PTO can accrue evenly across a leave year, one-twelfth each month, per pay period, or per hour worked. The correct method depends on the employer policy or applicable law.

Does US federal law require paid vacation?

The Fair Labor Standards Act does not require paid vacation or holiday leave for most employees. These benefits are usually set by policy, contract, or state law.

What is the UK 12.07% holiday accrual method?

For UK irregular-hours and part-year workers, statutory holiday can accrue at 12.07% of hours worked, derived from 5.6 weeks of holiday over 46.4 working weeks.

PTO / Holiday Accrual Calculator - Vacation Leave Estimator

How PTO and holiday accrual works

PTO accrual is usually set by employer policy, contract, or local law. This calculator supports several common methods: pro-rating an annual allowance by calendar days, one-twelfth monthly accrual, per-pay-period accrual, hourly accrual, and the UK statutory 12.07% method for irregular-hours and part-year workers.

Formulas

annual_hours       = annual_allowance_days * hours_per_day
calendar_accrual   = annual_hours * elapsed_leave_year_days / leave_year_days
monthly_accrual    = annual_hours * completed_months / 12
pay_period_accrual = annual_hours * completed_pay_periods / pay_periods_per_year
hourly_accrual     = hours_worked * hours_accrued_per_hour_worked
uk_statutory       = hours_worked * 12.07%
available          = accrued + carryover - used

Official source assumptions checked

In the US, the Department of Labor says the FLSA does not generally require paid vacation or holidays, so employer policy controls for many workers. In the UK, most workers are entitled to 5.6 weeks of statutory paid holiday, capped at 28 days for a 5-day equivalent entitlement, and irregular-hours or part-year workers can accrue statutory holiday at 12.07% of hours worked.

What this tool does not include

It does not enforce state-specific payout laws, public-sector rules, collective bargaining agreements, company blackout rules, probationary waiting periods, carryover expiry dates, rounding policies, maximum balance caps, or cash-out rules. Use your written policy or employment contract for final payroll decisions.

References

FAQ

Which accrual method should I choose?

Use the method in the employment contract, handbook, or payroll policy. Calendar pro-rata is useful when leave earns evenly through the year, monthly and pay-period methods match fixed payroll rules, hourly is for custom company rates, and UK statutory hourly is for the 12.07% irregular-hours or part-year worker approach.

Why can the available balance be negative?

A negative result means entered used leave is greater than accrued leave plus carryover as of the selected date. Some employers allow advance PTO; others treat that as unpaid leave or recover it when employment ends.

Does the calculator apply maximum balance caps?

No. The calculator caps calendar and monthly accrual at the annual allowance, but it does not apply employer-specific bank caps, carryover expiry, waiting periods, blackout dates, or forfeiture rules.

How should carryover be entered?

Enter only the carryover days that are still usable on the as-of date. If carryover expires partway through the year, remove the expired amount before calculating the current available balance.

Can this be used for final payroll decisions?

Use it as an estimate and audit aid. Final payroll should follow the written policy, employment agreement, local law, and any payroll rounding rules that apply to the worker.

Accrual basis