Walmart Vacation Policy – PTO, PPTO, Time Off, & More Explained

If you’ve considered starting a career at Walmart, then vacation time is something you’ve likely considered. From what I’ve gathered, Walmart values the importance of providing vacation benefits to its employees. They do a good job of promoting work-life balance and overall well-being.

It’s a pretty extensive vacation policy, so I’ve done the research for you and have broken down every bit of it. In this article, we’ll get into how the policy works, managing your vacation time, eligibility and requirements, and a few things you’ll want to know before using that vacation time.

Let’s get into it!

Hours And Time Within Walmart’s Vacation Policy

As a Walmart employee, you’ll encounter two main types of leave: Paid Time Off (PTO) and Protected PTO (PPTO). PTO can be used for any reason, such as vacations and personal days, while PPTO is specifically designed for instances related to illness or emergencies.

The amount of PTO you earn depends on your employment status and years of service. For example, a full-time associate starts accruing PTO after 90 days of employment, while part-time associates will start earning PTO in their third year with the company.

Full-time associates in years 0 – 2 accrue PTO at a rate of 41.05 hours worked to 1 PTO hour. But earning hours gets easier well beyond that as the table below shows:

YEARS OF SERVICE	TIME TO EARN 1 HOUR	MAX HOURS/YEAR	TIME TO EARN 1 HOUR	MAX HOURS/YEAR	MAX HOURS/YEAR
0-2	41.05	72	30.00	48	120
3	31.20	88	30.00	48	136
4-6	19.50	128	30.00	48	176
7-10	15.00	160	30.00	48	208
11-15	13.45	176	30.00	48	224
16-19	10.68	216	30.00	48	264
20+	8.86	256	30.00	48	304

As the table shows, once you’ve put in some serious time with the comapny, you can earn as many as 304 hours by the time you’ve reached year 20! That’s an insane amount, but shows how far Walmarts vacation benefits can go if you put in the time.

For part-time employees, the benefits are there still, but you earn them at least of a rate. Take a look below as how many vacation hours their policy allows:

YEARS OF SERVICE	TIME TO EARN 1 HOUR	MAX HOURS/YEAR	TIME TO EARN 1 HOUR	MAX HOURS/YEAR	MAX HOURS/YEAR
0-2	n/a	n/a	30.00	48	48
3	60.00	56	30.00	48	104
4-6	60.00	56	30.00	48	104
7-10	60.00	56	30.00	48	104
11-15	60.00	56	30.00	48	104
16-19	60.00	56	30.00	48	104
20+	27.86	96	30.00	48	144

For a more detailed breakdown of PTO, Protected PTO, and how things work within your region, take a look at this document.

If you do plan to use some of this PTO then you’ll want to keep the following detais in mind:

1. Full-time and part-time associates accrue PTO at different rates.
2. PTO can be used for any purpose, while PPTO is specifically for emergencies or illnesses.
3. The maximum amount of PTO you can accrue depends on your employment status and years of service.
4. You’ll need to have enough PTO hours saved up to cover your requested time off.

As you can see, thats a pretty flexible way to utilize PTO, and the great part is you can use it whenever and as often as you’d like.

Eligibility for Paid Time Off

Eligibilty is a big part of Walmart’s Paid Time Off (PTO) policy. To undertsand how it works for associates, I’ll go over the years of service and full-time/part-time status.

Years of Service and PTO Accrual

The amount of PTO you accrue at Walmart depends on your years of service. As an associate, you will typically see an increase in PTO over time. It’s not unlimited though as PTO has a cap limit with how much you can accrue.

• Full-time associates will max out at 120 hours.
• Part-time associates will max out at 48 hours in the first two years.

Note that up to 80 hours can be rolled over to the next year which is a great way to get a head start on longer vacations you my have planned for the future.

Full-Time and Part-Time Status

Walmart considers your full-time or part-time status when determining your PTO eligibility. There’s a difference in the amount of PTO accessed depending on your status:

1. Full-Time: Eligible for up to 20 days of PTO per year.
2. Part-Time: Eligible for a lesser amount of PTO compared to full-time counterparts.

Types of Leave

So, there are two main types of leave: Holiday and Vacation Time and Parental and Adoption Leave. Each of them has different rules associated with it, and much of that depends on whether you’re full-time or not.

Holiday and Vacation Time

Walmart offers its employees both holiday time and vacation time. Full-time associates accumulate Paid Time Off (PTO), which can be used for vacations, personal days, or sick days. Part-time associates, on the other hand, accumulate a separate type called Protected PTO.

Here are the main points to consider:

• PTO: Full-time associates can accrue PTO to use for vacations, personal days, or when feeling sick.
• Protected PTO: Part-time associates accumulate protected PTO, which can be used specifically for unexpected absences, such as illness or emergencies.
• Holiday time: Walmart observes select holidays, and eligible employees receive holiday pay in addition to their regular pay.

Parental and Adoption Leave

If you’re on the journey to becoming a parent, then you’ll definitely appreciate that Walmart offers Parental Leave and Adoption Leave to eligible associates.

1. Parental Leave: If you’re expecting a baby or welcoming a child through surrogacy, Walmart provides parental leave to bond with your new child. Eligible full-time and part-time associates can take up to 12 weeks of leave.
2. Adoption Leave: Walmart offers an Adoption Benefit for those who are adopting a child. This leave allows eligible associates to take time off to bond with their new child and adjust to the new family dynamic.

Maximizing Your Walmart Vacation Benefits

To make the most out of your Walmart vacation benefits, it’s essential to understand the company’s Paid Time Off (PTO) policy and how it is determined based on factors like your years of service, full-time or part-time status, and hours worked.

If I were working at Walmart I’d do the following to make sure I maximize these vacation benefits:

1. Track your PTO balance: Keep an eye on your PTO hours and ensure you know the maximum hours you can accumulate based on your full-time or part-time status and years of service.
2. Plan accordingly: Schedule your vacations and time off ahead of time, considering the PTO balance you have available and the possibility of rolling over hours.
3. Stay updated on policy changes: Keep up-to-date with any changes to Walmart’s vacation policy, as these updates may affect your PTO balances and procedures.