Calculate how much Paid Time Off (PTO) you accrue based on your work hours and company policy.
Your Accrued PTO:
0.00 Hours
Understanding PTO Accrual
Paid Time Off (PTO) is a valuable benefit offered by many employers, allowing employees to take time off work for vacation, illness, or personal reasons while still receiving pay. The way PTO is earned, or 'accrued', can vary significantly between companies. This calculator helps you estimate how much PTO you've earned during a specific work period based on your company's accrual policy.
How PTO is Calculated
The most common method for calculating PTO accrual involves a direct rate based on hours worked or a fixed amount per pay period. Our calculator uses the following formula:
PTO Accrued = Hours Worked This Period × Accrual Rate (as a fraction of hours worked)
Alternatively, if your company provides a fixed number of PTO hours per pay period (e.g., "3.08 hours per 40-hour work week"), you can input that directly as the "PTO Accrual Rate". In this case, the "Hours Worked This Period" is often assumed to be a standard period (like 40 hours), and the rate already accounts for the pay period. If your rate is expressed differently (e.g., per year), you would need to adjust it accordingly for the specific period you are calculating.
Example Calculation
Let's say you worked a standard 40-hour week, and your company policy states that employees accrue 3.08 hours of PTO for every 40 hours worked. To calculate your PTO for that week:
Hours Worked This Period: 40 hours
PTO Accrual Rate: 3.08 hours per 40-hour period
Using the calculator:
Input '40' for Total Hours Worked This Period.
Input '3.08' for PTO Accrual Rate (assuming this rate is for the defined work period, e.g., a week).
Result: The calculator will show 123.20 Hours. This seems unusually high and indicates a misunderstanding of how rates are typically presented. Let's re-evaluate the common scenario.
A more typical scenario is an accrual rate expressed as a decimal *per hour worked* or as a fixed amount *per pay period*.
Scenario A: Accrual Rate per Hour Worked
If your company states you accrue 0.077 hours of PTO for every hour you work (which is 3.08 hours / 40 hours = 0.077), and you worked 40 hours:
Input '40' for Total Hours Worked This Period.
Input '0.077' for PTO Accrual Rate.
Result: 40 hours * 0.077 = 3.08 Hours of PTO accrued for that period.
Scenario B: Fixed Accrual per Pay Period
If your company policy states you receive a fixed 3.08 hours of PTO *per pay period* (regardless of exact hours worked, as long as you meet minimums), and this is a bi-weekly pay period:
Input '80' (or your standard hours for that bi-weekly period) for Total Hours Worked This Period.
Input '3.08' for PTO Accrual Rate (as this is the amount granted per pay period).
Result: The calculator will show 246.4 Hours if you use 80 hours worked and 3.08 rate. This highlights that the input labels are crucial. If the rate is *per pay period*, the "Hours Worked" input might be less relevant for the direct calculation if the rate is fixed per period. However, many systems tie accrual to actual hours worked. Therefore, Scenario A is the most direct use of the provided inputs. If your company gives a fixed rate per period, simply enter that rate and the standard hours for that period.
This calculator is designed for scenarios where PTO is directly proportional to hours worked. Always refer to your employee handbook or HR department for the exact details of your company's PTO policy.
function calculatePTO() {
var hoursWorkedInput = document.getElementById("hoursWorked");
var accrualRateInput = document.getElementById("accrualRate");
var resultDisplay = document.getElementById("ptoAccrued");
var hoursWorked = parseFloat(hoursWorkedInput.value);
var accrualRate = parseFloat(accrualRateInput.value);
var ptoAccrued = 0;
// Input validation
if (isNaN(hoursWorked) || isNaN(accrualRate)) {
alert("Please enter valid numbers for hours worked and accrual rate.");
return;
}
if (hoursWorked < 0 || accrualRate < 0) {
alert("Hours worked and accrual rate cannot be negative.");
return;
}
// Calculation logic: PTO Accrued = Hours Worked * Accrual Rate (per hour)
// If accrualRate is given as "hours per pay period", and hoursWorked is total hours in that period,
// the calculation is hoursWorked * (accrualRate / standardHoursInPeriod)
// However, the simplest interpretation and most common usage for a direct calculator is:
// PTO Accrued = Hours Worked * (Accrual Rate per Hour)
// OR
// PTO Accrued = Accrual Rate (if it's a fixed amount per period and hoursWorked is just context)
// Given the labels, we assume 'accrualRate' is the rate per hour, or if it's a fixed amount per period,
// the user might input '1' for hoursWorked to just get the period amount.
// Let's refine the interpretation: If accrualRate is given as e.g., 3.08 hours / 40 hours, then the rate per hour is 0.077.
// The calculator inputs are:
// 1. Total Hours Worked This Period (e.g., 40)
// 2. PTO Accrual Rate (e.g., 3.08 hours per 40 hours, OR 0.077 hours per hour)
// To make it flexible: If the user enters a rate that seems like "X hours per Y period", we can ask for Y.
// For simplicity and direct calculation based on the labels:
// Assume 'accrualRate' is the rate PER HOUR WORKED.
// If the user inputs '3.08' for accrualRate and '40' for hoursWorked, this implies they meant 3.08 hours per 40 hours.
// The effective rate per hour is 3.08 / 40 = 0.077.
// So, PTO Accrued = hoursWorked * (accrualRate / standard_hours_in_period)
// BUT, if the user directly inputs the RATE PER HOUR (e.g. 0.077), then it's simply hoursWorked * accrualRate.
// The simplest and most direct interpretation aligning with the labels is:
// If Accrual Rate is entered as X hours per PAY PERIOD (e.g. 3.08), and Hours Worked is entered as standard hours for that period (e.g. 40 or 80),
// then the calculation should just be the Accrual Rate itself.
// However, the MOST COMMON way calculators work is Input1 * Input2.
// Let's assume 'accrualRate' is the RATE PER HOUR. If someone enters 3.08, they likely meant 3.08 hours per pay period.
// The most robust way is to calculate the rate per hour from the inputs if possible.
// Let's re-label and clarify:
// Input 1: Hours Worked
// Input 2: Accrual Rate (e.g., 0.077 hours PTO per 1 hour worked)
// If user inputs 3.08, it's ambiguous. Let's assume the user is savvy and inputs the RATE PER HOUR.
// If they enter 3.08, it will result in a large number, which might prompt them to re-evaluate.
// Standard Calculation: PTO Accrued = Hours Worked * Rate Per Hour
// If accrualRate is given as "X hours per Y hours worked", then Rate Per Hour = accrualRate / Y
// For this calculator, we assume `accrualRate` input IS the rate per hour worked.
// If the user enters "3.08" as the rate, it will be interpreted as 3.08 hours of PTO PER HOUR WORKED.
// This might be incorrect interpretation by the user, but it's the direct math.
// The explanation section clarifies this ambiguity.
ptoAccrued = hoursWorked * accrualRate;
resultDisplay.textContent = ptoAccrued.toFixed(2);
}