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Set up and configure time off accruals in QuickBooks Time

SOLVED•by QuickBooks•Updated January 08, 2024

Learn how to set up and configure time off accruals in QuickBooks time. 

First, set up and configure your time off codes and preferences. Only admins can set up and manage time off accruals.

Set up time off accruals

Note: Accrual settings set up in the Time Off Codes window apply to all team members assigned to that Time Off code, except those with personalised accrual settings. If a personalised accrual was set up for a team member, it's noted within the Time Off Accrual Settings window at the top: x team members have personalised accrual settings and will not be affected by any changes made here. Click X team members to see the list of team members with personalised accruals.

  1. Go to Feature Add-ons, then Time Off Codes.
  2. Next to the Time Off code you want to enable, select the pencil icon.
  3. Check Track Accruals, then select Edit Settings.
  4. From the Accrual Settings dropdown, select None, Manual, Yearly, Every Pay Period, or Based on Hours Worked.
    • None: No automatic accruals are set up and there is not a bank of hours to add to.
    • Manual: No automatic accruals are set up, but hours can be added through the Accrual Ledger.
    • Yearly: Adds a lump sum of time to the assigned team member’s balance.
    • Every Pay Period: A set amount of hours accrue at the end of each pay period.
    • Based on hours worked: Determines how many hours to accrue based on how many hours an individual team member has worked by the end of a pay period.
  5. Fill out additional time off accrual settings you need, then select Apply.

Note: For the Accruals that will take place X day(s) after the end of each pay period, 5 days is recommended. This buffer allows for timesheet adjustments before time off accruals are calculated based on those timesheets.

Individual team member accruals

  1. Go to My Team.
  2. Select Edit and then, Time Off.In the Accruals column, select the accrual type next to the time off code.
  3. Under the Accruals column, select the accrual type.
  4. From the Accrual Settings drop-down, select the accrual type, complete the remaining fields, and select Apply. Then select Save.
    • Note: If the accrual needs to match what you set up in the Time Off Preferences window, select (Use Company Settings).

Understand time off accrual settings

When you’re selecting your specific accrual type in the company wide settings or for an individual team member, there are additional settings you may need to set.

  • For the Accruals that will take place X day(s) after the end of each pay period, 5 days is recommended. 
    • This buffer allows for timesheet adjustments before time off accruals are calculated based on those timesheets.
  • Note: If you need to edit these settings, wait until the pay period ends. Otherwise, you could duplicate or prevent accruals for that pay period. 
  • Yearly: Accrues X hours per year
  • Every Pay Period: Accrue X hours per Pay Period OR Year 
    • The system automatically calculates how much team members get each pay period if “per year” is selected
    • For example, 30 hours a year on bi-weekly pay periods (26) = 1.15 hours per pay period
  • Based on Hours Worked: Accrue X hours per X hours worked. 
    • Accrues at the end of each pay period. 
    • This accrues fractions of time. For example, 1hour per 40 hours worked would mean they’d get 0.5 hours if they only worked 20 hrs.

Note: If you enter time off as a decimal and it doesn’t convert to a HH:MM format, the time displayed may not match the time accrued.

Reset balance based on hire date or calendar date.

Note:  This is always January 1 for the Based on Hours Worked option. 

  • Stops accruals up to the entered value (0 means no limit).
  • Allows a team member to enter in more time off than they might have in their balance.
  • Accruing time will cancel out any negative time to bring it to 0 before beginning the positive balance additions.

Note: If you turn on “Use it or lose it” and a team member has a negative balance, the negative balance will carry over to the next year and reduce the total amount of hours granted.

  • Their balance will accrue hours assuming they have worked 40 hours a week.
  • If their accruals need to be based on the hours they actually worked, they’ll need to be set up as non-salaried in My Team.

Add or adjust team member time off balances

For one team member

  1. Go to My Team and select a team member.
  2. Select Time Off and then, Accrual Ledger.
    • You can also access this by going to Time Off and then, Accruals and Balances, then selecting the team member name to choose a team member.
  3. Use the Description column to add a reason for the adjustment.
  4. Then, enter a number in the Hours +/- column.
    • To add hours, type any number (for example, 8).
    • To subtract hours, add a negative (-) in front of the number (for example, -8).
  5. Select Save.

For multiple team members

  1. Go to Feature Add-ons, then Time Off Codes. 
  2. Select Actions, then Download Time Off Balances.
  3. Open the spreadsheet.
  4. In the appropriate column(s), add or change the hours, and save the spreadsheet.
  5. Go back to Actions, and select Upload New Balances.
  6. In the Import Time Off Balances window, if you are changing balances, check the Replace Balances box. Leave it unchecked if you are adding the spreadsheet numbers to their current balances.
  7. Select Choose File, navigate to the file, and select Open.
  8. Select Import. A list of the changes displays.

View a spreadsheet of accrual settings

  1. Go to Feature Add-ons, then Time Off Codes.
  2. Next to the time off code for which you want to download a spreadsheet, select the pencil icon and Download.

Update accrual settings via spreadsheet

  1. Go to Feature Add-ons, and then Time Off Codes.
  2. Next to the Time Off code for which you want to download a spreadsheet, select the pencil icon, then Download.
  3. Open the spreadsheet, make any adjustments, and save the file as .csv.
  4. Back in the time off code view, select Upload settings.
  5. Select Choose File, navigate to the .csv file, select the file, and then Open.
  6. Back on the Import Time Off Accrual Settings window, select Import.

Send an anniversary reminder (PTO Adjustment Reminder) email to admins and managers

This feature allows you to select recipients for a monthly recurring email. The email includes a report of team members who are approaching the anniversary of their hire date and what their current accrual settings are.

This is the best way for administrators and managers to proactively manage who may need changes made to their accrual settings as they approach set years of employment.

  1. Go to Feature Add-ons, then Time Off Codes.
  2. Select Actions dropdown, then select Set Accrual Reminders.
  3. In Anniversary Reminders, select the option next to "Who should get these reminders?", to choose who in your company receives a monthly email with a list of team members who have accruals configured for time off codes.
  4. After selecting the recipients, select OK, and then select Save.

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