“Unlimited” paid time off (PTO) policies are contemplated by many U.S. employers as a way of providing a generous leave benefit to certain groups of employees, while also simplifying leave administration related to those employees. There are pros and cons to such policies at a domestic level, especially when state and local leave mandates enter the equation. But how do “unlimited” PTO policies fare internationally? Where a business maintains such a policy for members of its U.S. workforce, does it make sense to also roll it out to members of its international workforce?

During this episode of “Take It or Leave It” — the first of a two-part mini-series on “unlimited” PTO — co-hosts Josh Seidman and Meg Toth take a look at “unlimited” PTO policies at the international level. Josh and Meg are joined by two expert guests, Dan Waldman and Ana Cid, partners in Seyfarth Shaw LLP’s International Employment Law practice, to discuss important legal, practical, and cultural considerations for businesses wondering if an “unlimited” PTO program makes sense for their international employees. Specific topics include thoughts on which countries are among the most complex from the perspective of leave of absence regulations, differences between international and domestic leave of absence and time off laws, and understanding the concept of “unlimited” PTO outside of the U.S. (i.e., pros and cons, how it differs from such setups in the U.S., the relevance of there being no international employment at will doctrine, etc.).