PTO Exchange FAQ

1. What is PTO Exchange?

PTO Exchange allows employees to exchange unused paid time off (PTO) hours for goods and services at any time, throughout the plan year. Employees can exchange some of their unused PTO for Retirement & HSA Contributions, Student Loan/Tuition/529 Plan Reimbursements, Charitable Donations, Leave Sharing Donations, Travel Purchases or Cash Payments.
 

2. Who is eligible for this benefit?

All employees who are eligible to receive and participate in Horizon Realty Advisors paid time off (PTO) program is eligible to participate in PTO Exchange. Not eligible for Corporate employees.
 

3. How much accrued PTO do I need before I can use PTO Exchange?

 Horizon Realty Advisors must have at least 40 hours of accrued PTO in order to do an exchange.  

4. How much PTO can I exchange?

The maximum number of hours that can be exchanged per year is 40 hours.  For example, if you have 80 hours of PTO, you can exchange 40 hours or if you had 200 hours of accrued PTO, you may exchange 40 hours per year.

5. Is this taxed?

If you are exchanging your PTO for Retirement or HSA contribution, those are taxed in the same way that normal payroll contributions would be. For Student Loan/Tuition Reimbursements, Charitable Donations, or Cash Payments, the value of the exchange will be taxed at the same rate as your other compensation at the time of the transaction.

6. What is the Service Charge?

The IRS will not allow Horizon Realty Advisors to provide a dollar-for-dollar exchange of PTO. For all plans, a 10% Service Charge / Exchange Reduction will apply.
 

7. In practice, what does an exchange look like?

 For an employee who makes $25/hour and exchanges 8 hours, the exchange would look like this:

• 8 hours * $25/hour = $200
• $200 minus the 10% Service Charge = $180
• $180 will be added to your paycheck and 8 hours will be deducted from your PTO balance
   

8. How do I receive the value of my exchanged hours?

All exchanges made on the PTO Exchange platform are processed through Horizon Realty Advisors payroll and will show as additional earnings on your paycheck.  Exchanges must be submitted prior to payroll being processed (see FAQ #12). Otherwise, they will show on the following paycheck.

Employees should go to www.ptoexchange.com and enter your work email address. When you click “Next” a validation link will be sent to the email address you entered. You simply need to click the validation link and create a password. Once your account has been verified, you may login to PTO Exchange using your @horizonra.com email address and the password you created.
 

10. When I click the link to access PTO Exchange, it says my account is not set up

If you receive a message that your account is not set up, it means you are currently not eligible to use PTO Exchange.
 

11. When can I do this?

PTO Exchange is available throughout the year, and you can simply log into the PTO Exchange platform and make an election.
 

12. What if I want to cancel my exchange?

You can always cancel an exchange on the PTO Exchange platform. Keep in mind that PTO Exchanges are sent to payroll 5 business days before employees receive their paycheck. Exchanges must be cancelled prior to 11 p.m. on the day of payroll processing, otherwise the transaction will be processed, your PTO will be reduced, and the associated earnings will be added to your next available paycheck. Once this election is sent to payroll for processing, this exchange election is irrevocable.

To cancel an exchange, simply navigate to the dashboard and you will see a list of exchanges under the Recent Activity heading. You can click on the particular exchange that you want to cancel, then click “Cancel.”
 

13. I created a transaction and now I don’t see it on the dashboard

This means your transaction was sent to payroll. Click the Show filters link and turn on all the filters. Your transaction will show as paid.
 

14. What if I have problems or questions regarding the program?

Email support@ptoexchange.com with any questions or problems.

Resource: 

• Leave Sharing Policy