My employee's time off balance looks incorrect.

This resource assists in troubleshooting incorrect employee time off balances through a structured question tree. Users begin by identifying the time off category and proceed through various scenarios, including checking for pending requests, duplicates, and policy assignments. Key topics include verifying accrual levels, manual adjustments, and ensuring that time off requests are accurate. The resource emphasizes the importance of proper policy setup and provides links to additional support and learning materials. For unresolved issues, users are encouraged to contact support for further assistance. This comprehensive guide aims to streamline the troubleshooting process and ensure accurate time off management.

  • Jun 19, 2026
  • Knowledge

Title
My employee's time off balance looks incorrect.
Article Text
This feature is included in the Core, Pro, and Elite packages.

Why is my employee's time off balance incorrect?

Purpose: This resource will help you troubleshoot an incorrect time off balance. Each scenario will take you through a tree map of questions to help you find the right solution for your account. Click on number 1 below to begin.

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Table of Contents

Did you know we have a BambooHR Learning course about Time Off Troubleshooting? Click here to learn more about what is included in this course. 

1. For the time off category in question (ex: PTO, Vacation, Sick, Bereavement, etc.), which of the following options applies?
  • The employee should be assigned to a policy that gives them automatic accruals periodically. Move to question #2.
  • We track and maintain the employee’s time off balance manually with no automatic accruals. Move to question #2.
  • We have an unlimited time off policy.
    • Within BambooHR, we refer to an unlimited policy as a flexible policy. This option tracks the time off your employees have used year-to-date without a balance. You will need to make sure that you have created a flexible time off policy for this option. 
      • The time off categories are correctly set to the flexible policy, but this did not resolve my concerns. Move to question #2.
  • We only need to track the time off used year-to-date, so there should not be a balance.
    • Our Flexible Time Off accrual option allows you to track the time off your employees have used year-to-date without a balance. You will need to make sure that your time off categories are set to a flexible policy for this option. 
      • The time off categories are correctly set to a flexible policy but this did not resolve my concerns. Move to question #2.
2.  Only approved, past time off requests will impact the balance. Are there any pending time off requests that are causing the balance to be incorrect?

You can see all time off requests for a specific employee when you view the time off history on the employee’s Time Off tab, select Requests from the right corner drop-down and enter All in the year dropdown. You can view all pending time off requests for all employees by going to the inbox > Assigned to Company.

  • Yes, there are pending time off requests which is the reason that the employee’s time off balance looked incorrect.
    • You can approve the time off requests. Once approved, all past and present requests will be deducted from the balance. Future time off requests will be deducted on the first day of the request.
  • Yes, there are pending time off requests, but that is not the reason that the balance is incorrect.
  • No, there are no pending time off requests for the employee. Move to question #3.
3. When you view the time off history > Requests on the employee’s Time Off tab, do you see any duplicate requests that could be causing the balance to be incorrect?

Within BambooHR, it is possible for the same employee to submit multiple time off requests for the same day.

  • Yes, I see duplicate requests that are causing the balance to be incorrect.
  • Yes, I see duplicate requests, but they are not causing the balance to be incorrect. Move to question #4.
  • No, I do not see any duplicate requests. Move to question #4.
4. When you view the time off history on the employee’s Time Off tab, are there any future time off requests that you were expecting to be deducted from the balance immediately?

Future time off requests are not deducted from the balance until the first day of the request.

  • Yes, there are future time off requests that have not been deducted from the balance, which is why the time off balance/accruals looked incorrect.
  • Yes, there are future time off requests, but the balance is incorrect in spite of those future requests. Move to question #5.
  • No, there are no future time off requests. Move to question #5.
5. Are all of the time off requests correct?

When employees submit requests, they have the option to enter zeroes and other values (like half days) rather than taking off a full day. In some cases, this can make it seem like the time off balance is incorrect. 

View the time off history at the bottom of the employee’s Time Off tab and switch the right corner dropdown to Requests. Take a look at each request, specifically the (-) column. You can also click on the status of a request to see more information about the request. Are all of the requests correct?

Note: Superseded requests are for historical purposes only and do not affect the time off balance. Future requests are not deducted until the first day of the request.

