Time-Off Accrual Calculator

PTO accrual is the process of earning paid time off over time. There are four common methods: Annual Grant (full balance on January 1), Monthly Accrual (days earned each month), Per Pay Period (days earned each pay cycle), and Hourly Accrual (hours earned per hour worked). Monthly accrual is the most common — if you have 15 days annually, you earn 1.25 days each month.

A carryover policy determines what happens to unused PTO at the end of the year. "None" (use-it-or-lose-it) means all unused days expire. "Limited" lets you carry forward up to a set number of days (e.g., 5 days). "Unlimited" allows all unused days to roll over to the next year. Many countries like France and Germany legally mandate carryover rights for statutory leave.

They vary widely, and several widely-quoted figures are wrong: the US has no federal mandate (0 days), the UK requires 5.6 weeks including bank holidays (28 days), France 5 weeks (25 working days), Australia 4 weeks (20 days) and Brazil 30 days. Germany's statutory floor is 20 working days on a 5-day week, not 30 — 30 is a common contractual figure. Japan gives 10 days after six months, rising with tenure. India has no 18-day national minimum: the Factories Act gives 1 day per 20 days worked (about 12 days a year). The UAE gives 30 days after a year of service, and China 5 days at 1-10 years' service. The calculator pre-fills an indicative figure with the instrument it comes from, and you can override it with your own entitlement.

Your current PTO balance = Days accrued to date − Days used + Any carried-over days from the previous year. For monthly accrual: if your annual entitlement is 15 days and you are 4 months into the year, you have accrued 5 days. If you used 2 days, your balance is 3 days. Our calculator does this automatically based on your start date and usage.

This depends on your jurisdiction. In California (US), all accrued PTO must be paid out upon termination. Most US states follow company policy. In the UK, accrued statutory leave must be paid out. In France and Germany, unused leave must also be compensated. In the UAE, all accrued leave up to 2 years must be paid. Always check your employment contract and local labor law.

Odoo Time Off module automates the entire leave lifecycle: employees submit requests via self-service portal, managers approve via mobile app, balances update in real-time, and payroll deductions are automatic. It supports multiple accrual policies, carryover rules, and public holiday calendars for all countries. Accrual is calculated automatically — no manual spreadsheet tracking required.