Build the same leave ledger for each package
Copy the wording from each offer or policy before interpreting it. Keep annual leave, public holidays, sick or care leave, purchased leave and other absence categories on separate rows unless the documents explicitly combine them.
| Field | What to record | Why the label matters |
|---|---|---|
| Leave category | The exact document label and stated purpose | Different categories may not be interchangeable. |
| Amount and unit | Days or hours, plus the period covered | A yearly day count cannot be compared directly with an hourly balance. |
| Access conditions | Start date, waiting conditions and approval process | Stated time may not be available at the same point in each role. |
| Balance rules | Accrual, expiry, carry-over and any stated cap | Unused time can have different practical value under different rules. |
| Pay treatment | The pay basis stated for approved leave | Do not assume that every category or pay component is treated alike. |
| Scheduling reality | Notice, blackout periods, minimum blocks and team coverage | Usability depends on more than the headline balance. |
Separate document facts, calculated scenarios and personal value
| Evidence type | Example | How to use it |
|---|---|---|
| Document fact | A policy states a balance in hours | Record the source, date and exact wording. |
| Calculated scenario | Entered paid days translated to gross pay value | Keep the calculator assumptions and units visible. |
| Qualitative preference | Schedule control or ability to take a continuous break | Write it beside the calculation; do not invent a universal cash price. |
- Use the same comparison horizon and day-or-hour convention for both packages.
- Mark every unknown term instead of filling it with a familiar rule.
- Keep public holidays and other absence categories separate from annual leave unless the documents combine them.
- Test gross-pay equivalence only after the schedule basis is aligned.
- Write a separate note for flexibility, workload, recovery time and personal priorities.
Apply the framework to two packages side by side
Copy this non-numeric template into your decision notes. Fill each package column from its own documents, keep unknowns visible, and write a decision note only after both sides use the same field and unit.
| Comparison field | Package A — your entry | Package B — your entry | Decision note |
|---|---|---|---|
| Source and leave category | Write the document, date and exact category label | Write the document, date and exact category label | Are the categories genuinely comparable? |
| Amount, unit and period | Enter days or hours and the period; otherwise mark unknown | Enter days or hours and the period; otherwise mark unknown | What must be converted before comparison? |
| Access and approval | Record availability, notice and approval wording | Record availability, notice and approval wording | Which stated time may be difficult to use? |
| Balance treatment | Record accrual, expiry, carry-over and payout wording | Record accrual, expiry, carry-over and payout wording | Which unresolved rule could change the decision? |
| Scheduling and personal fit | Describe usable blocks, constraints and your priority | Describe usable blocks, constraints and your priority | What matters even if gross values are equal? |
Route each numeric question to its bounded calculator
To translate entered paid days to a gross-pay equivalent, read the Paid time off value guide, use the Paid time off value calculator, and check its methodology. It does not determine entitlement or whether the days can be used.
When an arrangement explicitly permits buying or selling leave, read the Leave buy or sell guide, use the Leave buy or sell calculator, and check its methodology. Enter the arrangement terms rather than a universal multiplier.
When a supplied rule describes holiday hours, premiums or a fixed bonus, read the Holiday pay using your rule guide, use the Holiday pay using your rule calculator, and check its methodology. The tool applies the entered rule but does not decide the holiday or eligibility.
To keep entered leave value beside other package components, read the Total compensation guide, use the Total compensation calculator, and check its methodology. Count each component once.
Close the document gaps before choosing
If the decision includes an unpaid break, continue with the unpaid-leave planning checklist so pay interruption, benefit arrangements and return conditions stay outside this paid-package comparison.
- Which document controls when the offer summary and handbook differ?
- When does each balance become available, and in what unit?
- Who approves leave and what notice or scheduling constraints are stated?
- What happens to unused time under the applicable arrangement?
- Which questions require an employer answer or current local official guidance?
- Which qualitative difference would still matter if the gross cash values were equal?
Frequently asked questions
- Does the package with the higher gross leave value automatically win?
- No. Gross equivalence is one bounded measure. Access, scheduling, workload and personal priorities remain separate.
- Can Wage101 confirm how much leave I am legally entitled to?
- No. Verify the applicable jurisdiction, worker coverage and current official rule outside this Global comparison.
Sources checked
- Wages and working-time concepts and definitions — ILOSTAT (accessed 2026-08-01): Distinguishes hours paid for, hours actually worked and unpaid absences; it does not supply an employer leave rule or local entitlement.
- Resolution concerning the measurement of working time — International Labour Organization (accessed 2026-08-01): Primary conceptual standard for keeping paid time, worked time and absence categories distinct; no jurisdiction-specific right is inferred.