integrator 5, crediting the Berlin contracting entity and hosting in Kempten and Berlin with partner ID.KOM, while the others could not confirm jurisdiction and found no public subprocessor list.

**Speaks for it:**
- Interfaces to DATEV Lodas and DATEV Lohn + Gehalt are included as standard without extra cost.
- A monthly change report delivers exactly the master and movement data relevant to the current payroll run, client-exact with company and consultant numbers.
- Every sick notification triggers the eAU query at the health insurer automatically, described by the vendor as 100% automated and without extra cost.
- Employees request absences via web or mobile app and managers or HR approve with one click, including multi-level releases.
- Hosting runs exclusively in ISO-certified high-security data centres in Kempten and Berlin with the German partner ID.KOM.

**Held against it:**
- We found no public information on who may see a sickness reason or certificate, on retention or deletion of absence records, or on access logging.
- No price figures, pricing basis, minimum user count, minimum term or VAT treatment appear on the captured pricing pages, so an annual invoice cannot be computed.
- We found no public information on part-time proration, half-day or hourly leave, or holiday calendars per German federal state.
- We found no public information on counting sick days toward the six-week continued-pay limit, on BEM thresholds, or on paper certificates for privately insured employees.
- We found no published subprocessor list and no data-processing agreement covering sickness data, and the contracting entity's jurisdiction is not confirmed on the captured pages.

**Best for:**
- You run payroll in DATEV Lodas or DATEV Lohn + Gehalt and want a client-exact monthly change report instead of retyping.
- You want every sick notification to trigger the eAU query at the health insurer without any payroll-system or third-party connection.
- You are a small or mid-sized company of up to 2,000 employees and need web and app absence requests with multi-level approvals.
- You want to evaluate everything first, since the free trial phase includes all functions in the test account.

**Avoid if:**
- Your works council or data protection officer needs documented answers on sickness-data visibility, retention and access logging before rollout.
- You must compute an annual cost from public prices before contacting a vendor.
- You employ many part-time staff and depend on documented proration, half-day or hourly leave accounting.
- You require a published subprocessor list and a data-processing agreement covering special-category health data before signing.

## Scores by judge and criterion

Scores out of 5, each judge scoring independently against the published rubric (v1). "n/r" = not rated: the vendor publishes no price.

| Criterion | The Team Lead | The Managing Director | The Payroll Accountant | The Data Protection Officer | The HR IT Integrator | The Skeptic |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Entitlements & German leave rules | 2/5 | 2/5 | 2.5/5 | 2/5 | 2/5 | 2/5 |
| Requests, approvals & team calendar | 3.5/5 | 3/5 | 3/5 | 3.5/5 | 3/5 | 3/5 |
| Sick leave, eAU & continued pay | 3/5 | 3/5 | 3/5 | 2.5/5 | 3/5 | 2.5/5 |
| Payroll handover, time tracking & API | 3.5/5 | 3.5/5 | 3.5/5 | 3.5/5 | 3.5/5 | 3.5/5 |
| Health data, access & works council | 1/5 | 0.5/5 | 1.5/5 | 1/5 | 1/5 | 1/5 |
| European sovereignty | 3/5 | 2/5 | 2/5 | 2/5 | 2.5/5 | 2/5 |
| Pricing transparency | 1/5 | 1/5 | 1.5/5 | 1/5 | 1.5/5 | 1.5/5 |
| **Weighted verdict** | **2.5/5** | **2.5/5** | **2.5/5** | **2/5** | **2.5/5** | **2/5** |

### The judges

- **The Team Lead** (v1.0): Approves leave for twelve people across two shifts and finds out about clashes too late. Wants requests and approvals on the phone, a named substitute on every request, minimum-staffing warnings before approval, and a team calendar that shows who is away without showing why.
- **The Managing Director** (v1.0): Runs a forty-person company in two federal states without an HR department and is liable when leave is calculated wrong. Wants part-time entitlements prorated correctly, the right public holidays per site, carry-over that lapses only after employees were told, and the eAU handled without a phone call to every health insurer.
- **The Payroll Accountant** (v1.0): Closes payroll in DATEV every month and corrects whatever arrived late. Wants absences exported with the right payroll codes, the eAU result attached to the sick day, the six-week continued-pay limit counted per illness, and past months locked once they are paid.
- **The Data Protection Officer** (v1.0): Treats every sick day as special-category data, because the law does. Asks who can see a reason or a certificate, how long absence records are kept and deleted, whether access is logged, where the data is hosted, and which subprocessors send the push notification that says someone is ill.
- **The HR IT Integrator** (v1.0): Wires the absence tool to payroll, time tracking, the identity provider and the calendar. Wants a documented API and webhooks, maintained connectors for the named German payroll systems rather than a CSV, SSO, and balances that agree with the time-tracking system on both sides.
- **The Skeptic** (v1.0): Knows "eAU supported" can mean a photo upload, "DATEV integration" can mean a CSV, and "GDPR-compliant" can mean every manager sees every diagnosis-adjacent note. Reads for who actually retrieves the certificate, which leave rules are computed rather than typed in, and whether the carry-over expiry notice exists at all.

