U.S. Department of Labor, Wage and Hour Division · reviewed 2026-10-10
What this source supports: Paid vacation is generally a matter of agreement between employer and employee; the DOL describes common arrangements.
Source limit: Your employer's specific accrual rules control. Check your employee handbook and pay stub.
These sources support the statements above. They do not show that every person needs this guide. They do not show a specific result.
Limits
This guide multiplies hours by a rate. It does not read your leave policy or promise that a payout is owed.
Your employer's specific accrual rules control. Check your employee handbook and pay stub.
Use current instructions from the responsible organization. This guide is a planning aid, not an official decision or a substitute for qualified advice.
Common questions
What does the App compute?
Turn unused leave hours and an hourly rate into a payout value and the workdays that leave represents.
What does the App not do?
This App multiplies the numbers you enter. It does not read a leave policy, decide whether a payout is owed, or file a claim.
Where do the numbers come from?
You enter every number yourself. The sources support the method and the limits. They do not produce a result for your specific case. Keep the original documents next to the sheet you build.
Before you start
Open the linked source page and keep it beside you.
Gather the values the App asks for:
Unused leave hours.
Hourly rate in dollars.
Hours in your workday.
Set aside ten quiet minutes; rushed numbers are the main error this guide prevents.
Free Companion App
The App computes the worked example with your own numbers, in your browser.
APP 1
Unused PTO Payout Estimate
Turn unused leave hours and an hourly rate into a payout value and the workdays that leave represents.
This guide is edited for clarity and checked against the sources it links. It is not a substitute for official instructions or qualified advice. A linked source does not show that every person needs this guide.