Target pays out unused vacation hours on your final paycheck when you quit. Sick time, family leave, and certain other PTO buckets do not pay out. Here’s the full checklist to run through before you submit your two weeks so you walk away with everything you’re owed.
Before you submit notice
Run through this list before you tell anyone you’re leaving:
- Pull your current PTO balance in Workday. Go to Workday > Time Off > Absence Balance. Screenshot it. Disputes happen, and the screenshot is your evidence.
- Check your accrual rate. Target full-time hourly team members typically accrue about 60 hours of PTO per year, with the rate increasing at tenure milestones. Make sure your accrual rate in Workday matches what you expect.
- Check your address in Workday. Final paycheck and W2 both go to whatever’s on file. If you’ve moved, update it now.
- Note your bonus and incentive timing if you’re salaried. Target’s annual incentive payouts happen on specific dates. Quitting before the payout date typically forfeits the bonus.
- Check whether you have any pending paid family leave. Target offers up to 4 weeks at 100% pay, but unused family leave doesn’t pay out as cash. If you have a qualifying event before separation, use it.
After you submit notice but before your last day
- Use any pending sick time you legitimately need to use. Sick time doesn’t pay out, so if you’re genuinely under the weather or have a medical appointment, take the time off before your last day.
- Don’t burn vacation hours unless you can’t work. Vacation hours pay out at full value. Using them in your last two weeks just shifts the same money around.
- Confirm your direct deposit is still active. Direct deposit sometimes gets canceled at separation. Ask payroll to confirm whether your final check will be direct deposit or mailed.
- Make sure your manager has approved your final timesheet in MyTime. Errors in your last week’s timesheet are the most common cause of delayed final pay.
- Verify your separation date with HR. Workday should reflect the correct last day worked. If it shows the wrong date, PTO accrual calculation can be off.
On your last day
- Confirm with your team lead that all timeclock punches are correct. Any missing punches need to be fixed before the final payroll runs.
- Return your TEID badge, RedCard if you’re a corporate employee, and any equipment. This is procedural but not tied to PTO payout.
- Ask your manager to confirm your PTO balance. Have them verify in Workday what they’re submitting to payroll.
- Get a copy of your last pay stub. This will show your PTO accrual and any final adjustments before the final paycheck.
After your last day
- Watch for your final paycheck on the next scheduled payday. Most states allow employers to issue final pay on the normal payroll cycle.
- California, Massachusetts, and a few other states require faster turnaround. California requires final pay within 72 hours of resignation (immediately if you were terminated). Check our final paycheck laws by state for the specifics.
- Confirm the PTO payout line is on the final check. It should show vacation hours times your regular rate. If it’s missing or short, call HR Operations at 1-800-394-1885.
- Save your final pay stub. You’ll need it for tax filing and possibly for unemployment claims if you’re not immediately working elsewhere.
What gets paid out
| Type | Pays out | Notes |
| Accrued vacation hours | Yes | At regular hourly rate |
| Unused sick time | No | Forfeited at separation |
| Paid family leave | No | Use it if you qualify, can’t cash it out |
| Floating holidays | Varies | Check Workday balance and policy |
| Unearned bonus | No | Forfeited if you quit before payout date |
| 401(k) employer match | Vested portion only | 100% immediately vested at Target |
The Target 401(k) match is unusual. Dollar-for-dollar up to 5%, 100% immediately vested. That means everything your employer contributed is yours from day one, no waiting period. You can roll it over or cash it out (with tax consequences) after separation.
How much will I actually get
A Target full-time hourly team member with one year of tenure typically has 40 to 60 hours of vacation accrued. At $17 per hour, that’s roughly $680 to $1,020 in gross PTO payout. After supplemental tax withholding (typically 22% federal plus state and FICA), net is closer to $470 to $700.
Longer-tenured team members and salaried roles see larger payouts because accrual rates increase with tenure.
What about my discount and other benefits
Your team member discount stops immediately at separation. Your RedCard if you’re using it for the 5% stack continues to work as a normal RedCard, just without the team member benefit. Health insurance continues through the end of the month of separation, then COBRA eligibility kicks in. For more on what happens to benefits after you leave, see the benefits after termination guide and Target’s benefits after termination page.
A few things specific to Target
Target’s paid family leave is genuinely strong (up to 4 weeks at 100% pay for qualifying events) but it’s use-it-or-lose-it. If you’re pregnant, adopting, or caring for a family member with a serious condition and you’re already planning to leave, use the leave before separation, not after.
The CirrusMD virtual care benefit and Spring Health mental health benefit both stop at separation. If you’ve been using them, transition to other coverage before your last day.
For more on the full quitting process at Target, including notice norms and what to expect on your last day, see the Target quitting process page and the broader Target PTO policies page. To retrieve your W2 after separation, the Target W2 form online guide covers the Paperless Employee path.
The biggest mistake people make is forfeiting an annual bonus or a 401(k) milestone by quitting at the wrong time. Check both before you set your last day.