## European sovereignty — proven facts

Built only from facts on the vendor's own pages; a dimension we could not prove is left open, never scored as zero. Headline: not determined.

| Dimension | Finding | Points | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Legal entity | Not determined | — | — |
| Ownership | Not determined | — | — |
| Data residency | Not determined | — | — |
| Subprocessors | Not determined | — | — |

## Key facts

Each fact is the vendor's own statement, cited to the source page it was read from ([S*n*] → Sources).

**Compliance**
- AI principles: Datensicherheit & KI-Prinzipien [S5]
- Datev sicherheit: yes · SmartLogin · SmartCard · mIDentity [S8]
- Eau sick fund certified: yes [S7]
- GDPR: yes [S1]
- Hosting certifications: yes · yes [S8]
- ISO GDPR: yes · yes [S3]

**Hosting**
- Datacenters: Kempten · Berlin · yes · yes [S7]
- Deployment model: Cloud-based SaaS [S3]
- Locations: Kempten · Berlin [S8]
- Region: Deutschland · ID.KOM · Kempten · Berlin [S1]
- Regions: Hosting exclusively in high-security data centers in Kempten and Berlin [S3]
- Regions: Kempten · Berlin · yes · yes [S9]

**Integrations**
- Data import export: CSV · XLSX [S2]
- Datev: yes [S1]
- Datev addison: DATEV · Addison [S2]
- Datev interface: DATEV interface listed among product modules [S3]
- Datev optional: optional · yes · optional [S7]
- Datev standard: DATEV Lodas · DATEV Lohn + Gehalt · no [S9]
- Export formats: Excel · CSV · DATEV · Stotax · Lexware [S9]
- Mcp: yes [S2]
- Module list: Digitale Personalakte · Dokumentenmanagement · Employee Self Service · Rechtemanagement · Mobile App · Organigramm · Zeitmanagement · Dienstreisen · Krankheit · Urlaubsverwaltung · Digitale Zeiterfassung · Reisekostenabrechnung · Arbeitsze… [S8]
- Payroll: DATEV-Schnittstelle · Vorbereitende Lohnabrechnung [S5]
- Payroll datev: yes [S6]
- Payroll module: yes [S6]
- Rest API: yes · yes [S2]

**Legal**
- Address: 10117 · Berlin · Reinhardtstraße 58 · Deutschland [S5]
- Copyright year: 2026 · HRlab [S3]
- Entity name: HRlab GmbH [S5]
- Register: Amtsgericht Berlin-Charlottenburg · HRB 182015 B [S5]
- Seat: Berlin [S5]
- VAT id: DE309717652 [S5]

**Pricing**
- Addon recruitment: 2 [S2]
- Addon talent management: 2 [S2]
- Addon time absence: 2 [S2]
- Addon time absence premium: 3 [S2]
- Billing model: Nutzer · monatlich · jährlich [S2]
- Contract terms: 1 Jahr · 2 Jahre · 30 · 3 [S2]
- Core min users: 30 [S2]
- Trial: 28 · yes [S6]
- Trial credit card: no [S2]
- Trial duration: 28 · no [S2]
- User definition: User = alle Mitarbeiter:innen mit Zugang zu HRlab [S2]
- VAT: no [S2]

