Create & Configure PTO Subgroups - Knowledge Base | BerniePortal

Creating and Configuring PTO Subgroups

PTO Subgroups let you give different groups of employees different PTO policies. Create a subgroup, set its approach and work day on Configure, then turn on categories and amounts on PTO Amounts.

To create a subgroup:
  1. Log in as the employer or a PTO Feature Admin.
  2. Select PTO in the top navigation menu.
  3. Select Subgroups in the secondary navigation menu.
  4. In the PTO Subgroup Name field at the bottom of the PTO Subgroups table, enter a name, then select Add.
  5. Select the new subgroup name in the table to open it. The sidebar shows Configure and PTO Amounts.
Configuration options depend on the approach you choose. For how Annual Allotment and Accrual Bank differ, see Understanding Different PTO Approaches.

Configure:
  1. On Configure, edit Subgroup Name if needed.
  2. In PTO Calculation Method, select Annual Allotment or Accrual Bank: Standard.
  3. In Work Day Length, select how many hours count as a whole day of PTO (1 through 16 hours).
  4. In Description of PTO Policy, enter the policy text employees see in the PTO Policy modal. If the field is blank, you can select AI Generate PTO Policy, then edit the draft.
  5. Optional: Select Import data from another PTO Subgroup (top right). In the PTO Import dialog, choose a source subgroup under Select a subgroup whose data will be imported:, then select Save. Import copies approach, description, holidays, and allowance settings—not the subgroup name.
  6. Select Save. Before the subgroup is locked, this continues to PTO Amounts.

PTO Amounts:
On PTO Amounts, indicate which categories you offer and how many days employees get.
  1. Subgroup Holidays — Turn the toggle on. Enter Starting Date and End Date (MM/DD/YYYY), then select Add. To remove a holiday, open the row actions and select Remove. Turning the toggle off when holidays exist asks you to confirm deleting all Subgroup Holidays; that cannot be undone.
  2. Time-off categories — Turn on each category you offer. Default labels are PTO, Vacation, Sick, Personal, and Floating (employers can rename these elsewhere). Turning a category off cannot be undone.
  3. For each enabled category, set Distribution Type to Flat amount or Years of Service.
If Distribution Type is Flat amount:
  • Enter Annual Accrual Amount.
  • For Accrual Bank: Standard, also enter Positive Limit and Negative Limit.
If Distribution Type is Years of Service:
  • Enter the Years Worked range, Annual Accrual Amount, and Unit of Time (Days or Hours), then select Add. Hour values are stored as days using Work Day Length.
  • For Accrual Bank: Standard, also enter Positive Limit and Negative Limit for each tier.
  • To delete a tier, open the row actions and select Remove.
For non-Floating categories under Annual Allotment:
  • Allotment Date — Based on hire date, Based on calendar year, or a fiscal option from Based on 02/1 fiscal year through Based on 12/1 fiscal year.
  • Accrual Timeframe — Accrue monthly, Accrue quarterly, or Accrue annually.
  • Rollover Settings — Do not rollover or Rollover unused days. If rollover is enabled, set Rollover Amount to Unlimited rollover or a value from 1 to 60.
For non-Floating categories under Accrual Bank: Standard:
  • Set Accrual Timeframe the same way (Accrue monthly, Accrue quarterly, or Accrue annually). Allotment Date and Rollover Settings do not appear for Accrual Bank.
For Floating:
  • Configure Distribution Type and amounts as above. Floating does not use Allotment Date, Accrual Timeframe, or Rollover Settings.

Save and lock:
  1. When amounts are ready, select Save.
  2. In Review PTO Settings Before Saving, confirm the warning that locked settings cannot be changed, then select Confirm and save (or Cancel).
After lock, you can still change Subgroup Name, Description of PTO Policy, and Subgroup Holidays. Calculation method, work day length, category toggles, distribution, amounts, accrual timing, rollover, and limits stay locked. Import is unavailable after lock. To change locked settings, create a new subgroup and move employees to it.

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