How the New York sick leave calculator works
The calculator estimates newly accrued sick leave by dividing hours worked by the accrual divisor you enter. The default divisor is 30, which represents one hour of sick leave for every 30 hours worked. You can change the divisor if your review requires a different assumption.
The calculator then adds sick leave already available, subtracts sick leave already used, and converts the estimated available hours into days using the hours per workday value. The result is a planning estimate, not an official payroll record.
How to estimate NY sick time accrual
Start with the number of hours worked during the period you are reviewing. Divide those hours by the accrual divisor. If you use the default divisor of 30, 300 hours worked would estimate 10 newly accrued sick leave hours.
Next, add any existing sick leave balance that was already available at the start of the period. Subtract sick leave already used. The remaining amount is the calculator's estimated available sick leave.
What 1 hour per 30 hours worked means
The phrase 1 hour per 30 hours worked means the accrual estimate grows as work hours accumulate. For every 30 hours worked, the estimate adds one sick leave hour. At 60 hours worked, the estimate adds two hours.
This calculator uses that assumption by default because it is a common New York sick leave reference point. You should still verify current state guidance, city or local rules, employer size, employer policy, and payroll records before relying on the result.
Existing sick leave vs newly accrued sick leave
Existing sick leave is the amount already available before the new period you are estimating. Newly accrued sick leave is the additional amount estimated from hours worked during the period entered into the calculator.
Keeping those numbers separate helps you review the result. If your employer's portal already shows available sick leave, enter that as existing leave only when you are adding new accrual from a later period.
Sick leave vs PTO vs vacation in New York
Sick leave, PTO, and vacation can use similar hour math, but they may have different policy and legal treatment. Sick leave is usually tied to illness, safety, caregiving, or covered reasons, while vacation and PTO may follow different employer policy rules.
Do not assume unused sick leave is treated like vacation payout or general PTO payout. If you are leaving a job, review the written policy and current New York guidance before assuming sick leave, PTO, or vacation will be handled the same way.
Why employer size, policy, and local rules may matter
New York sick leave questions can depend on employer size, income, location, policy terms, local requirements, payroll records, and individual facts. A simple calculator cannot evaluate all of those details.
Use this page to estimate the hour math, then compare the answer with your employer handbook, HR portal, pay records, official state resources, and any local guidance that may apply to your workplace.
Example New York sick leave calculation
Assume an employee worked 300 hours, uses the default divisor of 30, already has 6 sick leave hours available, used 4 sick leave hours, and uses an 8-hour workday. Newly accrued sick leave is 300 divided by 30, or 10 hours.
Estimated available sick leave is 6 existing hours plus 10 newly accrued hours minus 4 used hours, which equals 12 hours. Dividing 12 by an 8-hour workday gives an estimated 1.5 sick days.
What to check with your employer
Check the sick leave policy, HR portal balance, pay records, timekeeping records, accrual dates, usage rules, carryover rules, employer size, local addenda, and any written HR response about sick leave.
If the numbers do not match, ask which period the balance covers, whether recent hours have posted, whether used sick time has been deducted, and whether local or employer-specific rules affect the balance.
General calculator limitations
This calculator does not decide whether a particular absence qualifies, whether an employer policy is compliant, whether a city rule applies, or whether unused sick leave is payable at separation.
It also does not store your inputs or connect to employer payroll systems. Treat the result as a private planning estimate and verify important questions with official sources or a qualified professional.