**Product**
- Absence calendar: Central calendar showing absences per team, department or company [S3]
- Absence types extensible: yes [S7]
- Absence types scope: Krankheit · Homeoffice · Dienstreisen · Fortbildungen · Sonderurlaub [S3]
- Addons overview: Time & Absence · Recruitment · Talent Management [S2]
- Analytics: yes [S6]
- Automated workflows: Workflows automate leave requests, time tracking and deadline reminders [S3]
- Automatic leave balance: Automatic recalculation of leave entitlements on tenure or location change [S3]
- Block periods: Vacation blocks/restrictions configurable [S3]
- Change documentation: yes [S9]
- Core features: Digitale Personalakte · DATEV & Addison Schnittstelle · Prozess- & Taskmanagement · Self Service & Reporting · Dokumentenvorlagen · Export & Import [S2]
- Core premium features: Tarif- & Abrechnungsgruppen · Textbaustein-Varianten & Zeugniserstellung · Planstellen & analytische Positionsbewertung · REST API Datenexport und -import · MCP Schnittstelle für KI Anwendungen · KI Unterstützung Pivot-Reporting [S2]
- CRM integration: Customer testimonial mentions DATEV communication and CRM integration possibility [S9]
- Datev compat: DATEV Lodas · DATEV Lohn & Gehalt [S8]
- Datev datenarten: Stammdaten · Bewegungsdaten [S8]
- Datev formate optionen: DATEV Lodas (mit/ohne Stunden) · DATEV Lohn & Gehalt · separat oder kombiniert [S8]
- Datev handover: yes [S9]
- Datev integration: fehlerfreie Lohnabrechnung · yes [S8]
- Datev mandantengenau: Unternehmensnummern · Beraternummern · yes [S8]
- Datev monatsreport: monatlicher Änderungsreport [S8]
- Datev multi berater: yes · yes [S8]
- Datev setup datenservices: Datenservices in DATEV aktivieren, z.B. Lohnauswertungsdatenservice [S8]
- Deployment model: SaaS [S8]
- Development: Mitarbeitergespräche · Schulungsmanagement · Zielvereinbarungen · 360 Grad Feedback [S5]
- Development: yes [S6]
- Digital payslip delivery: yes · yes [S9]
- Digital personnel file: yes [S5]
- Digitale personalakte: yes [S1]
- Digitale personalakte: yes [S6]
- Dokumentenmanagement: yes [S1]
- Eau automated: yes · no [S7]
- Eau automatic query: yes [S7]
- Eau no integration required: no [S7]
- Employee self service: yes [S1]
- Employee self service: yes [S5]
- Employee self service: yes [S6]
- Expiry configurable: Carry-over/expiration of remaining leave freely definable [S3]
- Free trial: yes [S1]
- HR processes: People Analytics · Whistleblowing · Workflows & Taskmanagement [S5]
- HR prozesse: People Analytics · Whistleblowing · Workflows & Taskmanagement [S1]
- Import export: yes · yes [S1]
- Leave approval workflow: Managers or HR approve leave with one click [S6]
- Leave auto calculation: public holidays in requested period · remaining leave balance [S6]
- Leave balance visibility employees: Employees see taken and remaining days at a glance [S3]
- Leave reports: remaining leave days per department · planned absences for rest of year [S6]
- Leave requests channels: Employees request absences via web or mobile app [S3]
- Leave self service: Employees enter their leave themselves via Employee Self Service [S6]
- Leave team calendar: Calendar view shows whether department resources remain sufficient when approving a request [S6]
- Lohnabrechnung: DATEV-Schnittstelle · Vorbereitende Lohnabrechnung [S1]
- Lohnabrechnung in hrlab: yes [S8]
- Lohndokumente personalakte: Personalnummer · yes [S8]
- Mobile app: yes [S1]
- Mobile app: yes [S5]
- Mobile app: yes [S6]
- Mobile app module: Mobile App listed among product modules [S3]
- Module ess: Employee Self Service · yes [S8]
- Modules: Personalmanagement · Prozessautomatisierung · Zeitwirtschaft · Bewerbermanagement [S1]
- Modules related: Employee Self Service [S7]
- Modules related: People Analytics [S7]
- Modules related: Workflows & Taskmanagement [S7]
- Multi level approvals: Multi-level approval workflows supported [S3]
- Multi org wage types: yes [S9]
- Organigramm: yes [S1]
- Overview absences: Overview of absences, approved substitutes and overlapping team requests [S6]
- Payroll change report: yes [S9]
- Payroll groups: yes [S9]
- Personalentwicklung: Mitarbeitergespräche · Schulungsmanagement · Zielvereinbarungen · 360 Grad Feedback [S1]
- Personalmanagement: Vorlagen · digitale Signatur · Self Service [S1]
- Pivot reporting: yes [S2]
- Rating: 4.5 · 91 [S1]
- Rating: 4.5 · 91 [S6]
- Rechtemanagement: yes [S1]
- Recruiting: Bewerbermanagement · Multiposting · Karriereseite [S1]
- Recruiting: Bewerbermanagement · Multiposting · Karriereseite [S5]
- Recruiting: yes [S6]
- Recruitment cv parsing: CV-Parsing · Email-Vorlagen · Interviews [S2]
- Recruitment features: Bewerbermanagement · Karriereseite · Multiposting [S2]
- Recruitment multiposting: >200 [S2]
- Related modules: Related functions: Employee Self Service, People Analytics (HR Reporting), Workflows & Taskmanagement [S3]
- Reports: yes [S1]
- Request status visibility: Employees see request status at any time [S3]
- Self service: Automatisierung und Self-Service-Zugriff für Mitarbeitende [S1]
- Self service edit cancel: Employees can edit or cancel leave requests [S3]
- Sick leave: yes [S6]
- Sick overview: Kalenderansicht · Auswertungen · konfigurierbare Prüfprozesse [S7]
- Sick submission channels: Desktop · App [S7]
- Support webdemo: yes [S2]
- Supports eau: yes [S7]
- Talent management features: Feedback · Ziele · Weiterentwicklung [S2]
- Target market: SME · 2000 [S3]
- Target segment: 2000 [S7]
- Target segment: 2000 [S9]
- Target segment: 2000 [S8]
- Testsystem: yes [S2]
- Time absence premium features: Zuschläge · Einsatzplanung [S2]
- Time gps restriction: Projektzeiterfassung · GPS-Beschränkung [S2]
- Time management: Dienstreisen · Krankheit · Urlaubsverwaltung · Digitale Zeiterfassung · Reisekostenabrechnung · Arbeitszeitkonto · Einsatzplanung [S5]
- Time tracking: yes [S6]
- Time tracking modes: Online · App · Terminal [S2]
- Travel expenses: yes [S6]
- Trial: yes [S5]
- Trial: free trial · yes [S7]
- Trial: yes [S8]
- Trial available: Free trial phase offered (nav item) [S3]
- Trial features: yes [S2]
- Wage type catalog: yes [S9]
- Working time account: yes [S6]
- Zeitmanagement: Dienstreisen · Krankheit · Urlaubsverwaltung · Digitale Zeiterfassung · Reisekostenabrechnung · Arbeitszeitkonto · Einsatzplanung [S1]
- Zentrale datenquelle: yes [S8]

