· ReadyStack
Worked example
Real numbers from this tool, line by line.
A US employee with 96 PTO hours today, a 40-hour carryover cap and $38.00 an hour loses $2,397.80 of pay on Dec 31, 2026 unless they book 8 more days off. That is the worked example in this digital planner app, and every figure below comes from its formulas.
| Result | Value |
|---|---|
| PTO still to accrue (4.62 hours × 5 paychecks) | 23.1 hours |
| Balance on Dec 31, 2026 (96 + 23.1 − 16 booked) | 103.1 hours |
| Hours over the 40-hour carryover cap | 63.1 hours |
| Pay forfeited on Dec 31 at $38.00 an hour | $2,397.80 |
| 8-hour days to book before Dec 31 | 8 |
| Share of the 55 workdays left | 14.55% |
| Workdays you still work after booking | 47 |
| Hours carried into 2027 | 40 |
Who this is for
Nurses, engineers, office staff and anyone else in the US whose employer runs a calendar-year PTO policy with a carryover cap. It also fits HR and office managers who have to approve a December full of leave requests and want to see each person's number before the holiday booking cut-off.
Why Dec 31 matters
Most employers that cap carryover apply the cap once a year. Whatever sits above it on the last day of the PTO year is gone. A calendar app shows Dec 31 as a date. Your policy treats it as a cut-off. Between Oct 13 and Dec 31, 2026 there are 58 weekdays. Take away Thanksgiving (Nov 26), the day after, and Christmas Day (Dec 25), and 55 workdays are left to fit those 8 days in. Your team is also trying to book the same weeks.
The state switch
Four states treat earned vacation as wages that cannot be forfeited: California (Labor Code Section 227.3), Colorado (Nieto v. Clark's Market, 2021), Montana and Nebraska. Flip the state switch to the banned option with the same numbers and the forfeited pay drops to $0.00. All 103.1 hours carry into 2027 (40 under the cap plus 63.1 kept above it). Employers in those states usually stop accrual at a cap instead, so the planner shows what you keep rather than what you lose.
Three situations, three different answers
- The example above, in a state that allows forfeiture: $2,397.80 lost, 8 days to book.
- The same numbers in California: $0.00 lost, 103.1 hours carried into 2027.
- The same numbers with an 80-hour cap: 23.1 hours over the cap, $877.80 lost, 3 days to book.
What you type in
Eight things, all from your pay stub or PTO policy: balance today, hours accrued per paycheck, paychecks left in 2026, hours already booked, carryover cap, hourly pay, your state's rule and your workdays left. The page recalculates as you type. Nothing is uploaded.
Free and paid
The whole calculation is free in your browser, for your own numbers, as often as you like. The paid part is the .xlsx workbook with the same 10 live formulas. Keep one copy per year-end and per team member, and attach it to an HR request or file it with your approval email. It is a one-time payment, not a subscription. For comparison, Sunsama lists $20 per user per month billed annually, and it does not know your carryover cap.
Before you book
Check whether your PTO year runs on the calendar or on your hire date, and whether your policy forfeits at year-end or stops accrual at a cap. Put the hours your policy actually lets you carry into the cap field. This is a planner, not legal advice.
15 seconds — what it actually does
Questions people ask
What does this digital planner app work out for my PTO?
It takes your PTO balance today, the hours you still accrue per paycheck, the hours already booked and your company's carryover cap, and shows your balance on Dec 31, 2026, the hours over the cap, what those hours are worth at your hourly pay, and how many 8-hour days you need to book. Example: 63.1 hours forfeited = $2,397.80.
Who is this PTO planner for?
US employees whose employer runs a calendar-year PTO or vacation policy with a carryover cap: nurses, engineers, office staff, anyone paid hourly or salaried. It also helps HR and office managers who plan December coverage and want each person's forfeiture risk before the holiday booking cut-off. It works for any state, with a switch for the four states that ban forfeiture.
Why not just use a free planner app or calendar?
Free planner apps and calendar templates count days, not policy. None of them knows your carryover cap, your accrual per paycheck, or that California (Labor Code § 227.3), Colorado (Nieto v. Clark's Market, 2021), Montana and Nebraska treat earned vacation as wages that cannot be forfeited. This one turns those rules into hours and dollars.
What is free and what costs money?
The full year-end calculation is free in your browser: every result, for your own numbers, as often as you like, with nothing uploaded. The paid part is the .xlsx workbook with the same 10 live formulas, which you keep as a file: one copy per year-end and per team member, to attach to an HR request or keep with your approval email. It is a one-time payment, not a subscription.
How does the cost compare with other planner apps?
Sunsama lists $20 per user per month billed annually (help.sunsama.com, 2026), and it still does not know your PTO policy. This workbook is $21 once. Against that, the example employee would forfeit 63.1 hours on Dec 31, 2026, worth $2,397.80 at $38.00 an hour, unless they book 8 more days off before then.
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