  • No, there are requests that are incorrect, which is why the balance/accruals looked incorrect.
  • Yes, all requests are correct. 
    • If the time off category is set to a Flexible Time Off policy, we recommend that you reach out to our support heroes here to continue troubleshooting.
    • If the time off category is set to a manually updated balance or an accruing policy, move to question #6.
6. Was the employee’s balance negative at some point due to a past adjustment or time off request?

Within BambooHR, it is possible for your employee’s time off balances to go negative. This can make it seem like a balance is incorrect when it is actually correct. When you view the time off history at the bottom of an employee’s Time Off tab, select Earned/Used from the right corner drop-down, enter All in the year dropdown, and then take a look at the Balance column. Was the employee’s balance negative at some point due to a past adjustment or time off request?

  • Yes, the balance was negative at one point, which is why the accruals looked incorrect in the time off balance. The balance is actually correct. 
    • If you would like to fix the negative balance, you can manually adjust the time off balances to add the applicable amount. Otherwise, that negative balance will get filled in when your employees receive future accruals.
  • Yes, the balance was negative at one point, but the accrual in the time off history shows the incorrect amount despite the negative balance. Move to question #7.
  • No, the balance was not negative at any point. Move to question #7.
7. When you view the time off history at the bottom of an employee’s Time Off tab, do you see manual adjustments there that are not adding or deducting from the time off balance?
Screenshot of the “History” section in the employee’s Time Off tab, showing a dropdown to filter by category and year, along with a table listing date, description, used hours, earned hours, and balance. The table includes two sample entries: a balance adjustment and time off used across multiple days. The “Balance” column is outlined in orange to highlight where adjustments affect totals, with negative numbers visible to indicate a reduced balance.
  • Yes, I see the manual adjustments in the history, but they are not reflecting on the balance.
    • All manual adjustments must have an effective date that is on or after the Manually Updated Balance line in the time off history. Try to delete those past manual adjustments, and then resubmit them. Note: If the past manual adjustments were not showing in the balance, you will need to delete them because editing them will not make a change.
  • Yes, I see manual adjustments, but they are adding/deducting from the balance correctly. Move to question #8.
  • No, there are no manual adjustments. Move to question #8.
8. If you go to the employee’s Time Off tab, does the name of the correct policy show under the time off category?
Screenshot of the Time Off section displaying three categories with hours and policies. The first card shows 100 hours of FMLA available with the policy labeled “New Parent Leave,” the second card shows 16 hours of sick time used with the policy labeled “Sick Flexible Policy,” and the third card shows -70.3 hours of vacation available with the policy labeled “Vacation Manual Policy.” Each policy name is outlined in orange, drawing attention to where users should check that the correct policy is assigned.
  • No, the policy name does not show, but we track the balance manually without automatic accruals.
    • If you track the time off balance manually, you will need to assign the employee to a manually updated policy. You can then manually adjust your employees’ time off balances. Note: You will need to enter all manual adjustments with an effective date on or after the effective date of the Manually Updated Balance line in the time off history. If you would like to track the time off that your employees have used year-to-date, rather than having a balance to pull from and maintain, take a look at our Flexible Time Off policy option.
  • No, the policy name doesn’t show, but there should be a policy for automatic accruals: 
    • You will need to assign the policy to this employee. We recommend verifying that your policy is set up correctly before you assign it. This guide can help you with verifying that your policy is set up correctly: “Create a Time Off Policy.”
  • No, the incorrect policy name shows or it says “Manually Updated Balance.”
    • You will need to assign the correct policy to this employee. We recommend verifying that your policy is set up correctly before you assign it. This guide can help you with verifying that your policy is set up correctly: “Create a Time Off Policy.”
  • Yes, my employee is assigned the correct policy. Move to question #9.
9. When you hover over the time off category and click change policy, what is the date that shows up?
  • It is a future date, which is correct.
    • The automatic accruals will not activate until that future date. You are welcome to calculate future time off balances to verify that the future accruals will be correct.
  • It is a future date, which is incorrect.
    • Change the accrual start date to the correct date. Keep in mind that if you select a past date, all accruals from that date forward will be overwritten based on the current policy settings. If you need to start automatic accruals before an employee’s hire date, you will need to backdate the accrual level start date, which you can learn about here.
  • It is a past date, which is incorrect.
    • You can change the accrual start date to the correct date, but this will not remove the extra accruals from the past. You will need to subtract the extra accrual amount by manually adjusting the time off balances. In extenuating circumstances, our support heroes can remove all accruals from the time off history.
  • It is a past or present date, which is correct. Move to question #10.
10. Is the accrual level start date correct?
Screenshot of the Time Off section where an employee’s categories display available hours and policies. A dropdown menu is expanded for one category, showing “Accrual Level Start Date” with a sample past date. The accrual level start date field is outlined in orange to emphasize where users can verify or correct this setting.

