{"id":872,"date":"2026-01-17T00:00:00","date_gmt":"2026-01-17T06:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/wp.zoomshift.com\/blog\/how-to-manage-paid-time-off-for-hourly-employees\/"},"modified":"2026-03-31T10:52:57","modified_gmt":"2026-03-31T15:52:57","slug":"how-to-manage-paid-time-off-for-hourly-employees","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.zoomshift.com\/blog\/how-to-manage-paid-time-off-for-hourly-employees\/","title":{"rendered":"How To Manage Paid Time Off For Hourly Employees"},"content":{"rendered":"

Deciding whether to offer paid or unpaid time off can be challenging.<\/p>\n

If you\u2019ve chosen to provide paid time off, there are several important factors to consider and plan for.<\/p>\n

Let\u2019s explore how to manage paid time off for hourly employees in 2026.<\/p>\n

<\/span>What Does A Paid Time Off Policy Look Like?<\/span><\/h2>\n

There\u2019s no need to reinvent the entire wheel.<\/p>\n

If someone\u2019s done it, chances are it already exists, and a paid time off policy is no exception.<\/p>\n

While you will want to tailor yours to your specific circumstances, you can use other sample paid time off policies as a starting point for developing your own.<\/p>\n

Check out Sample Paid Time Off Policy<\/a> via The Balance to see what a policy like this might look like.<\/p>\n

<\/span>The 5 Types Of Paid Time Off<\/span><\/h2>\n

The five types of paid time off used by businesses include:<\/p>\n

1. Sick time:<\/strong> If an employee is sick, or they\u2019re caring for a family member who\u2019s sick, they would take time off to deal with it.<\/p>\n

2. Vacation time:<\/strong> Time an employee spends away on a trip. Vacation time may also be used when they have an emergency to deal with.<\/p>\n

3. Personal holidays:<\/strong> Personal days can be used by employees for religious holidays, birthdays, anniversaries, or other emergencies.<\/p>\n

4. National holidays:<\/strong> Days when your business is closed (such as during Christmas or New Year\u2019s Day).<\/p>\n

5. Bereavement leave:<\/a><\/strong> This can be used when an employee\u2019s immediate family member passes away.<\/p>\n

Should I Provide Paid Time Off For All Of The Above Scenarios?<\/h3>\n

In general, you are not required to provide paid time off for every contingency unless you\u2019re working with a union. Collective bargaining agreements may require you to provide paid time off in a variety of capacities.<\/p>\n

Paid sick leave is perhaps the most important category, since many cities and states have laws requiring it.<\/p>\n

If you have more than 50 full-time employees, then you are also subject to the Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA). This act requires you to provide unpaid time off for medical reasons. Also, note there are many states that have other requirements you must abide by.<\/p>\n

Paid time off is a good benefit for your employees, and many companies opt to provide it for sick leave and vacations. Retaining your key talent is something you should be thinking about as you put a policy like this in place.<\/p>\n

In summary, on a federal level, you are not required to provide paid time off<\/a>. But there are state and municipal laws that may require you to implement it.<\/p>\n

<\/span>Remote Team Members & PTO<\/span><\/h2>\n

These days, many companies are working with remote teams. This is another key consideration, as you will need to follow laws local to your remote workers too.<\/p>\n

City and state laws usually address sick leave and accrued PTO pay. You can study up on state and city sick leave laws here<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Accrued PTO is where you would be required to pay out leave that the employee hasn\u2019t used and accrued in a situation where you\u2019re considering letting go of them.<\/p>\n

<\/span>Use a PTO Software<\/span><\/h2>\n

ZoomShift offers simple time-off tracking that keeps your entire team on the same page. With our built-in calculators designed to take the guesswork out of PTO balance tracking.<\/p>\n

Requesting paid time off couldn\u2019t be any easier for employees. They simply have to put in a time off request in the mobile app or on the desktop. The great thing about ZoomShifts PTO capabilities is that employees and employers can see these requests weeks or even months in advance.<\/p>\n

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It\u2019s important to note that some employees accrue PTO at a higher rate based on role or tenure. ZoomShift helps you differentiate the two with its PTO accrual calculator.<\/p>\n

Employee time-off tracking takes awareness to another level with its timely notifications. If any staff member is nearing their PTO limit, they\u2019ll get alerted.<\/p>\n

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The paid time-off tracking shouldn\u2019t be complicated. That\u2019s where ZoomShift\u2019s PTO feature<\/a> comes into play. Try for free today.<\/p>\n

The Basics Of Creating Your Paid Time Off Policy<\/h3>\n

Here are the key items you should be thinking about as you create your paid time off policy:<\/p>\n