PTO in GnuCash?

[Matthew Lepper]

I've used GnuCash to track PTO for many years.  For each employer, I've
created a custom asset type, and a stock account to hold it.  My only
intent has been to track the quantity of PTO, not it's value, so I've
always set the asset price to $0.00.

With each paycheck, there is a zero-value split that adds the right
number for hours to the PTO account.  When I take PTO, I add another
split to the paycheck entry to deduct the number of hours consumed
(again, with zero-value).  Several times a year, I reconcile the PTO
account to whatever my paystub reports to make sure everything has been
accounted for correctly.

I've caught at least two mistakes by the corporate payroll departments
this way.

Upon termination of employment either the last paystub or an auxiliary
paystub converts all the PTO to income, though I still value the PTO at
$0.00/hr.

--
Matthew

On Sun, 2010-07-25 at 12:00 -0400, gnucash-user-request at gnucash.org
wrote:
> Message: 3
> Date: Sat, 24 Jul 2010 15:14:32 -0700 (PDT)
> From: "David T." <sunfish62 at yahoo.com>
> Subject: Re: PTO in GnuCash?
> To: Gnucash-User <gnucash-user at gnucash.org>,    Richard Mancusi
>         <vrman49 at gmail.com>
> Message-ID: <914939.604.qm at web51905.mail.re2.yahoo.com>
> Content-Type: text/plain; charset=iso-8859-1
> 
> Another way such time might have value is for people whose accrued PTO
> is used at retirement to calculate benefits.
> 
> While I too can't speak for the OP, I know that in my job I fill out
> my time card at the end of the month, and when I write my PTO in, I
> have to ensure that I actually have the time stored up to take. Of
> course, that information is listed on my pay stub from the beginning
> of the month, and I never remember what the exact numbers are. So I'm
> always guessing.
> 
> It never occurred to me to use GnuCash to track this, but I might. If
> I were to do this, maybe I would treat PTO as a privately traded stock
> that accrues monthly. Then I'd deduct used time to a special expense
> account. I am sure there's something wrong with this, no doubt.
> 
> David
> 
> --- On Sat, 7/24/10, Richard Mancusi <vrman49 at gmail.com> wrote:
> 
> > From: Richard Mancusi <vrman49 at gmail.com>
> > Subject: Re: PTO in GnuCash?
> > To: "Gnucash-User" <gnucash-user at gnucash.org>
> > Date: Saturday, July 24, 2010, 11:15 AM
> > On Fri, Jul 23, 2010 at 20:10,
> > Michael DeBusk <michael at nlphilia.com>
> > wrote:
> > > On 07/23/2010 04:01 PM, Steve Kelem wrote:
> > >
> > >> What's the best way to model PTO in GnuCash?
> > >
> > > I don't understand the benefit of tracking the value
> > of PTO. It isn't an
> > > actual asset; it's a benefit. (You probably don't
> > track the value of any
> > > of your other benefits, do you?)
> > >
> > > If your reasoning makes sense to me, I might start
> > doing it too. :)
> > >
> > 
> > Obviously I can't speak for the OP - however I can tell you
> > why
> > it may make sense.? This is strictly an issue of how
> > each company
> > handles their PTO.? I have worked some places where
> > unused PTO
> > is paid out at the end of the year.? For that matter
> > so was the unused
> > vacation time.? Therefore it seems logical that those
> > benefits are
> > also assets.? One way of looking at it is that you
> > have "x" dollars
> > due you at the end of the year.? As you use any of
> > that time its
> > value decrements - sounds like an asset to me.
> > 
> > One other less pleasant note ... if you lose your job, you
> > may be
> > entitled to a payout of unused vacation or PTO.
> > 
> > Again, in both cases, it would be a question of how the HR
> > department
> > of each company handles this time.? Paid out if not
> > used? -or-? not.
> > 
> > -rich
>