How to Use the PTO Tracking Add-On in Project Insight

What does the PTO Tracking add-on do?

The PTO Tracking add-on connects PTO calendar entries, time entries, PTO time codes, accruals, and PTO balances in Project Insight.

When configured, users can enter PTO from their PTO calendar or from the time entry grid. Project Insight can keep both records aligned, create PTO time entries, route those entries through the normal timesheet approval process, reduce available capacity, and calculate PTO balances.

Use this article when you need to configure PTO tracking beyond simple personal non-working days.

When should you use the PTO Tracking add-on?

Use the PTO Tracking add-on when your organization needs to:

• Track PTO as time entries
• Route PTO through timesheet approvals
• Categorize PTO by type, such as vacation or holiday
• Track PTO used and PTO remaining
• Calculate PTO accruals
• Use different PTO accrual schedules for different groups
• Set maximum carryover limits
• Track personal days or floating holidays
• Keep PTO calendar entries and time entries synchronized

If you only need users to mark when they are unavailable, use the PTO Schedule or PTO Calendar. If you need PTO balances, accruals, and time-entry syncing, use the PTO Tracking add-on.

How does PTO Tracking work?

PTO Tracking connects three parts of Project Insight:

1. PTO calendar entries
   Users can mark full-day or partial-day PTO on their PTO calendar.
2. Time entries
   PTO calendar entries can create time entries using a PTO time code.
3. PTO details and balances
   PTO used, PTO accrued, and PTO remaining can be tracked from PTO details.

This allows PTO to be recorded consistently across scheduling, time entry, approvals, and capacity planning.

Add PTO from the PTO calendar

Users can add PTO from their PTO calendar.

To add PTO:

1. Open your PTO calendar.
2. Select the date you want to mark as PTO.
3. Open the PTO entry details.
4. Enter the number of PTO hours.
5. Select the PTO type, such as vacation or holiday.
6. Add a description if needed.
7. Save the entry.

The PTO entry can create a time entry using the selected PTO time code. The description entered on the PTO calendar becomes the time entry description.

Add full-day or partial-day PTO

Users can enter either full-day or partial-day PTO.

For a full day, use the standard full-day hours configured for that user or schedule.

For a partial day, edit the number of PTO hours. For example, a user may enter four hours for a half day.

Use PTO time codes

PTO time codes tell Project Insight which time entries should count as PTO.

Examples of PTO time codes include:

• Vacation PTO
• Holiday
• Personal day
• Floating holiday

Admins can choose which time codes are used for PTO. Once a time code is marked as a PTO time code, Project Insight can use it to connect PTO calendar entries, time entries, PTO details, and capacity.

Configure PTO time codes

To configure PTO time codes:

1. Go to the PTO Tracking add-on configuration.
2. Open the time code settings.
3. Mark the appropriate time codes for PTO use.
4. Choose a default PTO time code if needed.
5. Save the settings.

The default PTO time code is used when a PTO entry needs a standard category.

Sync PTO entries and time entries

The PTO Tracking add-on can keep PTO entries and time entries aligned.

When syncing is enabled:

• PTO entered on the PTO calendar can create a time entry.
• PTO entered on the time entry grid can appear on the PTO calendar.
• The selected PTO time code determines the PTO category.
• PTO records and time records stay updated together.

This is useful when PTO needs to be included in timesheets, approvals, reporting, and capacity planning.

Enter PTO from the time entry grid

Users can also enter PTO from the time entry grid.

To enter PTO from time entry:

1. Go to Time Home or the time entry grid.
2. Find the correct date.
3. Enter the PTO hours.
4. Select a PTO time code, such as vacation or holiday.
5. Add a description if needed.
6. Save the time entry.

If the time code is marked for PTO use, the entry can sync back to the user’s PTO calendar and PTO details.

Required setup for time entry syncing

Before PTO can sync from time entry, make sure:

• Time entries are enabled for the company.
• The user has the correct company assigned in their profile.
• The time code is marked as a PTO time code.
• The time code is available for company time entry.
• PTO Tracking settings are configured to align PTO entries and time entries.

