Sick Time Accrual Calculator
Turn hours worked and accrual rate into accrued sick hours and day equivalents.
What it does
Many sick plans credit time per hours worked instead of granting days upfront. Six hundred hours at one per 30 builds 20 hours, which reads as two and a half sick days on an 8 hour schedule.
The tool above takes hours worked and the divisor. It returns accrued hours, eight hour day equivalents, and hours to the next full day, so balances and call outs share one number.
This math fits hour bank accrual only. It does not fit front loaded grants, tenure tiers that change the divisor mid year, or caps that stop accrual at a ceiling.
Labor guidance frames the same split: federal law sets unpaid leave baselines with eligibility hours, while paid accrual rates come from employers or state rules. Federal staff, for scale, earn 4 hours per pay period full time.
Track worked hours from pay stubs, not memory. Overtime, second jobs, and unpaid weeks all shift the divisor math.
How to use
- Enter hours worked in the accrual period.
- Enter the divisor, such as 30 for 1 hour per 30.
- Read accrued hours first for the bank balance.
- Read day equivalents for call out planning.
- Read to next full day for the milestone.
- Rerun each pay period as hours grow.
Formula
- hours
- Hours worked counting toward accrual.
- divisor
- Work hours needed per sick hour earned.
- days
- Eight hour day equivalents of the bank.
Divisor must sit above zero. Zero hours give zero accrual. Caps and carryover limits sit outside this uncapped bank.
Worked example
Example: 600 hours at 1 per 30
Hours worked 600, divisor 30 hours per accrued hour.
- Accrued: 600 / 30 = 20 h.
- Days: 20 / 8 = 2.5 days.
- Next full day: 24 - 20 = 4 h to reach 3 days.
- Tool shows 20 h, 2.5 days, 4 h to next full day.
- Use: two sick days covered with 4 h banked spare.
Reference table
| Divisor | Accrued | Days |
|---|---|---|
| 20 | 30 h | 3.75 days |
| 30 | 20 h | 2.5 days |
| 40 | 15 h | 1.88 days |
Limits
- Accrual banks only. Front loaded grants differ.
- Ignores caps, carryover, and payout at exit.
- Ignores eligibility thresholds before use.
- One divisor per run. Tier changes need split runs.
Common mistakes
- Entering the rate upside down as divisor.
- Counting unpaid weeks toward worked hours.
- Reading day equivalents as guaranteed paid days.
- Forgetting caps that freeze the bank.
- Mixing two jobs with different divisors.
Try it yourself
Quick checks. Answers sit tucked under each question.
160 hours at 1 per 40?
Accrued 4 h, 0.5 days, 4 h to next full day.
1,000 hours at 1 per 25?
Accrued 40 h, 5 days, 0 h to next full day.
80 hours at 1 per 30?
Accrued 2.67 h, 0.33 days, 5.33 h to next full day.
Questions
How is sick time accrued?
Hours worked divided by the divisor. 600 at 1 per 30 gives 20 hours.
How many days is my bank?
Divide accrued hours by 8. 20 hours is 2.5 days.
What does to next full day mean?
Hours to the next 8 hour multiple. 20 hours needs 4 more for 3 days.
Is sick leave paid everywhere?
No. Federal rules set unpaid baselines; paid rates come from employers or states.
Do overtime hours count?
It depends on plan rules. Enter only hours your plan counts.
What if my plan caps banks?
Cap the tool result at your ceiling. Excess hours above cap earn nothing.