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Has Managing PTO Become a Pain?

Experts agree: Vacation time is vital in our mental and physical health….

…but calculating the balance on your paid-time-off account can practically make your head explode.

PTO balances are a moving target. They decline as used, increase weekly or annually as accrued. Company policy may allow carryover of some (but not necessarily all) benefits from one year to the next. Perhaps policy allows you to cash out a few hours at the end of the year.

Trying to calculate how much PTO you will have available several months from now requires a calculator, a calendar, and possibly the cell phone number for your high school algebra teacher.

And if you think calculating PTO balances in an individual account is hard, try tracking PTO balances for scores, or hundreds of employees!

Why is ISOutsource—a technology consulting firm—writing about PTO accounts? Isn’t PTO a human resources issue? It is, but we have an interesting experience to share.

A little over a year ago at ISOutsource, we realized that our method of tracking paid time off was a mess. A single spreadsheet in our accounting department held the key to every employee’s PTO tabulation. This method wasn’t convenient for our staff. It was confusing for nearly everyone and it created stress.

As an IT company, we suspected that this was the sort of challenge that can be crushed with the intelligent application of technology. We did extensive research and discovered commercial software products that (among other features) can be configured to instantly calculate PTO balances for any and all employees.

The solutions that we have employed internally at ISOutsource can be easily deployed elsewhere. It’s a great example of how technology can serve business.

Are you spending too much time on time off? If so, contact us to learn how to leverage HR Information Systems to save time, enhance productivity, and support the mental and physical health of your staff.