The total hours a full-time employee works in a standard week.
Standard is 52. Adjust if seasonal work.
The number of sick days the policy grants per year.
Used to convert "days" into "hours".
Total Annual Work Hours:0
Total Annual Sick Leave Hours:0
Accrual Multiplier:0.0000
Accrual Policy Equivalent:1 hour for every 0 hours worked
function calculateSickLeaveRate() {
// Get Input Values
var hoursPerWeek = parseFloat(document.getElementById("sl_hoursPerWeek").value);
var weeksPerYear = parseFloat(document.getElementById("sl_weeksPerYear").value);
var targetDays = parseFloat(document.getElementById("sl_targetDays").value);
var hoursPerDay = parseFloat(document.getElementById("sl_hoursPerDay").value);
var resultBox = document.getElementById("sl_result");
// Validation
if (isNaN(hoursPerWeek) || isNaN(weeksPerYear) || isNaN(targetDays) || isNaN(hoursPerDay) || hoursPerWeek <= 0 || weeksPerYear 0) {
accrualRate = totalSickHoursTarget / totalWorkHoursYear;
}
// Calculate "1 hour for every X hours worked"
var hoursToEarnOne = 0;
if (accrualRate > 0) {
hoursToEarnOne = 1 / accrualRate;
}
// Update UI
document.getElementById("sl_res_totalWorkHours").innerText = totalWorkHoursYear.toLocaleString() + " hrs";
document.getElementById("sl_res_totalSickHours").innerText = totalSickHoursTarget.toFixed(1) + " hrs";
document.getElementById("sl_res_multiplier").innerText = accrualRate.toFixed(4) + " hrs earned / hr worked";
// Display the ratio clearly
if (hoursToEarnOne > 0) {
document.getElementById("sl_res_ratio").innerText = "1 hour earned for every " + hoursToEarnOne.toFixed(1) + " hours worked";
} else {
document.getElementById("sl_res_ratio").innerText = "No accrual (0 days)";
}
// Show results
resultBox.style.display = "block";
}
Understanding Sick Leave Rate Calculation
Calculating the correct sick leave accrual rate is essential for HR compliance and payroll setup. Whether you are an employer setting up a new benefits policy or an employee auditing your pay stub, understanding how annual leave days translate into an hourly accrual rate is critical.
This calculator converts a target number of annual sick days into a precise accrual multiplier. This multiplier determines how much sick time an employee earns for every single hour they work.
How the Calculation Works
Most payroll systems operate on an accrual basis rather than a lump sum. To find the correct rate, we use the following logical steps:
Determine Total Annual Work Hours: Multiply the standard weekly hours (usually 40) by the number of working weeks in a year (usually 52).
Determine Total Annual Sick Hours: Multiply the number of sick days allowed by the company policy (e.g., 5 days) by the number of hours in a standard workday (e.g., 8 hours).
Calculate the Ratio: Divide the Total Annual Sick Hours by the Total Annual Work Hours.
Example: If an employee works 2,080 hours a year (40 hours × 52 weeks) and receives 40 hours of sick leave (5 days × 8 hours), the calculation is:
40 ÷ 2,080 = 0.0192 hours of sick leave per hour worked.
Common Accrual Benchmarks
Different jurisdictions and companies use different standards for sick leave accumulation. Here are two common methods derived from the calculation above:
The "1 for 30" Rule: In many regions (including several US states and local jurisdictions), the standard mandate is 1 hour of paid sick leave for every 30 hours worked. This equates to an accrual rate of approximately 0.0333.
Pro-Rata Method: Employees earn leave strictly based on the hours they log. This ensures part-time employees earn benefits proportional to full-time staff.
Why Accurate Rates Matter
Setting the wrong accrual rate can lead to two main issues:
Under-accrual: The employee reaches the end of the year without earning the full specific number of days promised in their contract or required by law.
Over-accrual: The business incurs a higher liability than budgeted, as employees earn leave faster than intended.
Use the calculator above to determine the exact "Rate per Hour" to input into your payroll software to ensure the end-of-year totals match your company policy.