How Timeero’s Paid Time Off (PTO) Feature is A Win for HR Teams

Why managing your company’s PTO just got easier with Timeero

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As a HR professional or small business owner, you understand just how tricky all of the parts of PTO can be. 

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Let’s take a look at how Timeero’s PTO tracking software makes leave management easier, by exploring the challenges admins may face when PTO is managed poorly.

1. Employee burnout and reduced productivity

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Your employees might make a habit of stacking up their PTO hours throughout the year. While this practice isn’t discouraged, it’s something that you should keep a close eye on. 

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Employees who voluntarily work long hours or who show up to work sick because they don’t want to lose their PTO are at the risk of burnout. If they work continuously at the beginning of the year so they can earn enough PTO to take off a whole month, they end up running on fumes and you are left running a skeleton crew while they enjoy their time off.

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PTO can be a double-edged sword if not managed properly. Timeero’s PTO feature gives you visibility into your teams’ PTO accruals and requests so you can plan ahead to maintain adequate staffing levels for maximum productivity.

2. Outdated tracking methods and costly payroll errors

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Manually tracking PTO is problematic. 

Can you imagine having to open a spreadsheet every time you need to log a PTO request? 

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John left a voicemail this morning that he’d be out today and wants to use his PTO. 

Open spreadsheet, get distracted, come back to enter the details but you can’t find the email thread.

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Mari sends a 1-week notice by email of the days she will be using her PTO next week. 

Open spreadsheet, log details, forget to code Mari’s absence as PTO when you run payroll.

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If this is your current PTO management system, there’s an easier way to get things done. 

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Timeero’s Time Off Tracker allows employees to request PTO directly from their mobile app so you no longer need to go searching through email threads for dates. Managers can view PTO requests in real time and approve them on the spot. No more spreadsheets to shift through and payroll corrections to make.

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For a deeper dive into the most common PTO tracking problems and how to fix them, check out Timeero’s guide to broken PTO policies.

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3. Legal exposure and non-compliance

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If you operate a small business with remote workers, chances are your employees don’t all live in the same state. If you haven’t found out already, PTO rules and policies are not the same in every state. 

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Let’s look at California in particular. 

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California’s labor laws are strict. Vacation time is considered earned wages and continues to accrue for the length of employment. Additionally, employers can not legally require employees to use any of their vacation time by the end of the year, and vacation time must be paid out upon termination. 

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But the story isn’t the same for a state like Texas where PTO isn’t required and employees aren’t entitled to pay out upon termination.

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Keeping up with PTO policies for every state is overwhelming, especially when compliance is on the line. One mistake in policy application can expose your business to legal risks. With Timeero’s PTO feature, you have access to smart admin controls for accruals, carryovers, and policies.

What you can do with Timeero’s upgraded PTO feature

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Timeero’s Paid Time Off feature has been enhanced to give HR teams more control, flexibility, and visibility, while making leave management easier for everyone.

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Here’s what’s possible:

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1. Request and approve PTO from anywhere

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Employees submit time off from the mobile app, and managers can approve instantly—no emails, voicemails, or spreadsheets needed.

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2. Create custom time off categories

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Set up both paid and unpaid types—like vacation, sick leave, jury duty, or bereavement—with specific rules by team, role, or individual.

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3. Automate holiday pay and scheduling

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Define recognized holidays once and let Timeero auto-apply holiday rules across your teams.

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4. Track accruals and balances in real time

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Set up smart accrual policies, carryovers, and resets to match your PTO rules—whether local or across multiple states.

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5. Give employees visibility into their leave

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Employees can check their remaining PTO from the mobile app, eliminating guesswork and reducing back-and-forth.

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6. Prevent scheduling conflicts and stay compliant

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Use the team calendar to avoid overlapping absences and manage state-specific policies with confidence.

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Optimize your HR operations with Timeero

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Managing employee Paid Time Off is only one part of HR, but it can be the most consequential if done incorrectly. 

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Timeero’s PTO tracking software puts company compliance and productivity front and center with on-the-go employer approvals, auto-applied holidays, and real-time accrual totals. Where managing PTO once took administrators countless hours throughout the week, Timeero reduces the task to a few hours or less.

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