**Support**
- Included: Support für geschulte Anwender · Systemmonitoring · Systemwartung [S2]
- Webdemo: yes [S1]

## Questions

### Is HRlab European?

Yes. whats-best.ai classifies HRlab as EU-Made.

### Where does HRlab store data?

Not stated on the vendor’s pages as of 13 Oct 2026.

### Does HRlab have a free plan?

Not stated on the vendor’s pages as of 13 Oct 2026.

### What are the best alternatives to HRlab?

As of 15 Oct 2026, the panel rates [Kenjo (3/5)](https://whats-best.ai/software/absence-management/kenjo), [flair (2.5/5)](https://whats-best.ai/software/absence-management/flair-hr) and [Urlaubsverwaltung (2/5)](https://whats-best.ai/software/absence-management/urlaubsverwaltung) highest among the other 16 Absence Management products evaluated. The highest-rated European alternative is [Kenjo](https://whats-best.ai/software/absence-management/kenjo) (EU-Made). Ratings are the AI panel’s opinion, formed from public evidence: [how scores are made](https://whats-best.ai/methodology#ordering). The full list, with European products first: [HRlab alternatives](https://whats-best.ai/software/absence-management/hrlab/alternatives).

## What this page leaves out

- 13 product facts could not be confirmed on the vendor’s page as captured and were left out of this page and of the panel’s material.
- 11 subprocessors facts could not be confirmed on the vendor’s page as captured and were left out of this page and of the panel’s material.
- 6 compliance facts could not be confirmed on the vendor’s page as captured and were left out of this page and of the panel’s material.
- 5 data facts could not be confirmed on the vendor’s page as captured and were left out of this page and of the panel’s material.
- 3 legal facts could not be confirmed on the vendor’s page as captured and were left out of this page and of the panel’s material.
- 2 pricing facts could not be confirmed on the vendor’s page as captured and were left out of this page and of the panel’s material.
- 1 support fact could not be confirmed on the vendor’s page as captured and was left out of this page and of the panel’s material.
- 3 sovereignty dimensions could not be confirmed on the vendor’s own pages and are shown as unknown.
- 6 of the readings below were written against an earlier fact sheet — a fact has been corrected, added or pulled since. Until the panel next runs on this product you are reading the older judgement.

## Sources

- [S1] Vendor homepage: https://www.hrlab.de/ (checked 2026-10-13)
- [S2] Pricing page: https://www.hrlab.de/preise (checked 2026-10-13)
- [S3] Leave feature: https://www.hrlab.de/funktionen/urlaub (checked 2026-10-13)
- [S4] Privacy policy: https://www.hrlab.de/datenschutzerklaerung (checked 2026-10-13)
- [S5] Legal notice: https://www.hrlab.de/impressum (checked 2026-10-13)
- [S6] Entitlements & German leave rules — found from sitemap: https://www.hrlab.de/urlaubsverwaltung (checked 2026-10-13)
- [S7] Sick leave, eAU & continued pay — found from sitemap: https://www.hrlab.de/funktionen/krankheit (checked 2026-10-13)
- [S8] Payroll handover, time tracking & API — found from sitemap: https://www.hrlab.de/funktionen/datev (checked 2026-10-13)
- [S9] Payroll handover, time tracking & API — found from sitemap: https://www.hrlab.de/funktionen/vorbereitende-lohnabrechnung (checked 2026-10-13)

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Cite as: whats-best.ai, "HRlab — Absence Management", AI panel analysis, as of 2026-10-21. https://whats-best.ai/software/absence-management/hrlab

Corrections: https://whats-best.ai/correct/539?target=page