Free PTO Accrual Calculator (Excel)
What's in the free PTO accrual calculator
The template holds 30 employee rows. For each one you set a monthly accrual rate and an annual cap, then enter months worked and any carryover from last year. The calculator does the rest: monthly accrual, running balance, and a flag if the numbers don't add up.
There's no separate policies sheet or tenure logic here — it's one calculator, one set of inputs per employee, built to show the accrual math clearly rather than hide it behind a dashboard.
The accrual formula, already built
Monthly accrual is calculated as the smaller of the annual cap or the monthly rate multiplied by months worked — MIN(cap, rate × months) — then carryover is added and days taken are subtracted to get the balance. That's the same core accrual logic behind our paid, formula-tested PTO tracker, just without the extra policies and tenure tiers layered on top.
Because the formula is visible in the cells, you can see exactly how each employee's balance was reached, and adjust the rate or cap for any employee without breaking the calculation for anyone else.
Same accrual math, without automatic tenure tiers
This calculator uses one monthly rate and one cap per employee — it does not automatically bump the rate up when someone hits a tenure milestone (say, 2 years or 5 years). If your policy gives longer-tenured employees a higher accrual rate, you update that employee's rate yourself when the milestone hits.
The paid version applies tenure-based rate changes automatically across three separate leave policies; this free calculator is the base math for one policy, done manually per employee when rates change.
Negative balance alerts
If an employee's balance goes negative — they've taken more PTO than they've accrued plus carryover — the balance cell flags red, so it's visible before payroll runs rather than after.
That's the same check built into every leave tracker we publish: the goal is catching a negative balance the day it happens, not the day someone notices at year-end.
How to use it
- Set each employee's monthly accrual rate and annual cap.
- Enter months worked so far for each employee.
- Enter any carryover from last year and days taken.
- Read the balance column — it calculates automatically and flags red if negative.
Download the free Free PTO Accrual Calculator (Excel)
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PTO & Leave Tracker — with Automatic Accrual
For tenure-based accrual rates applied automatically across three policies (PTO, sick, personal) for up to 30 employees, the paid PTO & Leave Tracker ($19) runs the full engine, no macros.
See the full versionTracking PTO for a whole team?
This calculator computes accrual for one policy per employee, updated by hand at tenure milestones. LeaveSheet runs certified accrual with tenure tiers automatically as a web app, at $1.50 per employee per month.
See LeaveSheet — $1.50/employee/moFrequently asked questions
Can I use this PTO accrual calculator in Google Sheets?
Yes. Upload it to Google Drive and open it with File > Save as Google Sheets. The accrual formulas keep working.
Is this template really free?
Yes. You give an email address to download it, and then it's yours to use with no further cost.
What's the accrual formula it uses?
Monthly accrual = the smaller of the annual cap or monthly rate times months worked. Add carryover, subtract days taken, and that's the balance.
Does it apply higher accrual rates automatically as tenure increases?
No. You set one rate per employee and update it yourself when a tenure milestone changes their rate. The paid PTO & Leave Tracker applies tenure tiers automatically.
How many employees does it support?
30 rows are built in. Copy the formulas down if you need more.