If PTO is entered from the time entry grid but does not appear on the PTO calendar, check the time code and company setup first.

Allow timesheet approvers to edit PTO or work schedules

Admins can allow timesheet approvers to edit PTO or work schedules for users they approve.

Use this setting when managers or approvers need permission to help maintain PTO records for their team.

Enable PTO accrual calculations

The PTO Tracking add-on can calculate PTO accruals automatically.

Admins can choose whether accruals are enabled. If your organization does not track PTO accruals in Project Insight, this setting can be turned off so accrual fields do not appear.

Configure default PTO accrual rules

Admins can configure default PTO accrual rules, including:

• The day of the month accruals are calculated
• The default number of hours accrued per month
• Accrual increases after a certain number of years
• Maximum PTO carryover
• Annual personal day hours
• Annual floating holiday hours

For example, a default rule may give users a standard number of PTO hours each month, then increase that monthly accrual rate after two or four years.

Use alternate PTO rate schedules

Alternate PTO rate schedules allow different users or groups to accrue PTO at different rates.

For example, managers may accrue PTO at a higher monthly rate than the default schedule. Admins can create an alternate rate schedule and assign it where needed.

If your organization only uses one accrual policy, you may not need alternate schedules.

Set maximum PTO carryover

Admins can set a maximum PTO carryover amount.

This limits how many unused PTO hours a user can carry over from one year to the next.

Track personal days and floating holidays

Project Insight can track personal days and floating holidays as separate PTO categories.

Admins can:

• Assign personal days to a specific time code
• Assign floating holidays to a specific time code
• Define how many hours are granted per year for each category

If your organization does not separate personal days or floating holidays, you can keep the PTO setup simpler and use fewer PTO time codes.

View PTO details and balances

Users can view PTO details to see PTO activity and balances.

PTO details may show:

• PTO entries
• PTO time codes
• PTO descriptions
• PTO hours used
• PTO accrual entries
• PTO balance

Accrual entries show how PTO was earned. PTO entries show how PTO was used. Together, they calculate the user’s remaining PTO balance.

How does this relate to capacity planning?

PTO can reduce a user’s available capacity when they are out of office.

The PTO Tracking add-on helps keep PTO records aligned with time entries and PTO balances. For broader capacity planning, use resource allocation and capacity reports to review how PTO affects availability, assigned work, and over-allocation.

How is this different from the PTO Schedule?

The PTO Schedule is where users mark personal non-working days.

The PTO Tracking add-on extends that process by adding time-entry syncing, PTO time codes, accrual calculations, carryover limits, and PTO balance tracking.

Use the PTO Schedule for basic time-off visibility. Use the PTO Tracking add-on when PTO also needs to connect to time entry, approval, accrual, and balance tracking.

Best practices

Configure PTO time codes before users begin entering PTO.
Choose a default PTO time code if most PTO should use the same category.
Use separate PTO time codes only when your organization needs separate reporting.
Confirm time entry is enabled for the user’s company.
Make sure users are assigned to the correct company in their profile.
Decide whether PTO accruals should be tracked in Project Insight.
Set accrual rules before relying on PTO balances.
Use alternate accrual schedules only when different groups have different PTO policies.
Review carryover rules before the start of a new year.
Encourage users to enter PTO early so schedules and capacity stay accurate.

Common mistakes to avoid

Using a regular time code instead of a PTO time code.
Entering PTO from time entry before the company and time code settings are configured.
Expecting PTO balances to calculate when accruals are turned off.
Creating too many PTO time codes when one or two categories would be enough.
Forgetting to assign users to the correct company for time entry.
Treating PTO Tracking as only a calendar feature instead of a connected time-entry and balance process.
Confusing PTO Tracking with organization-wide holiday schedules.

Summary

The PTO Tracking add-on helps organizations manage PTO as part of the larger time, approval, capacity, and balance tracking process in Project Insight.

Users can enter PTO from the PTO calendar or from time entry. Admins can configure PTO time codes, syncing, accrual rules, carryover limits, personal days, floating holidays, and alternate accrual schedules.

Use this add-on when PTO needs to do more than mark someone as unavailable.