For customers of our PTO module.
To create a scheduled accrual policy:
Note: Only Company Admins and HR Admins can manage and configure PTO policies. To learn more, please refer to: Understanding User Roles & Permissions.
Click your company name at the top of the main navigation, then click Company Settings.
Click the Paid Time Off tab.
Click the +Add PTO Policy button.
Select the Scheduled Accruals policy type, then click the Next button.
Configure each setting and click the Save button.
Here is a brief description of each setting:
PTO Policy Name
This is the name by which the system will refer to each PTO policy. Examples of names could include “Vacation”, “Sick”, “PTO”, etc.
Calendar Label
You may not want the calendar to show which type of time off an individual is taking. This field allows you to give this policy a different name (or alias) for purposes of the calendar.
Employee Instructions
This field allows you to add a brief note or instruction that will be displayed to each person who has this policy. This is helpful if you need to remind individuals about a certain restriction or rule regarding the usage of this particular type of time off.
Do requests require approval?
Built can auto-approve time off requests if you change this setting to No.
Who receives time off requests?
Choose whether a person’s manager (the person they report to) or an HR Admin will approve their PTO requests. Note that even if you choose the person's manager, all Company Admins, HR Admins, and HR Managers have access to approve or deny all PTO requests should the manager be unable to. If requests do not require approval, a notification email will still be sent.
What time interval are time off requests submitted in?
From this dropdown menu, you can select the minimum time interval that requests can be submitted for this specific policy. You can choose from 1-minute, 15-minute, 30-minute, or half-day intervals.
Is there a waiting period?
If you require that a person be employed for a minimum number of days before taking time off, enter that value here. A common example is a 90-day waiting period. Accruals can still occur during this waiting period if you'd like, but the individual will only be able to request time for dates after the end of the waiting period.
When do account balances reset?
Most companies handle paid time off on a yearly basis, so at some point, all accounts are reset. This is typically on January 1 or on the individual's hire date. Alternatively, you can choose an arbitrary date during the year if necessary. On the chosen reset date, each person’s PTO account will be reset according to the policy’s settings which include any carryover rules.
How much time off is earned per year?
Enter the annual amount of time off (in hours) that most people will receive. For example, if most individuals receive 2 weeks of paid time off each year, you would enter 80 in this box. If you need to define any exceptions to this rule, you can override an individual's yearly accrual amount by configuring a person's PTO account.
Note: Because this annual amount will be earned in equal portions throughout the year, we show you the breakdown for the first annual amount defined (e.g. 80 hours per year = 3.33 hours bimonthly).
Add a years-of-service tier (optional)
If your company increases the amount of PTO given as individuals reach certain anniversaries, you can automatically adjust PTO amounts for years of service.
Accrual Frequency
Choose how often an automatic accrual should occur. The system supports weekly, biweekly, bimonthly, or monthly accruals and allows you to specify the actual dates on which the accruals will happen.
Do you allow negative account balances?
Because individuals will earn their time off gradually throughout the year, this setting allows you to decide if people can use time off before it is earned (which results in a negative balance). The first option allows negative balances but ensures that people don't use more than their annual allotment. The second option is open-ended and allows an individual to potentially use more time off than they will earn in the year. If you allow people to end the year with a negative balance, you can enter that amount here as a fixed number of hours or as a percentage relative to the annual amount earned. Or, you may choose to not set a specific restriction and instead choose the unlimited option. If an employee tries to submit a PTO request that goes more negative than you allow, the system will prevent them from submitting that request.
Does unused time carry over to the next year?
Unless you change this setting, all unused time off will be lost as of the reset date. If you allow people to carry a portion of their remaining PTO balance from year to year, you can enter that here as a fixed number of hours or as a percentage. By default, carryover hours are added to the same account during the reset process. You can, however, choose to add carryover hours into another account if needed. For example, any leftover vacation hours are added to a medical savings account.
Do accounts have a max balance?
If you've chosen to allow carryover hours from one year to the next, you may want to set a maximum account balance to prevent people from stockpiling too many unused PTO hours year after year. Again, the percentage option, in this case, is relative to the annual amount earned.
Please contact our customer success team for additional assistance.
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