The maximum accrual has to include maximum carryover, so if I want to let someone earn 80 hours but carryover a total of 120, the maximum accrual has to be 200 -- just in case someone has 120 to carry over, and earns all 80 without taking any.  We are accruing on hours worked (regular, vacation, holiday, but NOT overtime), so theoretically they shouldn't earn more than 80.  But it is possible for someone to work 40 hours in a week, plus also take vacation or have a holiday in that week.  That means they will earn more that week than on the typical 40 hour week.  That also means that by the end of the year, they could have earned more than the maximum of 80 hours I wanted them to, especially if they've taken some time off so they aren't at the maximum of 200 hours by year end. 

And if I use the Employee Period Maximum to limit someone to only earning the rate x 40 hours (weekly), what happens to an hourly person that should have the ability to earn the full amount, but then has some weeks they don't work a full 40, but have other weeks where they had more than 40 regular and really should have accrued the full annual amount?

If the maximum accrual field is really maximum unused balance and NOT a "maximum accrual" why didn't you just name it that instead of misleading users into thinking it's something it really isn't?