About

The free online PTO accrual calculator on this page helps you model paid time off balances with the two rules that cause the most spreadsheet mistakes: a maximum cap and accrual that resumes after PTO usage drops the balance below the cap. Instead of trusting a single final number, you get a day-by-day audit trail so payroll and HR can verify exactly when hours accrued, when the cap blocked accrual, and how usage changed the balance.

This tool is built for real-world policy language. You can enter accrual as hours per year or hours per day, set a cap, add an optional starting balance (carryover or mid-year changes), and choose whether accrual happens before or after same-day usage to match how your handbook is written. The usage timeline editor supports multiple events, paste-in bulk entries, auto-sorting by date, and validations that flag impossible scenarios (like usage before the hire date) to prevent silent spreadsheet errors.

• Payroll verification: export a ledger CSV that shows start balance, accrued, capped amount, used, and ending balance for each day.
• HR policy comparisons: run a what-if comparison (e.g., 80 hours/year vs 120 hours/year, or different caps) and see the first date balances diverge.
• Manager approvals: generate a shareable scenario link with a built-in checksum and a visible “Verified scenario” badge.
• Spreadsheet rebuilds: copy spreadsheet-ready formulas and a running-balance table template for Excel or Google Sheets.

Unlike many PTO calculators that only compute totals, this one is designed for auditability and handoff. You can download CSV and JSON exports, save named presets in your browser, and re-run any of your last 20 scenarios from the history panel. The unique hook is tamper-evident share links: when someone forwards a scenario for approval, the recipient can confirm the data wasn’t altered without relying on screenshots.

FAQ

Does the cap stop accrual permanently?
No. When your balance hits the cap, additional accrual is blocked. Once you use PTO (or an adjustment reduces the balance) below the cap, accrual resumes automatically on subsequent days.

How do I enter adjustments or corrections?
Add an event with a negative number of hours to represent a credit (adding hours back). Positive hours represent usage (reducing the balance). Each event can include a note for audit clarity.

What does “accrue then use” vs “use then accrue” mean?
Some policies treat accrual as happening at the start of the day, others at the end. If usage and accrual occur on the same date, this setting controls the order and can change whether the cap blocks accrual on that day.

Can I trust a shared link?
Yes—if the tool shows the Verified scenario badge. The link includes a checksum; if the data is modified, the checksum won’t match and the scenario will be marked unverified.