How to use
- Pick the accrual method and pay frequency, then enter PTO hours per year and work hours per year.
- Enter hours worked or pay periods elapsed, your starting balance, an optional cap and any planned time off.
- Read the accrued and available balance and scan the projection table for the rest of the year.
Worked example: Bi-weekly accrual with a cap
80 PTO hours a year on a bi-weekly schedule is 80 ÷ 26 = 3.08 hours per period. After 10 periods the accrual is 30.77 hours; with a 12-hour starting balance that is 42.77 hours.
With a 100-hour cap and 16 hours planned off, the available balance is 26.77 hours. The per-hour method instead uses hours worked × (80 ÷ 2,080) = 0.0385 hours of PTO per hour worked, so 800 hours worked earns 30.77 hours too.
Frequently asked questions
Which accrual method should I pick?
Use what your handbook says. Hourly employees often accrue per hour worked; salaried staff per pay period; some employers grant the full amount each January.
How is per-hour accrual computed?
Hours worked × (annual PTO hours ÷ annual work hours). 2,080 is the usual full-time year.
What does the cap do?
The balance stops growing at the cap until you use time; the projection marks capped periods.
Does it handle carryover?
Enter last year's carried balance as the starting balance.
Can I project a specific date?
Count the pay periods up to that date and read the projection row.
Is this legal advice?
No. State rules on caps and payout differ; this is a planning tool.