Company Changed Pto Payout Policy Right Before Announcing Office Closures—any Legal Recourse For 180+ Accrued Hours?

I’m looking for some insight into whether I have any legal grounds to pursue a PTO payout from a company I just left.

The Background:

When I was originally hired, my contract and the employee handbook explicitly stated that all accrued PTO would be paid out upon separation, provided a two-week notice was given.

The Policy Change:

Earlier this year (2026), the company introduced a new policy stating that accrued PTO would no longer be paid out. They required everyone to sign it. At the time, I signed it thinking I would just be more aggressive about using my time off throughout the year to burn down my balance.

The "Gotcha":

A few weeks after the new policy was signed, the company announced they were centralizing all operations to Texas. They gave us an ultimatum: relocate or be terminated by June 30, 2026.

Relocating didn't make sense for my family or my finances, so I immediately started job hunting and landed a new role about two months later.

The Departure:

I tried to negotiate my exit. I offered to stay for a full two-week knowledge transfer only if they agreed to pay out 160 hours of my accrued PTO. I submitted this to HR and my manager. After a week of silence, the VP reached out and said it "wasn't policy" to pay out PTO. I terminated my employment effectively that same day.

The Dilemma:

I’ve walked away from over 180 hours of earned PTO. It feels incredibly unjust because the vast majority of those hours were accrued under the old policy where payout was guaranteed.

• Does the fact that I accrued these hours under a "payout-guaranteed" contract give me any leverage, even though I signed the new policy recently?

• Does the company’s decision to essentially force a layoff/relocation shortly after changing the policy impact the legality of withholding that pay?

I am based in Florida. Does anyone have experience with "accrued interest" laws or whether a signed policy change can retroactively nullify pay for hours already earned?

Location: Florida