Walmart PTO Explained: Answers to Frequently Asked Questions (2024)

PTO, FTO, OOO — however you abbreviate it, paid vacation time is a sought-after benefit for employees. But how can you check if you qualify for it, or make sure you’re really using your PTO to the best of your advantage?

Walmart’s PTO policy isn’t unlike other major employers in the U.S., but it does have some nuances.

Read through this article to learn:

Table of Contents

Walmart PTO Policy: Frequently Asked Questions

How Do You Get PTO at Walmart?

PTO accrual at Walmart — which can be used for vacation, sick, or holiday time — is determined based on:

When it comes to PTO (paid time off), years of service are based on the work anniversary you’ll reach during the plan year that begins each Feb. 1, not your current tenure, so you may be able to ring the anniversary bell a little early.

Employees need to work at Walmart for 90 days before they can take any paid time off but are eligible to start using PTO as soon as they earn it.

Even though PTO and vacation days are designed for employees to use, not everyone takes advantage of them. If you’re in this mix and often forget you have PTO to take, feel your workload won’t allow for it, or find it often goes unused, Sorbet can help.

How Is Walmart PTO Calculated?

The following applies to full-time employees in all locations except Arizona, California, Connecticut, the District of Columbia, Illinois, Maryland, Massachusetts, Minneapolis/St. Paul (MN), New Jersey, New York City (NY), Oregon, Philadelphia (PA), Rhode Island, Vermont, and Washington.

Once 90 days are up, a new full-time associate will start earning PTO and accrue at a rate of 41.05 hours to 1 hour, up to a maximum of 72 hours per year.

Upon three years of service, an employee will accrue PTO at a rate of 31.20 hours with a maximum of 88 hours per year and will continue to accrue at a faster rate the longer they’re with Walmart.

A part-time associate, however, will not earn PTO until year three, at which time they will accrue at a rate of 60 hours to 1 hour with a maximum of 56 hours per year.

Do Part-time Employees Get the Same PTO Benefits as Full-time Employees?

In terms of eligibility for PTO and PPTO (we’ll get to that in a bit) — the answer is yes.

PTO for hourly part-time employees, full-time employees, and truck drivers will differ in terms of the rate of accrual and the maximum hours that can be earned each year.

Additionally, salaried campus employees will earn FlexTO, another form of PTO which has no limit and does not need to be accrued. But, because salaried campus employees don’t earn or accrue a specific amount of PTO, no amount of PTO will carry over into the next plan year.

Do Salaried Employees Get the Same PTO Benefits as Hourly Employees?

Many salaried Walmart employees and driver associates receive nearly identical benefit offerings as employees who are paid by the hour, but there is a difference depending on where you work for Walmart.

Salaried associates in a facility have a certain number of PTO days available for use on Feb. 1, the first day of the plan year. As we covered above, the longer an employee works for Walmart, the more PTO they can earn.

The total includes any and all unused days carried over from the previous year, and the annual PTO amount for the new year — minus any reduction from carrying over more than the annual limit.

It’s important to note that while all PTO becomes available for the year starting Feb. 1, employees actually earn a portion of their annual PTO each month.

Salaried campus associates that are above facility level, have FlexTO, which offers the flexibility to take time off as needed to integrate work and life. There are no minimums, maximums, or set balances of time off available in a given year.

Truck drivers, meanwhile, earn PTO on service hours. Eligible employees can use the GTA Portal to request time off and have it approved.

Can You Use PTO for Partial Days?

Yes! Walmart PTO can be requested for little as 15-minute increments.

You can either use this time if you’re looking to leave work early or come in late but still clock a full day’s work and pay.

Can You Use PTO While on a Leave of Absence?

A leave of absence must be both requested and approved, and may be paid or unpaid based on the reason for time off.

Examples of potential approved paid leaves of absence include:

Paid family medical leave encompasses any necessary time away, up to 12 weeks, to care for yourself or your family, which may involve:

For hourly employees to be eligible for Family and Medical Leave, they must have worked at least 12 months and 1,250 hours.

Paid military leave lets an employee take time off for military service, while paid personal leave includes medical leave, worker’s comp, and parental leave up to 52 weeks.

But remember, PTO eligibility depends on the reason for the leave and may only be available for a portion of the leave of absence.

