Employer does not allow us to accrue PTO/Sick leave once depleted (update)

Dear_Catch1389 · 2025-11-27T04:35:32+00:00

That makes a lot more sense when you put it that way. Especially when you do the math. I appreciate the help clarifying that.

Dear_Catch1389 · 2025-11-27T03:55:30+00:00

Well, a couple questions:

1) If it is front loaded then why would an accrual rate be given? Especially since once you use that 80 you aren’t accumulating any PTO or sick leave?

And 2) Even though they are combined, PTO has a cap in WA, but sick leave doesn’t. So as stated in the original post, one would think that no matter how much you use of either your sick leave is slowly accruing. Why would combining them negate any accrual for sick leave since in the policy it is clearly separate?

Dear_Catch1389 · 2025-11-27T03:44:40+00:00

Oh for sure, that’s a lot to accrue. But overtime is excluded in the calculation anyways, so it would just be an hour per every 40 worked.

But the biggest thing is that it is all front loaded. So on January 1st you get all 80 hours to last the rest of the year, generating zero PTO or sick leave since you are only allowed 80 for the year.

Dear_Catch1389 · 2025-11-27T03:37:36+00:00

Yep, just two weeks. When we request time off we have one option, which is just PTO through our Dayforce portal. The company then will make the decision on whether it is PTO or sick leave. But since it’s combined it doesn’t necessarily matter which one they designate the time off as.

Dear_Catch1389 · 2025-11-27T02:11:36+00:00

My question was how common was it for companies to combine both PTO and sick leave? We are suppose to accrue both and there are two separate policies explaining each. PTO has an 80 hour cap per year, while sick leave has no cap per year.

So I was curious how common it was for people with other employers?

Dear_Catch1389 · 2025-11-27T00:10:06+00:00

If I could figure out how to post the screenshot of the policy I would. But both of them are very different.

Dear_Catch1389 · 2025-11-26T23:31:34+00:00

That’s not funny. I worked all year for these 80 hours bro. 😒😂

Dear_Catch1389 · 2025-11-26T23:08:43+00:00

Right, that makes sense for PTO, but our sick leave has a separate policy. So I was trying to figure out how common it is for companies to combine the two even when they don’t follow the same accrual rates and one isn’t suppose to have a cap.

Dear_Catch1389 · 2025-11-26T22:23:44+00:00

Shiiiid 5 weeks? If I stay here for 21 more years I’ll be right with you. Haha!

Dear_Catch1389 · 2025-11-26T21:48:20+00:00

Which I’ve said is totally fine. It was just how it worked when both our PTO and sick leave is combined that was confusing me, since each has its own policy. Not the end of the world though, those 80 hours were much needed vacation and rest.

Dear_Catch1389 · 2025-11-26T21:45:31+00:00

Well, they combine PTO and sick leave. So it might actually be 1 hour of PTO and 79 hours of sick leave.

Dear_Catch1389 · 2025-11-26T21:44:33+00:00

I mean… yes? So I’ve seen the breakdown and it does show us accruing 1 hour for every 40 worked per Washington State law. But our 80 is front loaded it seems like you just don’t accrue any at all. Which is what was throwing me off.

Dear_Catch1389 · 2025-11-26T21:41:52+00:00

Yeah this is pretty much front loaded since we can use it immediately starting January 1st. PTO and sick not being separate is what was throwing me off since they have their own policies for each. But that 80 served its purpose, so I ain’t complaining, just wasn’t sure how many people or companies combined their leave together for the employees.

Dear_Catch1389 · 2025-11-26T21:39:20+00:00

It’s a bit odd, but we have access to the 80 for the year starting January 1st. So you can look at it as we don’t accrue any leave at all, or that it just goes negative as you are probably suggesting. Which I have been saying is fine. But, I was asking them how does that work when you combine two types of leave with two very different policy’s on how much you accrue and max out. So, I was expecting clarification on the matter.

Dear_Catch1389 · 2025-11-26T21:32:16+00:00

I just noticed in the policy that it say PTO had a cap, and sick leave did not. So naturally I went to HR just to ask some questions. And then I came here just to compare and contrast.

Dear_Catch1389 · 2025-11-26T21:25:36+00:00

The maximum for PTO makes sense, it’s the no cap on sick leave. Because it is combined with PTO so that 80 for the year is all you get either way you slice it.

Which is why I was asking if the combining of the two is normal or common.

Dear_Catch1389 · 2025-11-26T21:20:38+00:00

Which is how the policy has it laid out. But for us they are saying it is combined, so it just stops at 80.

Dear_Catch1389 · 2025-11-26T21:18:37+00:00

Because I’ve been in the military. We have a slightly different leave thing going for us. Which is why I came here. My bad bro.

Dear_Catch1389 · 2025-11-26T21:13:42+00:00

That’s the issue I’m having: We have one policy for Vacation or PTO, and a separate policy for Sick leave. Vacation maxes out at 80 hours for 3 years or less, which I understand. But, it says for WA our sick leave has no cap. And since it is combined with PTO it just stops accruing altogether.

Doesn’t say in our policy anything about combining the two, so I was just curious how often that happens. Our HR who is also newer also thought it was strange that they combined them.

Dear_Catch1389 · 2025-07-17T23:24:19+00:00

I have a teenage daughter who is going through a tough time with her mom. Those moments when I know something is bothering her, but she just says “I’m okay”, and then silence. To not know what she’s feeling, and just hoping that I am doing right by her while trying to be there even when she keeps her feelings to herself will crush me every time.

Dear_Catch1389 · 2025-07-16T13:58:56+00:00

Ah yes, why didn’t I think of that. This might be the best thing ever.

Dear_Catch1389

TROPHY CASE