Note: A future accrual level start date will prevent accruals until that future date.

  • No, the accrual level start date is incorrect.
    • Select the correct accrual level start date, and then save the changes. Keep in mind that the accrual level start date applies to all time off categories. Changes to the accrual level start date are reflected only on future accruals, unless you refresh the accrual history. This help guide walks you through how to do this: “Update Accruals for an Employee’s Time Off Policy.”
  • Yes, the accrual level start date is correct. Move to question #11.
11. Go to Settings > Time Off and click on the assigned policy. Is the policy set up to start at the intended time?
Screenshot of the “Accrual Schedule” page in Settings > Time Off. The setup shows employees accruing a certain number of hours twice a month, with options for waiting periods, balance caps, and carryover. An orange box highlights the accrual option “No, they begin accruing time immediately on hire,” which confirms the start time.

Note: No accruals will show until the employee has reached that designated accrual start time.

Example: The policy starts 30 days after hire date. An employee gets hired on September 1 and is assigned to the policy on September 1. The employee is not eligible to receive automatic accruals until October 1.

  • No, the start time is incorrect.
    • If the start time incorrect, enter the correct starting time, then save the changes to the policy. Policy changes are reflected only on future accruals, unless you refresh the accrual history. This help guide walks you through how to do this: Update Accruals for an Employee’s Time Off Policy.
  • Yes, the start time is correct. Move to question #12.
12. Is the accrued amount and frequency correct?
Screenshot of the Accrual Schedule page showing starting schedule details. The setup specifies how many hours employees accrue and how often, with dropdowns for the 1st and 15th. The yearly total is displayed on the right and highlighted with an orange box. Policy options for waiting periods, balance caps, and carryover are visible underneath.

Note: There is one frequency option for Yearly and another for Anniversary

If you have selected Biweekly, you will need to verify that you have selected the correct weeks for the accrual to happen on.

  • No, the accrued amount and/or frequency is not correct.
    • If the accrued amount and/or frequency is incorrect, enter the correct accrual amount and frequency, and then save the changes to the policy. Policy changes are reflected only on future accruals, unless you refresh the accrual history. This help guide walks you through how to do this: “Update Accruals for an Employee’s Time Off Policy.”
  • Yes, the accrued amount and frequency is correct. Move to question #13.
13. Is the balance cap correct?
Screenshot of the Accrual Schedule setup where accrual options are shown. An orange box highlights the section “Is there a cap on the balance an employee can accrue?” with the selected option “Yes, they stop accruing at a certain balance” and a field for maximum hours. A green note beneath explains what a balance cap means for accruals.

What is a balance cap? Once the employee’s time off balance reaches the balance cap, the employee will not accrue any more time off until the balance falls below the capped amount.

  • No, the balance cap is incorrect.
    • If the balance cap is incorrect, enter the correct balance cap, and then save the changes to the policy. Policy changes are reflected only on future accruals, unless you refresh the accrual history. This help guide walks you through how to do this: “Update Accruals for an Employee’s Time Off Policy.”
  • Yes, the balance cap is correct. Move to question #14.
14. Is the carryover amount correct?
Screenshot of the Accrual Schedule setup showing the carryover options. The section “Can unused time off be carried over after the carryover date?” is highlighted in orange, with the selected option “Yes, time can be carried over” and a field showing how much can be carried forward. A green note beneath explains that the carryover amount determines how much unused time transfers to the next year.

