International Employee Leaves & Benefits

Every employee is entitled to leave and benefits; the exact amount required by law, though, differs between countries.As an employer, we need to meet or exceed the statutory minimum requirements for each country to ensure compliance with local laws, and more importantly, to ensure that your employees feel supported and valued. While it’s necessary to adhere to each country’s minimum standards, going above and beyond to provide enhanced benefits can help attract top talent and foster a positive work environment.We’ll guide you through the intricacies of crafting leave policies for international employees, and deciding what benefits to offer.

Leaves 🌴

Statutory annual leave

Employees are entitled to a set number of paid annual leave days; the exact amount varies by country. Part-time employees receive a prorated amount. Some companies offer unlimited or flexible paid time off (PTO) policies, which can be included in most employment contracts, but keep in mind employees are still entitled to the minimum statutory annual leave mandated by their country. Annual leave should not be replaced by a cash payment, except in cases where there is accrued but unused PTO at the end of employment—in which case the employee is entitled to be paid out.

Accrual

Employees should start to accumulate annual leave from their first day of work based on the number of ordinary hours they work. If an employee leaves before they have used up all of their accrued annual leave, the employer must pay out any unused leave as part of the employee’s final pay.

Leave year

A leave year is the specific period in which employees receive their paid leave quota. Each employee gets a specific number of paid leave days per leave year that can be utilized as per company policy. Some countries set their leave year from April 1 to March 31, while others establish their leave year from January 1 to December 31.

Leave carryover

Some companies allow annual leave carryover. Usually, these companies have internal policies that state annual leave carryover should be taken within the first three months of the following leave year. If you would like to allow leave carryover, please reach out to support@plane.com to verify if leave carryover is possible in a specific employee's country.

Requesting leave

If you are not using Plane’s time off feature, we ask the employee to use your company's time-off tracking system (if applicable) and seek internal approval for compliance tracking.

Public holidays

Employees are encouraged to take public holidays off in their home country or region, as required by law. If an employee is required to work on a public holiday, please contact support@plane.com; we’ll need to check if they are entitled to a different day off in lieu of the public holiday. Please note that in some countries, employees may be entitled to 1.5 or 2x pay for working on a public holiday.

Maternity leave

Maternity leave is usually defined as the time a mother takes off work for the birth or adoption of a child. The exact number of days that an employee who is a mother is entitled to depends on the laws of their country.

Paternity leave

Paternity leave is the time a father can take off work after the birth or adoption of a child. The exact number of days that an employee who is a father is entitled to depends on the laws of their country.

Parental leave

Parental leave provides employees with job-protected leave to care for a child following a birth or adoption. It is usually available to both mothers and fathers. Parental leave entitlements vary by country around the world.

Sick leave

Sick leave allows employees to take time off when they feel unwell or sick. Typically separate from paid vacation time, sick leave is a mandatory entitlement in most countries worldwide. It may also be referred to as “medical leave,” “sickness absences,” or “sick days.”

Benefits 🏥

Healthcare

Many countries provide public healthcare systems for their residents, so employers do not need to contribute to premiums for their employees. However, you can decide if you would like to offer and contribute to supplemental healthcare (if available).Please visit here to see the supplemental options available in the countries you’re hiring. We offer private health insurance plans for most countries around the world, but some limitations may exist.

Life insurance and short-term & long-term disability

Supplemental life, short-term disability, and long-term disability insurance are available in most countries. Life insurance coverage is mandatory in some countries, such as Peru, Nigeria, and Brazil.You can check what options are available by country here.

Pension

Employer and employee taxes contribute to public pension funds.In some countries, employers must also provide a specific type of workplace pension scheme.Depending on the country, Plane may also be able to deduct and make employee contributions to supplemental personal pension funds.

Employee Assistance Program (EAP)

Our employee assistance program, available through LifeWorks, can be offered to employees in the following countries at 11 USD per person per month:

Argentina

Colombia

Czech Republic

France

Germany

Ghana

Mexico

Netherlands

New Zealand

Peru

Singapore

South Korea

Spain

Switzerland

Tanzania

Trinidad and Tobago

United Kingdom

Vietnam

Stipends

Stipends are subject to tax. Please note that if you include them in the employment contract, the employee needs to pay taxes on them. As an alternative, stipends can be handled as reimbursements. You can learn more about reimbursements and how to request them here.

Frequently Asked Questions

Check out our answers to the most frequently asked questions below.

Can I ask the employee to take US holidays off?

How much leave do I need to offer employees?

Can I set up my own rules for carryover leave?

Can we add unlimited paid time off (PTO) to the employment contract?

How does my international employee request leave, and where? How do I get notified about it?

How and when are employees eligible for maternity, paternity, medical, or sick leave?

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