PTO & Final Paycheck Calculators
Use this California sick leave accrual calculator to estimate paid sick time from hours worked or a frontloaded annual sick leave amount. California paid sick leave is different from vacation or PTO payout, so verify the estimate with your pay records, employer policy, local rules, and official DIR guidance.
Last updated: June 2026
Estimate only: This calculator or guide provides an estimate or general information only and is not legal, tax, payroll, or financial advice. PTO, vacation, sick leave, rollover, payout, and final paycheck rules can depend on state law, employer policy, employment agreement, local rules, and individual facts. Verify with official sources, your employer, or a qualified professional.
Browser-based estimate
Estimate California paid sick leave using an hours-worked accrual method or a frontloaded annual sick leave amount.
Choose whether your employer uses an accrual method or a frontloaded annual sick leave amount. For accrual estimates, the calculator multiplies hours worked by the accrual rate you enter.
For frontloaded sick leave, the calculator starts with the annual frontloaded hours. It then subtracts sick leave already used and shows an equivalent-day estimate using 8 hours per day.
Sick leave accrued = hours worked x accrual rate.
Common estimate: 1 hour / 30 hours worked = 0.033333 hours per hour worked.
Available sick leave = accrued sick leave - used sick leave.
If you work 300 hours and accrue sick leave at 1 hour per 30 hours worked, the estimate is 300 / 30 = 10 hours of sick leave accrued.
If you used 2 hours, the available estimate is 10 - 2 = 8 hours available. Your official balance may differ because of caps, local requirements, payroll timing, or employer policy.
Some employers frontload paid sick leave, meaning a set amount is made available at the start of a benefit year or employment period. Other employers accrue sick leave over time based on hours worked.
The calculator supports both approaches, but it cannot decide whether an employer's plan complies with current California law or local ordinances.
California paid sick leave is different from vacation payout. Earned vacation may be treated as wages when provided, while paid sick leave has separate rules for accrual, use, carryover, and local requirements.
If you are estimating unused vacation or PTO payout in California, use the California PTO payout calculator. Do not add sick leave to a vacation payout estimate unless your written policy clearly treats it as payable.
California DIR materials note statewide paid sick leave rules, but local cities or regions may require more. Employees should verify local ordinances for the work location, especially in larger cities or counties with their own paid sick leave rules.
If state and local rules both apply, the more protective rule may matter. Ask payroll or HR which rule is being used for your sick leave balance.
Start with California DIR paid sick leave guidance, then verify whether any local ordinance applies to your work location.
A common California accrual method is 1 hour of paid sick leave for every 30 hours worked, but employers may use qualifying frontload or alternative methods. Verify current DIR guidance and your employer policy.
It is a common accrual method where each 30 hours worked earns 1 hour of paid sick leave. The calculator uses 0.033333 as the default hourly accrual estimate.
California DIR guidance says that starting January 1, 2024, employers must generally provide at least 40 hours or 5 days of paid sick leave each year to most eligible workers. Local rules may provide more.
No. California paid sick leave rules are different from vacation payout rules. Some employers use PTO plans to satisfy sick leave requirements, but the policy must still meet applicable sick leave rules.
Unused paid sick leave is not automatically the same as vacation payout. Do not assume unused sick leave is paid at separation unless your policy or a qualified source clearly says so.
Yes. Some local California ordinances may provide additional sick leave rights or requirements. Verify local rules for your work location.
Your official balance may reflect local rules, employer policy, frontloading, usage caps, carryover, payroll timing, manual adjustments, or recent sick leave use.
Estimate only: This calculator or guide provides an estimate or general information only and is not legal, tax, payroll, or financial advice. PTO, vacation, sick leave, rollover, payout, and final paycheck rules can depend on state law, employer policy, employment agreement, local rules, and individual facts. Verify with official sources, your employer, or a qualified professional.