Create a comprehensive paid time-off and leave policy for your company. Customize PTO structure, accrual methods, holidays, carryover rules, and additional leave types with a live document preview.
This PTO and Leave Policy Generator helps employers create a professional, comprehensive time-off policy document tailored to their company's needs. Whether you offer a combined PTO bank, separate vacation and sick leave, or an unlimited PTO model, this tool generates a complete policy that covers eligibility, accrual schedules, carryover rules, company holidays, additional leave types, and request procedures.
The generator produces a substantial policy document suitable for inclusion in an employee handbook. Every field updates the live preview instantly, so you can see exactly how your policy will read before downloading. The document includes proper legal language regarding compliance with federal and state employment laws, including references to FMLA, USERRA, and applicable state-specific requirements.
Key features include: three PTO structure options (combined bank, separate vacation/sick, or unlimited), customizable accrual methods and schedules, flexible carryover policies, 12 standard U.S. holidays with floating holiday support, five additional leave types (bereavement, jury duty, parental, military, and voting leave), configurable request and approval procedures, and payout-upon-termination settings.
A combined PTO bank gives employees a single pool of paid time off for any reason, while separate policies maintain distinct vacation and sick leave pools. Combined PTO offers more flexibility and simpler administration, while separate policies ensure dedicated sick time is always available and may be required by state sick leave laws.
Unlimited PTO can reduce administrative burden and accrued liability, and it is attractive for recruiting. However, employees may actually take fewer days off due to ambiguity. Companies should set minimum usage expectations and ensure compliance with state PTO payout laws.
PTO payout requirements vary significantly by state. States like California, Colorado, and Illinois require payout of all accrued, unused vacation time upon termination. Other states allow employers to set their own policies. Check your state's labor laws and include clear payout terms in your written policy.
There is no federal law requiring private employers to provide paid holidays. Most employers choose to offer paid holidays as a standard benefit to remain competitive. Common paid holidays include New Year's Day, Memorial Day, Independence Day, Labor Day, Thanksgiving, and Christmas Day.
Several types of leave are legally required. FMLA requires employers with 50+ employees to provide up to 12 weeks of unpaid, job-protected leave. USERRA requires military leave. Many states require jury duty leave protections and paid sick leave. Voting leave requirements also vary by state.
PTO accrual for new employees can be structured as front-loading (full allotment on hire date), per-pay-period accrual (most common), monthly accrual, or anniversary-based accrual. Many employers include a 30-90 day waiting period. Check state laws, as some states restrict waiting periods for sick leave accrual.