What is the carryover amount? This determines the amount of unused time off an employee can use for the coming time off year. Any amount of time off above the specified carryover amount will get removed on the carryover date.

  • No, the carryover amount is incorrect.
    • If the carryover amount is incorrect, enter the correct carryover amount setting, and then save the changes to the policy. Policy changes are reflected only on future accruals, unless you refresh the accrual history. This help guide walks you through how to do this: Update Accruals for an Employee’s Time Off Policy.
  • Yes, the carryover amount is correct. Move to question #15.
15. Do you have the other milestones of the policy set up correctly?
Screenshot of a Milestone configuration in the Accrual Schedule setup. The milestone is set for employees to reach after a specific number of years, with accrual details, balance caps, and carryover rules. The total number of hours accrued per year is displayed at the top, and the milestone’s options are visible below.

Note: Two years after an employee’s hire date means that the employee would be heading into their third year of employment.

Example: If I hired an employee on January 1, 2021, two years after hire would be January 1, 2023, which is the beginning of their third year at the company.

Note: In the Employees accrue box, you need to enter the total number of hours/days the employee should receive, not just the additional amount they receive from moving up to the new milestone.

Example: When employees get hired, they receive 80 hours of time off. On their one-year anniversary, they receive 40 more hours of time off to use each year. On the Milestone 1 of the policy, you would enter 120 hours for the amount accrued.

  • No, the other milestone(s) are incorrect.
    • Enter the corrections to all milestones of the policy, and then save the changes. Policy changes are reflected only on future accruals, unless you refresh the accrual history. This help guide walks you through how to do this: “Update Accruals for an Employee’s Time Off Policy.”
  • Yes, all milestones are correct. Move to question #16.
  • My policy does not have milestones. Move to question #18.
16. Scroll to the bottom of your policy. Do your milestone transitions happen at the correct time?
Screenshot of the “Some Fine-tuning” section in policy settings. The highlighted area shows the dropdown for “Transition employees to new Milestones” with options such as “Right when they become eligible” or “At the end of the accrual period.” The green note below clarifies what each choice means for milestone transitions.

You can go here to make sure you understand what it means for milestone transitions to happen Right when they become eligible versus At the end of the accrual period.

  • No, the Transition employees to new Milestones... option is incorrect.
    • If the Transition employees to new Milestones... option was set incorrectly, enter the correct option, and then save the changes to the policy. Policy changes are reflected only on future accruals, unless you refresh the accrual history. This help guide walks you through how to do this: “Update Accruals for an Employee’s Time Off Policy.”
  • Yes, the Transition employees to new Milestones... option is correct. Move to question #17.
  • My policy does not have milestones, so the Transition employees to new Milestones... option is not required. Move to question #17.
17. Do you have a different accrual frequency from one milestone to the next milestone (i.e., The initial accrual is yearly while Milestone 1 accrues every three years)?
Screenshot of the Accrual Schedule showing one policy set to a yearly accrual and a milestone scheduled to start after a certain number of years. Orange highlights emphasize the yearly accrual frequency and milestone timing fields.

Note: In some cases, when the accrual frequency changes from one milestone to the next milestone of a policy, there will either be an extra accrual or a skipped accrual due to the transition from the old milestone to the new milestone. This can make the accruals appear incorrect when they are actually functioning as expected.

  • Yes, the accrual frequency changes from one milestone to the next milestone.
    • If the accrual frequency changes from one milestone to the next milestone, there are two scenarios that will require a manual adjustment:
      • You will need to manually add time off if the level transition occurred between accruals on the original accrual schedule. This will cause a missed accrual while the system adjusts to the new accrual schedule.
      • You will need to manually subtract time off if the transition occurred after the last accrual in the old frequency but before the accrual for the new frequency. This could grant an extra accrual depending on the period.
    • Alternate solution: Create two separate policies, rather than having one policy with different accrual frequencies for each milestone. You could then assign the new policy at the appropriate time. 
  • No, the accrual frequency stays the same for all milestones. Move to question #18.
18. Is the first accrual option correct?
Screenshot of the “Some Fine-tuning” settings in a time off policy. The highlighted section shows the dropdown for “Employees’ first accrual should be…” with “Prorated, based on the accrual period” selected. A green note explains the difference between prorated accruals and full accruals at hire.

