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Time-Off Accrual Calculator

Calculate your PTO balance, monthly accrual rate, and projected year-end carryover. See exactly how many days are at risk of expiring.

20 country defaults4 accrual methodsMonth-by-month calendar view

Calculator Inputs

Statutory minimum: 0 days/year

0 days60 days
4 hrs12 hrs
015
030 days
Current Balance

0 days

0 hours

Monthly Accrual

1.25 days

per month

Year-End Projection

11.25 days

Carryover: 5 days

Days at Risk

6.25 days

Above carryover limit

PTO Balance Over 12 Months

Accrued vs. Used Per Month

6.3 days at risk of expiring

Based on your current accrual rate and 5-day carryover policy, you may forfeit 6.3 PTO days (50 hours) at year end. Consider scheduling time off before December 31.

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Understanding PTO Accrual and Carryover Policies

Why Accurate PTO Tracking Matters

For employees, incorrect PTO tracking can mean losing days they have legitimately earned. For employers, it creates legal liability — particularly in jurisdictions like California, France, and the UK where accrued leave is a statutory right that must be compensated upon termination. According to a Mercer survey, 63% of employees are unsure of their current PTO balance, and 27% forfeit days each year simply because they lost track of when their balance would expire.

Accrual Methods Compared

Annual grant is the simplest method: employees receive their full PTO balance on the first day of the year. Monthly accrual is more employer-friendly as new hires earn time off proportionally. Per pay period (bi-weekly) is the most common in the US, with employees earning approximately 0.577 days per pay period for a 15-day annual entitlement. Hourly accrual is used in industries with variable hours, such as retail and healthcare, where each hour worked earns a fraction of a PTO hour.

Global Carryover Rules

The EU Working Time Directive guarantees a minimum of 4 weeks (20 days) annual leave and mandates that statutory leave cannot simply expire if an employee was unable to use it due to illness or operational reasons. Germany and France require carryover rights and additional compensation for unused statutory leave. The US has no federal carryover requirement — employers may implement use-it-or-lose-it policies in most states (except California, Colorado, Montana, and Nebraska where all accrued leave must be paid out upon termination).

Frequently Asked Questions

How does PTO accrual work?
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.
What is a carryover policy and how does it work?
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.
What are the statutory PTO minimums by country?
Statutory minimums vary widely: US has no federal mandate (0 days), UK requires 28 days (including bank holidays), France 25 days, Germany 30 days (minimum 24), Japan 10–40 days based on tenure, Australia 20 days, India 18 days, UAE 22 days, and Brazil 30 days. Our calculator pre-fills these minimums when you select a country — your employer may offer more.
How do I calculate my current PTO balance?
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.
What happens to my PTO if I leave the company?
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.
How can an HRMS like Odoo automate PTO tracking?
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.

Automate Time-Off Management with Odoo

Stop tracking PTO in spreadsheets. Odoo Time Off module handles accruals, approvals, carryover rules, and multi-country policies automatically — for teams of 10 to 10,000.

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