Most Walgreens team members don’t realize how much the PTO landscape changed in late 2025. Walgreens eliminated 6 paid holidays in November 2025 as part of the Sycamore-era cost-cutting. CVS still offers 7 paid holidays. That gap shows up in your final paycheck math, and it’s just one of several recent changes affecting what you walk away with when you quit.
Here’s the current state of Walgreens PTO payout, how it compares to its biggest competitor, and what to check before you submit notice.
What still pays out
Walgreens pays out accrued unused vacation hours on your final paycheck. This is standard wage and hour treatment in most states, and Walgreens follows it consistently.
What pays out:
- Accrued vacation hours at your regular hourly rate (or daily rate if salaried)
- Any holiday premium pay you’ve earned but not been paid for
- Any owed shift differentials and overtime from your final pay period
What doesn’t:
- Sick time (most states; varies by state law)
- Personal days in some divisions (varies)
- The 6 paid holidays that were eliminated (they’re gone, so there’s no balance to pay out)
- Unearned bonuses if you’re salaried and quit before payout
Warning: Walgreens has been processing layoffs and store closures in waves through 2026. If your store closes or you’re laid off rather than quitting voluntarily, your PTO still pays out, but the timing and method may differ. Get confirmation in writing of your separation date and PTO balance.
The 6 holidays that disappeared
In November 2025, Walgreens eliminated paid holiday pay for 6 major holidays:
- New Year’s Day
- Memorial Day
- Independence Day (July 4)
- Labor Day
- Thanksgiving Day
- Christmas Day
Before this change, team members working those days got premium pay or holiday banks they could use. After the change, those days are treated like any other work day. No premium, no bank, nothing to pay out at separation.
This is a meaningful drop. Over a year, that’s potentially $300 to $800 per full-time team member depending on store role and hours.
Walgreens vs CVS Health
This is the comparison most pharmacy workers make.
| Benefit | Walgreens | CVS Health |
| Paid holidays | 0 (eliminated Nov 2025) | 7 paid holidays |
| Vacation accrual | Standard, varies by tenure | 20-30 days/year, varies by role/tenure |
| Sick time payout | Generally no | Generally no |
| Bereavement days | Varies | 3 paid days |
| 401(k) match | Standard | Dollar-for-dollar up to 5% |
| PTO until 6 months | Limited | None (must wait 6 months) |
| Discount | In flux under PE | 30% name-brand, 20% store-brand, 20% online |
Walgreens has historically had comparable PTO to CVS, but the holiday elimination tilted the comparison decisively toward CVS. Several Walgreens pharmacists and store managers have moved to CVS specifically because of the holiday pay difference.
Tip: If you’re choosing between staying at Walgreens and moving to CVS or another pharmacy, factor in the holiday pay differential. Over a 10-year career, the cumulative difference can be substantial.
How accrual works at Walgreens
Walgreens vacation accrues over time based on hours worked. Full-time team members accrue at a faster rate than part-time.
General accrual pattern (varies by role, tenure, and division):
- New hires: gradual accrual based on hours
- 1+ year: roughly 1 to 2 weeks per year
- 5+ years: roughly 2 to 3 weeks
- 10+ years: 3+ weeks
Your specific accrual rate is in People Central under your time-off summary. Pull this before you submit notice so you know exactly what you’ll be paid out for.
What to check before quitting
Run through this list:
- Pull your vacation balance in People Central > Time & Absence.
- Check your hourly rate (or daily rate if salaried) to confirm payout calculation.
- Confirm your address in People Central. Final paycheck and W2 both go there.
- Verify your direct deposit status. Some direct deposit settings cancel at separation.
- Check whether you have any pending HCE bonuses, incentives, or commissions if you’re in a role that has them. These often have specific payout dates tied to employment status.
Warning: Don’t burn vacation hours in your last two weeks unless you genuinely need the time off. Vacation pays out at your full rate, so using it before separation doesn’t gain you anything except a final check that splits between worked hours and vacation hours.
What state laws say
Some states require final paychecks faster than Walgreens’ standard payroll cycle:
- California: Final pay within 72 hours if you quit, immediately if terminated.
- Massachusetts: Final pay on your last day if terminated.
- Colorado, Illinois: Final pay on the next regular payday.
Walgreens generally complies with state law, but if you’re in California or Massachusetts and they’re slow, you have wage claim recourse with the state labor board.
Check our final paycheck laws by state for the rule that applies in your state.
Tip: If your last day falls right before a payroll cycle close, ask HR whether your final check will be issued early to meet state requirements, or on the normal cycle. Get the answer in writing.
Sick time and California specifics
In California and a handful of other states with paid sick leave laws, sick time accrual rules are stricter. Walgreens has to comply with state-mandated sick leave, but even in those states, sick time typically does not pay out on separation. Sick leave is treated as a usage benefit, not earned wages.
If you have a significant sick time balance and you’re planning to leave, use it for legitimate medical needs before separation. After separation, the balance is gone.
Health insurance and the month-end question
Walgreens health insurance generally continues through the end of the month in which you separate. So quitting on the 1st of the month gets you a full month of coverage. Quitting on the 25th gets you only 5 more days.
This isn’t PTO, but it affects total compensation timing.
After your last coverage day, COBRA eligibility kicks in. For broader help with what happens to benefits after separation, see the benefits after termination complete guide and the Walgreens benefits after termination page.
A specific timing note for laid-off team members
Walgreens has been doing rolling layoffs in 2025 and 2026. If you were laid off rather than quitting:
- Your vacation still pays out at separation.
- You may receive severance depending on tenure and role. Severance is taxable and reported on your W2.
- COBRA notices should arrive within a few weeks. Watch for them.
- Unemployment eligibility is typically easier after a layoff than after a voluntary quit.
For the broader picture of what happens to all your benefits when you leave Walgreens, including 401(k), health insurance, and the discount program (which is also in flux), see the Walgreens employee benefits page and the Walgreens quitting process page.
For retrieving your W2 after separation, the Walgreens W2 form online guide walks through the current portal situation.
Bottom line
Walgreens still pays out unused vacation. What’s gone is the 6 paid holidays. If you’re comparing Walgreens to CVS or thinking about leaving, the holiday gap is the biggest line-item difference and it’s structural now, not temporary.