PTO & leave: accruals + the Leave Time tab

Last updated: July 28, 2026

This article explains how paid time off actually adds up in Alpaca — how accruals work, and how anyone can read their current balance on the Leave Time tab. It's the "how does my balance get to that number?" companion to the two how-to guides: "Set Up Leave Time" (for admins configuring policies) and "How to Use the Time Off Feature in Alpaca Health" (for requesting time off).

The two pieces behind every balance

A leave balance in Alpaca is produced by two things working together, both set up by an admin:

  • A Leave Time Type — the category of leave (Paid Sick Leave, PTO, Unpaid Leave, Paid Holidays) and how payroll should treat it.

  • A Leave Time Configuration — the rules for that type: how it accrues, who's eligible, when it resets, and what happens to unused time at year end.

Keeping these separate is what lets a clinic offer the same type of leave with different rules for different teams.

How accruals work

The accrual method on the configuration decides how the balance grows:

Accrual method

How the balance grows

Per hour worked

A little leave is earned for each hour worked, so the balance rises with hours.

Per pay period

A fixed amount is added each pay period.

Annual lump sum

The full year's amount is granted at once (typically on the reset date).

On top of the method, a configuration can also set eligibility (all employees vs. full-time only, clinical-only), a waiting period for new employees, a minimum time since start date, maximum yearly or total accruals (a cap), an accrual reset date, and what happens to unused leave at year end — roll over (with limits) or reset to zero. Together these explain most "why is my balance what it is" questions: a cap stopped it climbing, or a reset zeroed it out on the reset date.

Reading your balance on the Leave Time tab

To see your own accruals and remaining time, go to My Profile → Leave Time. You'll see a breakdown of:

  • Accrued hours — what you've earned so far.

  • Used hours — approved time off already taken.

  • Reserved time — approved future requests that are set aside but not yet taken.

  • Remaining available balance — what you can still request.

Pending requests show on the calendar but do not deduct from your balance until they're approved. And once a payroll period is finalized, PTO balances for that period lock.

Adjusting or initializing a balance (admins)

Configurations manage balances automatically going forward, but you sometimes need to set a starting number — for example when migrating from another system or correcting an error. In the Manual Leave Time Entry box, click Add Manual Leave Time Entry to set an initial balance or make an adjustment for an individual employee.

Troubleshooting

Question

Likely explanation

"My balance isn't going up."

You may be in a waiting period, not eligible under the configuration, or at the maximum accrual cap. For per-hour-worked plans, balance only grows as hours are logged.

"My balance dropped to zero."

The accrual reset date passed on a reset-to-zero policy. Roll-over plans carry over up to their limit.

"My request didn't reduce my balance."

Pending requests don't deduct until approved; approved future time shows as Reserved.

"I don't see a Leave Time tab / any leave types."

Your clinic may not have set up leave types/configurations yet. Ask your admin.

To request time off, see "How to Use the Time Off Feature in Alpaca Health." Admins configuring policies should see "Set Up Leave Time." If a balance still looks wrong after checking the above, contact support@alpacahealth.io.