If you select Prorated, based on the accrual period, the employee will receive a partial first accrual based on when they were hired. For example, if they were hired in the middle of the accrual period, they would only receive half of an accrual for their first accrual.

If you select The full amount for the accrual period, the employee will receive a full accrual regardless of when they got hired.

  • No, the first accrual option is incorrect.
    • If the first accrual option is incorrect, enter the correct first accrual option, and then save the changes to the policy. Policy changes are reflected only on future accruals, unless you refresh the accrual history. This help guide walks you through how to do this: “Update Accruals for an Employee’s Time Off Policy.”
  • Yes, the first accrual option is correct. Move to question #19.
19. Is the carryover date correct?
Screenshot of the “Carryover Rules” section in BambooHR time off policy settings. The dropdown “What should the carryover date be?” is set to “1st of January.” Below it, the option “Does the carryover amount expire?” is shown with two radio buttons: “No, it never expires” and “Yes, it expires after a period of time.” The second option is selected, with fields set to “3 Months.” At the bottom, a checkbox is selected for “Reset negative balances to 0 hours on carryover date.”

Remember, this is the day that all time off above the carryover amount will get subtracted from the balance.

  • No, the carryover date is incorrect.
    • If the carryover date is incorrect, enter the correct carryover date, and then save the changes to the policy. Policy changes are reflected only on future accruals, unless you refresh the accrual history. This help guide walks you through how to do this: “Update Accruals for an Employee’s Time Off Policy.”
  • Yes, the carryover date is correct. Move to question #20.
  • We have unlimited carryover, so the carryover date is not required. Move to question #20.
20. Do accruals happen at the correct time?
Screenshot of the “Some Fine-tuning” section in the Time Off policy settings. The settings include dropdowns for when the first accrual should begin, when employees receive accrued time, and when milestone transitions occur. The option “Employees receive accrued time at the start of the accrual period” is highlighted, showing an incorrect setup.

You can go here to make sure that you understand what it means for accruals to happen at the start of the accrual period versus the end of the accrual period.

  • No, the Employees receive accrued time... option is incorrect.
    • If the Employees receive accrued time... option is incorrect, there are two different ways you could resolve this:
    • 1) Create a new time off policy with the correct Employees receive accrued time... option, and then assign the new time off policy. OR
    • 2)  Edit your current time off policy, select the correct Employees receive accrued time... option, and then save the changes to the policy. Policy changes are reflected only on future accruals, unless you refresh the accrual history. This help guide walks you through how to do this: “Update Accruals for an Employee’s Time Off Policy.” After you have updated the accrual history, it is possible that you will need to submit a manual adjustment to fully correct the balance. As long as you have corrected the policy, the future accruals should not require any manual adjustment.
  • Yes, the Employees receive accrued time...option is correct. Move to question #21.
21. Go to Settings > Time Off and click on the assigned policy. Is the policy set to accrue per hour worked?

Learn more about per hour worked policies here.

Screenshot of the Accrual Schedule in Time Off policy settings configured for per-hour accrual. The field “Employees accrue 0.075 hours per hour worked” is displayed, with frequency set to “Twice a month on the 1st and 15th.” Options for waiting periods, balance caps, and carryover are visible. The highlighted section confirms that employees begin accruing immediately on hire and that carryover is enabled, demonstrating how a per-hour worked accrual policy is set up.
  • No, the policy does not accrue per hour worked. Move to question #28.
  • Yes, the policy accrues per hour worked. Move to question #22.
22. Do your employees use BambooHR® Time Tracking?
  • Yes, they track their hours through Time Tracking. Move to question #23.
  • No, they do not track their hours worked through Time Tracking. Move to question #25.
23. Is the timesheet approved?
  • No, the timesheet is not approved.
    • Timesheets must be approved in order for the accruals to calculate for Per Hour Worked policies. Approve the employee’s timesheet, and then the accruals under the time off history will automatically update.
  • Yes, the timesheet is approved. Move to question #24.
24. Are the tracked hours on your employee’s timesheet correct?
  • No, the hours worked are not correct.
    • If the timesheet was incorrect, you can add to or edit the timesheet to ensure that the hours worked are correct. This help guide gives you more information on adding hours to timesheets: “Add Hours to My Timesheet.” As long as the timesheet is approved, the time off accruals will automatically update after you have updated the timesheet.
  • Yes, the employee’s timesheet is correct. Move to question #28.
25. Have you completed the Hours Worked import for your employees?
  • No, I have not imported the hours my employees have worked.
    • If you do not have BambooHR Time Tracking, importing hours worked is required for your per hour worked policy to calculate correctly. This help guide walks you through how to complete this import: Hours Worked Import
  • Yes, I have completed the Hours Worked import. Move to question #26.
26. In your Hours Worked import, did you use the correct effective date that falls in the accrual period you are expecting to see?

