Hours-only policy forecast

PTO accrual calculator

Forecast your PTO balance from scheduled credits. Follow planned leave and cap adjustments in a dated ledger.

32 hours projected through 2026-09-04

Explore a worked example

Choosing an example replaces your inputs. Edit them to match your policy and balance. If controls stay disabled, allow JavaScript and reload.

Enter your employer's posting rules. Opening balance is at the end of the opening date. The forecast includes events through the target date.

Opening date Forecast through (inclusive) Opening balance (hours) First future PTO posting date Posting frequency Credit amount method Hours per credit Balance cap (hours, optional)

First posting must be after the opening date. Posting need not match payday. No holiday shifting or partial-period credit.

A blank cap means no ceiling; zero pauses all new credit. A cap never removes an existing balance.

One planned leave request (optional)

Leave date Requested leave (hours) When credit and leave share a date

Clear both leave fields to omit the request. A request larger than the available balance is not deducted. This forecast does not model borrowing or partial requests.

Projected ending balance

hours through 2026-09-04

Scheduled postings: 1
Hours per posting: 4
Hours credited: 2
Accrual blocked by cap: 2
Modeled leave debit: 8
Leave shortfall: 0

38 opening + 2 credited − 8 taken = 32 hours.

Direct credit mode: 4 hours per posting. No annual earning limit is modeled.

Inspect the forecast ledger

This forecasts scheduled PTO postings under your inputs; it does not calculate legal entitlement or prorated PTO when employment ends.

Hours display rounded to two decimals; calculations retain full precision. “Accrual blocked by cap” is future credit not added, never forfeiture of earned hours.

Scroll the table horizontally on small screens.

Every posting and leave event

Illustrative forecast from 2026-09-01 through 2026-09-04; credit before leave on a shared date.

PTO event ledger
Date	Event	Before	Potential credit	Credited	Accrual blocked by cap	Requested leave	Leave debit	Shortfall	After
2026-09-04	Credit	38	4	2	2	n/a	0	0	40
2026-09-04	Modeled leave debit	40	n/a	0	0	8	8	0	32

Why same-day order can matter

This illustrative example starts at 38 hours, with a 40-hour cap, a 4-hour posting and an 8-hour leave request on 2026-09-04.

Credit first adds 2 hours. The cap blocks 2 hours before the leave is taken. Leave first creates room for the full credit.

After that date, the balances are 32 hours with credit first and 34 hours with leave first.

Change the order above to inspect both ledgers.

Illustrative credits and leave on 2026-09-04, in hours

Same-day ordering comparison
Order	Event	Before	Credited	Blocked by cap	Leave debit	After
Credit first	Credit	38	2	2	0	40
Credit first	Leave	40	0	0	8	32
Leave first	Leave	38	0	0	8	30
Leave first	Credit	30	4	0	0	34

Later credits can bring the two ending balances back together when the cap is reached.

How we calculate your forecast

The tool schedules each posting after your opening date through your target date. At every posting, it adds the smaller of the scheduled credit or the remaining space under the cap.

Planned leave is processed in date order using your chosen same-day rule.

In annual mode, annual allowance divided by the editable policy divisor gives hours per posting.

The actual scheduled count is separate: the illustrated calendar year contains 27 biweekly postings, starting on 2026-01-01, while its policy divisor remains 26.

An illustrative 104-hour allowance divided by that policy divisor produces 4 hours per posting and 108 hours across that calendar.

This tool applies all scheduled credits and does not enforce an annual earning limit; check whether your policy has one. An annual allowance is not treated as an already-earned opening balance.

Employer rules and legal context

The FLSA itself does not require vacation time off, paid or unpaid. U.S. Department of Labor Hours Worked Advisor

In California, earned vacation vests as labor is performed. California DIR vacation guidance

California permits reasonable vacation accrual caps that pause future earning until the balance falls below the cap. California DIR vacation guidance

California prohibits forfeiting earned vacation because it was not used by a specified deadline. California DIR vacation guidance

Keep this example within its California context. Don't use the forecast to determine whether your employer's cap is lawful.

Built by Mike, independent calculator builder and operator of StateWage. Source review date 2026-09-08.

Estimate limits

This hours-only model excludes work-hour-based statutory sick leave, waiting periods, tenure tiers, annual earning limits, carryover resets, contract exceptions and termination proration.

It does not determine legal entitlement or approve time off. No automatic year-end reset or forfeiture is applied.

Related tools

For the cash-out side, use the PTO payout calculator. For a separate payday calendar, see the pay periods calculator.