If you’re an employee in California, you might be wondering how many vacation hours you can carry over from one year to the next. Well, the answer isn’t as straightforward as you might think.
How Many Vacation Hours Can You Accrue in California?
In California, vacation time is considered earned wages, which means that it’s subject to the same laws and regulations as regular pay. According to California law, employers are required to provide their employees with at least 24 hours of paid time off (PTO) or vacation time per year. This accrues at a rate of 1 hour for every 30 hours worked.
Carrying Over Vacation Time
Now, here’s where things get a little more complicated. While employers are required to provide their employees with vacation time, they aren’t required by law to allow them to carry over unused vacation time from one year to the next. It’s up to each individual employer to decide whether or not they’ll allow this.
If your employer does allow you to carry over unused vacation time, they can set limits on how much you’re allowed to carry over. For example, they might allow you to carry over a maximum of 40 hours per year.
Use It or Lose It
If your employer doesn’t allow you to carry over unused vacation time, then it’s important that you use it before it expires. In California, employers are allowed to implement a “use-it-or-lose-it” policy for vacation time. This means that if you don’t use your accrued vacation time by a certain date (usually the end of the calendar year), then you’ll lose it.
Exceptions for PTO and Sick Leave
It’s worth noting that there are some exceptions when it comes to carrying over PTO or sick leave in California. Under the Paid Sick Leave law that went into effect in 2015, employees are allowed to carry over up to 24 hours of unused sick leave from one year to the next. And under California law, employers are required to allow their employees to carry over up to 80 hours of unused PTO from one year to the next.
The Bottom Line
So, how many vacation hours can you carry over in California? The answer is that it depends on your employer’s policies.
If they allow you to carry over vacation time, there may be limits on how much you can carry over. And if they don’t allow you to carry over vacation time, then it’s important that you use it before it expires.
As always, it’s a good idea to check with your employer’s HR department or consult the California Labor Code for specific information about your rights and responsibilities when it comes to vacation time and other types of paid time off.