Leave accrual
Leave accrual is the model in which entitlement builds up gradually as time is worked. It is not granted as a whole balance at the start of the period. Under accrual, somebody four months into a year has earned roughly a third of the annual figure.
Accrual and up-front allocation answer the same question differently. For most of a year the difference is invisible. It shows at the edges, which is where it causes trouble.
The edge that matters is leaving. Somebody who took three weeks in February and resigned in March used far more than they earned under accrual. Under an up-front model they used nothing extra. Every argument about accrual is really about that moment.
The second edge is joining. A new starter under accrual begins near zero. That surprises people who arrive expecting a full allocation.
Some employers run a hybrid to soften it. Entitlement accrues on paper, but people may borrow against the year ahead up to a stated limit. Write the borrowing limit down. It is the part everybody later disagrees about.
Where this shows up in PeopleMuster
PeopleMuster allocates a quota per leave type per year and tracks used against allocated. That is an up-front model: the whole year's balance is visible from the first day of the leave year.
Questions people ask
What is the difference between accrual and allocation?
Timing. Accrual earns entitlement as the period progresses. Allocation grants the whole balance at the start. The totals match at year end and diverge everywhere else.
How is an accrual rate worked out?
Usually the annual figure divided by the periods in a year, so a monthly rate is a twelfth. Some policies accrue by hours worked, which suits variable schedules.
How does PeopleMuster hold leave entitlement?
As a yearly quota per leave type, allocated per person. A grid shows days used against days allocated for every employee and every type, so a balance is always a lookup.