Example: Accruals happen every other week at the end of the period. On January 15, you expect to see an accrual for the time worked January 1 - January 14. The effective dates in your Hours Worked Import must be between January 1 and January 14 to be included in the calculation of the accrual on January 15.

  • No, I did not have the correct effective dates on my Hours Worked import.
    • If the effective dates on your Hours Worked import are incorrect, you will need to do a few things. 
      • 1) You will need to complete a deletion import to reverse the incorrect import. Essentially, you will add a Delete column to your original import to reverse that. This help guide shows you what your deletion spreadsheet should look like: “Import Hours Worked.” 
      • 2) You need to re-import the hours worked after you have corrected the effective dates. 
      • 3) If the accrual should have happened in the past, you will need to update the accrual history by refreshing it.
  • Yes, I used the correct effective dates. Move to question #27.
27. When you view the time off history > Earned/Used at the bottom of an employee’s Time Off tab, is there a carryover loss event that is subtracting the incorrect amount?

When a past time off request is approved or a past manual adjustment is made after a carryover loss event has happened, the carryover loss is not automatically recalculated. This means that the balance could be incorrect because the carryover loss needs to be recalculated.

Example: On December 31, an employee has three days of unused time off. They cannot carry over any days to the next year. So, on January 1, the system subtracts three days, making the balance 0. On January 2, the employee submits a past time off request for three days from December 2931, which gets approved. His balance now shows as -3 because it will not automatically recalculate itself once the carryover loss event has happened.

  • Yes, there is a carryover loss event that is subtracting the incorrect amount.
    • If the system is subtracting the incorrect amount for a carryover event, you will need to refresh the policy for that employee. This help guide walks you through how to refresh the accrual history (including the carryover loss event) for one employee and for your employees in bulk: “Update Accruals for an Employee’s Time Off Policy.” We recommend that you try this with just one employee at first to make sure that the result is what you need. Keep in mind that when you refresh the accruals as of a past date, all accruals from that date forward will get overwritten based on the current policy settings.
  • Yes, there is a carryover event, but it is subtracting the correct amount. Move to question #28.
  • No, the carryover loss event did not occur. Move to question #28.
28. Have you or any of your colleagues recently made changes to the time off policy?
  • Yes, we made changes to the policy, but we need those changes to apply to the past.
    • If you want your policy changes to apply to the past accruals, you will need to update the accrual history. This help guide walks you through how to refresh the accrual history for one employee and for your employees in bulk: “Update Accruals for an Employee’s Time Off Policy.” We recommend that you try this with just one employee at first to make sure that the result is what you need. Keep in mind that when you refresh the accruals as of a past date, all accruals from that date forward will get overwritten based on the current policy settings.
  • Yes, we have made changes to the policy, but we only want those changes to be reflected on future accruals. Move to question #29.
  • No, we have not made any changes to the time off policy settings. Move to question #29.
29. You have done an awesome job troubleshooting so far! At this point, we recommend that you reach out directly to a support hero to look further into your situation.

Please reach out to a support hero here with the following information: 

  • The employee # of at least one employee experiencing this issue
  • What that employee’s time off balance and/or accrual should be (if it’s currently showing incorrectly)
  • A description of the problem you are seeing
  • What you have tested so far
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