PTOWise Editorial & Calculation Policy
At PTOWise, our goal is to provide accurate, transparent, and practical Paid Time Off (PTO) calculation tools and leave policy information for employees, HR professionals, and managers across the United States.
1. Information Sources & Legal Research
Our state PTO laws, wage payment guides, and leave regulations are sourced directly from authoritative government and statutory references:
- Official State Departments of Labor: State labor agencies, divisions of labor standards, and wage bureaus (e.g., California DIR, New York DOL, Texas Workforce Commission).
- State Statutory Codes: Enacted state statutes, labor codes, and revised statutes governing wage payment and collection (e.g., California Labor Code § 227.3, Colorado C.R.S. § 8-4-101, Illinois 820 ILCS 115/5).
- Federal Guidance: U.S. Department of Labor (DOL) Wage and Hour Division (WHD) regulations and Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA) compliance guidelines.
- Tax & Payroll Documentation: IRS Publication 15 (Circular E - Employer's Tax Guide) for federal supplemental withholding standards (standard 22% flat rate).
We do not rely on third-party aggregators as primary legal sources. Each state guide directly references and links to the respective state agency portal.
2. Calculation Methodology & Mathematical Principles
All calculations provided on PTOWise are based on standard payroll accounting methods used throughout the American payroll industry:
- Per-Paycheck Accrual: Computed by dividing total annual allotted hours by standard pay periods in a calendar year (52 for weekly, 26 for biweekly, 24 for semi-monthly, 12 for monthly).
- Hourly Accrual Rate: Computed by dividing annual PTO hours by the standard annual full-time work hours (typically 2,080 hours based on 40 hours/week × 52 weeks).
- Balance Tracking: Formula:
Available Balance = (Rollover Balance + Accrued to Date) − PTO Taken − Scheduled Approved Leave, subject to employer maximum accrual caps where applicable. - Payout Valuation: Gross payout is computed as
Unused Accrued Hours × Regular Hourly Wage. Withholding calculations provide estimates based on IRS supplemental flat rate guidelines (22%), FICA (6.2% Social Security + 1.45% Medicare), and state tax estimates.
3. Client-Side Processing & Privacy Guarantee
Your financial and time-off data is personal. PTOWise executes calculations entirely within your web browser using client-side JavaScript. We do not store, track, or transmit your salary, leave balance, employer details, or vacation schedules to external servers or databases.
4. Review Process & Update Frequency
State leave laws, statutory sick leave thresholds, and payroll withholding standards evolve over time. We periodically audit state-level guidance and update our database when new legislation takes effect (such as expanded paid sick leave or modified carryover rules).
Every state page displays a Last Reviewed indicator and citation of the governing agency verified during review.
5. Corrections & Feedback Policy
We welcome feedback, statutory updates, and suggestions from employees, labor attorneys, and HR professionals. If you identify a policy change, statutory update, or calculation issue, please report it via our Corrections Page or email us at contact@ptowise.com.