Calculator Inputs
Example PTO Ledger Table
| Employee | Method | Starting Hours | Earned Hours | Used Hours | Scheduled Hours | Ending Hours |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jordan Lee | Pay period | 24.00 | 24.60 | 18.00 | 8.00 | 22.60 |
| Avery Chen | Monthly | 40.00 | 12.00 | 10.00 | 4.00 | 38.00 |
| Sam Rivera | Hourly | 12.00 | 8.50 | 6.00 | 0.00 | 14.50 |
| Taylor Brooks | Annual | 80.00 | 30.00 | 22.00 | 16.00 | 72.00 |
| Morgan Patel | Pay period | 10.00 | 18.45 | 20.00 | 4.00 | 4.45 |
Formula Used
Earned Hours = Accrual Rate × Activity Units × FTE Ratio
Activity units are hours worked, pay periods elapsed, months elapsed, or the annual grant amount.
Carryover Applied = Minimum of requested carryover and carryover cap
Pre-Cap Bank = Starting Balance + Carryover Applied + Earned Hours + Manual Adjustment
Capped Bank = Minimum of pre-cap bank and accrual cap
Final Balance = Maximum of (Capped Bank − Used Hours − Scheduled Hours) and negative limit floor
Available Days = Final Balance ÷ Hours Per Workday
This approach helps HR teams test policy caps, analyze future requests, and see whether balances remain compliant after carryover and scheduled leave.
How to Use This Calculator
- Enter the employee name and choose the accrual method used by your leave policy.
- Fill in the relevant activity inputs, such as pay periods elapsed, months elapsed, hours worked, or annual grant.
- Add opening balance, carryover, usage, scheduled leave, and any manual adjustment.
- Set the accrual cap, negative limit, and hours per workday to match your policy.
- Press calculate to see the result block above the form, summary metrics, and chart.
- Export the calculated summary with the CSV or PDF buttons for recordkeeping or manager review.
FAQs
1. What does this PTO calculator measure?
It estimates earned leave, carryover, capped balances, planned deductions, remaining hours, and available days. It also highlights low or negative balance situations.
2. Can it handle different accrual policies?
Yes. You can calculate balances using hourly accrual, pay-period accrual, monthly accrual, or annual grants. This makes it useful for different HR policies.
3. Why is carryover capped?
Some employers limit how much unused leave moves into the next period. The carryover cap lets you model that rule before the current balance is calculated.
4. What is the accrual cap?
An accrual cap is the highest leave bank allowed under policy. Any hours above that threshold are removed from the storable balance in this calculator.
5. What does the negative limit do?
It defines how far below zero an employee is allowed to go. If deductions exceed that amount, the calculator flags the blocked hours.
6. How are available days calculated?
Available days equal the final hour balance divided by hours per workday. For example, 16 hours at an eight-hour day equals two days.
7. Can I use this for vacation and sick time?
Yes. It works for vacation, PTO banks, sick leave, or combined leave programs. Use the same formula and adjust the labels in your workflow.
8. When is the forecast exhaustion date helpful?
It helps managers estimate when current leave will be depleted if monthly usage continues at the projected pace. That supports planning and approvals.