Your leave balance will appear here
Fill in the form and click Calculate BalanceHow to Use This Calculator
Select Simple Balance for quick tracking from annual entitlement, or Accrual-Based for detailed calculation using your start date and pay period.
Fill in your annual entitlement or accrual rate, and any carryover days from the previous year that rolled into your current balance.
Enter days already taken and any pending days approved but not yet started. Both are deducted from your available balance.
Instantly see your remaining balance in days and hours, utilization rate, color-coded status, and in accrual mode - next accrual countdown and projected year-end balance.
Headcount Planning Formula
Simple Balance
Total Available = Annual Entitlement + Carryover Remaining Balance = Total Available - Days Used - Days Pending Utilization % = (Days Used / Total Available) × 100 Remaining Hours = Remaining Balance × Hours per Day
Accrual-Based
Accrual per Period = Annual Accrual / Periods per Year Periods Elapsed = floor(Days Since Start / Period Length) Accrued Days = Accrual per Period × Periods Elapsed Total Accrued = Accrued Days + Carryover [capped if Max Cap > 0] Remaining Balance = Total Accrued - Days Used - Days Pending
Worked Example
Employee starts Jan 1, 2026, accruing 20 days/year bi-weekly. Calculating on Jul 1, 2026. Used 4 days, 1 pending:
- Periods per year (bi-weekly) = 26
- Accrual per period = 20 ÷ 26 = 0.769 days
- Days elapsed = 181 ? Periods elapsed = floor(181 ÷ 14) = 12
- Accrued = 0.769 × 12 = 9.23 days
- Remaining = 9.23 - 4 - 1 = 4.23 days
Leave Type Reference
| Leave Type | Typical Annual (US) | Typical Annual (EU) | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Vacation / PTO | 10-20 days | 20-30 days | Grows with tenure |
| Sick Leave | 5-10 days | 5-15 days | May be unlimited in some policies |
| Personal Leave | 2-5 days | 3-5 days | Discretionary use |
| Bereavement | 3-5 days per event | 3-5 days per event | Not annual - per occurrence |
| Parental Leave | 12 weeks (unpaid FMLA) | 14-52 weeks | Varies significantly by country |
| Casual Leave | Not standard | Not standard | Common in Asia-Pacific |
| Comp Time | Variable | Variable | Earned via overtime hours |
* Entitlements vary by employer, country, and tenure. Consult your employee handbook for exact policies.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is a leave balance calculator?
A leave balance calculator helps employees and HR teams track how much paid time off (PTO), vacation, or sick leave is available, used, and remaining based on their entitlement or accrual policies. It removes the guesswork and gives you an instant, accurate view of your leave position.
What is the difference between simple balance and accrual-based calculation?
Simple balance starts from a fixed annual entitlement and subtracts days used and pending - ideal when your employer grants all leave upfront at the start of the year. Accrual-based calculates leave earned gradually over time, based on your start date, accrual rate, and pay period frequency - ideal for employers who accrue leave each pay period.
How does leave accrual work?
Leave accrual means you earn leave gradually over time rather than receiving it all at once. For example, if you accrue 15 days/year bi-weekly (26 pay periods), you earn 15 ÷ 26 = 0.577 days every two weeks. After 6 months (approximately 13 periods), you would have accrued about 7.5 days. This calculator computes accrued days using the number of completed pay periods since your start date.
What is a maximum accrual cap?
A cap is the maximum amount of leave you can accumulate. Once your accrued leave reaches the cap, no additional leave accrues until you use some. Many employers set caps (often 1.5× or 2× annual accrual) to encourage employees to take time off and reduce the financial liability of large leave balances on the company's books. Set the cap field to 0 if your employer has no cap.
What is carryover leave?
Carryover is unused leave from a previous year that rolls over into your current year balance. Policies vary widely - some employers allow unlimited carryover, others cap the amount you can carry (e.g. "carry up to 5 days"), and others use "use it or lose it" rules where unused leave expires at year-end. Enter your actual carryover amount in the Carryover field to get an accurate balance.
How do I calculate leave in hours vs days?
The calculator automatically converts your remaining leave into hours based on your "Hours per Workday" input (default 8 hours). For example, 10 remaining days × 8 hrs/day = 80 hours. If your standard workday is 7.5 or 9 hours, update the Hours per Workday field to get an accurate hours equivalent.
What are typical annual leave entitlements?
In the US, 10-15 days of vacation is common for new employees, rising to 20-25 days for senior or long-tenured staff. Sick leave averages 5-10 days. In the EU, minimum statutory annual leave is 20 working days (4 weeks), with many countries mandating more. Many Asia-Pacific countries have different structures including "casual leave" which is not common in the US/EU.
Can I have a negative leave balance?
Some employers allow "advance leave" - borrowing against future accrual - which results in a negative balance. If this happens, this calculator will show the negative value and mark the status as "Overdrawn." Whether your employer allows negative balances is a matter of company policy. If advance leave is not permitted, a negative balance means you've taken unauthorized leave and may need to adjust your entries.