Do You Earn PTO While You’re Using PTO?

There are many circ*mstances where, yes, a Walmart employee can earn PTO even while they’re clocking PTO.

The following types of service hours count toward earning PTO, including:

Do You Lose Your Accrued PTO Hours at the End of the Year?

No — not all of it, anyway. All unused PTO carries over to the next year up until a certain amount that is determined by the location of your facility or job site.

Once a certain amount is hit, the next year’s annual PTO bank will be reduced by the excess amount determined by the work location.

The excess carryover days could range from 5 days in the majority of states/locations, 6 days in California, or up to 14 days in Washington, D.C.

How Can You Request PTO at Walmart?

Hourly associates can check their available balance with the Global Time and Attendance (GTA) Portal.

To request time off, employees simply:

Can Walmart Deny PTO Requests?

In the event that PTO is being taken, not PPTO, yes, a request can be denied.

As part of the PTO submission process, a manager will either approve or deny an employee’s request for time away based on business and staffing needs.

However, for last-minute or unplanned time off needed, employees can take their PPTO, which does not require approval and is automatically approved by the system.

Generally speaking, employees who have worked for Walmart for at least one year prior to separation will be paid out for up to five days of unused PTO.

A few exceptions to that rule include:

With Sorbet, you don’t need to wait until you quit to take advantage of your unused PTO — Sorbet allows you to advance your unused PTO and gain access to money you already earned without incurring high fees and penalties.

Plus, it couldn’t be easier — Simply check and see how many days are actually in your PTO bank, view your balance, apply in minutes (with no credit check), and get paid.

Sorbet’s integrated solution allows you to access your money in a way that’s a true benefit — instead of just a PTO option.

Walmart PTO vs. PPTO: What Is the Difference?

Should the unexpected happen, like a medical or family emergency, a Walmart employee would be allowed to use their PPTO, or protected paid time off, which doesn’t require approval.

This allows the employee to save their regular PTO for time off over holidays, personal reasons, or family vacations which require manager approval.

Protected PTO at Walmart

Protected PTO at Walmart encompasses:

PPTO gives an employee absence protection, which means that the absence will not go on their attendance record.

How Many Hours of PPTO Does Walmart Give Per Year?

All associates will start accruing Protected PTO starting day one, at a rate of 17.33 hours to 1 hour for full-time, and 30 hours to 1 hour for part-time, up to 48 hours maximum.

This protected PTO can be used at any time for any reason.

Do You Get Paid While Using PPTO?

Yes, but eligibility for paid PPTO depends on the length of PPTO you’ll be taking and how long you’ve worked at Walmart.

When an employee uses Protected PTO, as long as they’ve got enough PPTO to cover the length of time requested, the absence will be authorized — even if they aren’t able to request it in advance.

If PPTO runs out and an employee doesn't have enough, regular PTO will be used to pay the remainder. The catch is, absence protection doesn’t cover the portion of time away covered by regular PTO.

Why Are You Not Earning PTO at Walmart?

Your classification as an employee, along with the location you work in, will determine how quickly you accrue PTO. The amount earned will also depend on whether you are full-time, part-time, or temporary.

If you have access to Protected PTO where you work, you earn both regular and Protected PTO at the same time, unless you’re a temporary associate who earns Protected PTO only.

How to Use Walmart PTO

PTO is a valuable employee asset, and you should use it to take time off, rest, and recharge. But what about the days you can’t use? If you’re looking at your PTO accrual and realizing you have more PTO days than you can take, Sorbet is your cash advance solution to unlock financial benefits you may not even realize you have.

Sorbet PTO Advance

Sorbet allows you to advance the cash value of unused PTO instead of having to wait for your PTO payout at termination.

Say you’ve been putting off getting new tires, and you get a flat on the way to work. The others will go soon, so you’re advised to get four new ones — to the tune of $800. Instead of digging into your savings or advancing your paycheck, Sorbet allows you to advance the cash value of unused PTO days.

Then every month, you’ll pay Sorbet a very small percentage of interest on the advance. When your employer pays out your unused PTO when you decide to leave your job, you’ll repay the $800 to Sorbet.

Wondering about the ins and outs of PTO policies at other companies? Check out our comprehensive guide to: