Vacation Accrual Projector
Project vacation/PTO accrual over time.
Written and maintained by Paul Clark, Redmoon Software · Rules last verified
All 12 dates
- Oct 7, 2026 — 0.83 days
- Nov 7, 2026 — 1.67 days
- Dec 7, 2026 — 2.50 days
- Jan 7, 2027 — 3.33 days
- Feb 7, 2027 — 4.17 days
- Mar 7, 2027 — 5.00 days
- Apr 7, 2027 — 5.83 days
- May 7, 2027 — 6.67 days
- Jun 7, 2027 — 7.50 days
- Jul 7, 2027 — 8.33 days
- Aug 7, 2027 — 9.17 days
- Sep 7, 2027 — 10.00 days
These calculators are for informational purposes only and do not constitute legal, financial, or professional advice.
How the Vacation Accrual Projector works
The Vacation Accrual Calculator projects how PTO builds up over the first year from an accrual start date — typically a hire date or the start of a leave year. Enter the date and the annual entitlement and it returns the monthly accrual rate, a dated schedule of the balance at each month, the balance accrued as of today, and the date the full entitlement is reached.
The dates are the point, and they are new: this calculator previously read the start date only to validate it and then produced a fixed list of "Month 1" through "Month 12" that never changed no matter what date you entered. It now anchors the schedule to your actual date, so an accrual year starting on the 15th produces balances dated the 15th, and the "accrued as of today" figure is a real answer rather than something you had to work out yourself.
The model is straight-line monthly accrual, which is the most common arrangement and the easiest to check a payslip against. It is not the only one: some employers accrue per pay period rather than per month, which gives 26 smaller increments on a fortnightly cycle rather than 12; some front-load the entire entitlement at the start of the year; and some accrue by hours worked, which makes the balance depend on the timesheet rather than the calendar. What the calculator deliberately does not model is carryover, caps or forfeiture — those are policy rules that vary per employer and, in several jurisdictions, are constrained by law.
Worked example
An employee starts accruing on Thursday, 15 January 2026 with a 15-day annual entitlement. The rate is 1.25 days a month, so the balance reaches 3.75 days by 15 April, 7.50 by 15 July, and the full 15 days on 15 January 2027. Checked in mid-August, the calculator reports 7.50 days accrued to date — the figure to compare against the balance on the payslip before booking anything.
Frequently asked questions
My employer accrues per pay period, not per month. Does this still work?
The annual total and the trajectory are the same; only the granularity differs. On a fortnightly cycle you get 26 smaller increments rather than 12, so mid-month your real balance will sit slightly above or below the monthly figure shown here. Use this for the shape of the year and your payslip for the exact figure on any given day.
Does it account for carryover or a cap?
No. It projects the first accrual year from the date you give it. Carryover limits, accrual caps that stop further accrual once a ceiling is reached, and use-it-or-lose-it forfeiture are all employer policy and in some jurisdictions are regulated — several US states, for instance, treat accrued vacation as earned wages that cannot be forfeited. Check your own policy against local law.
What date should I use as the accrual start?
The date your entitlement starts building — usually the hire date for a new employee, or the start of the leave year for an established one. If your employer runs a common leave year for everyone, use that date rather than your hire date, or the schedule will be offset from the one payroll is working to.
What this calculator does not do
A limitation you know about costs far less than one you find after the deadline. These are the specific things this tool cannot work out for you.
- Accrual rates, caps and carryover rules come from your employer’s policy or your award, not from any general standard.
- It does not model use-it-or-lose-it forfeiture dates, which several jurisdictions restrict or prohibit outright.