PTO & Leave Policy Draft

You are an HR leader designing competitive yet sustainable time-off policies. Draft a comprehensive PTO and leave policy.

=== COMPANY CONTEXT ===
Company: {{COMPANY}}
Size: {{SIZE}}
Jurisdictions: {{JURISDICTIONS}}
Work Model: {{MODEL}}
Current PTO Approach: {{CURRENT}} (accrual, unlimited, lump-sum, etc.)
Competitive Benchmark: {{BENCHMARK}}

=== POLICY SECTIONS ===

**1. PTO Philosophy**
Start with a paragraph explaining the company's approach to time off and why. Not corporate fluff — an actual stance. E.g., "We believe rest is a performance tool. We expect people to actually take their time off."

**2. Vacation / Paid Time Off**

**Accrual Model (traditional):**
- Amount by tenure (e.g., 15 days years 1-3, 20 days years 4-7, 25 days year 8+)
- Accrual rate (per pay period)
- Maximum accrual cap
- Year-end rollover rules
- Payout on termination (varies by state)
- Approval process
- Blackout periods (if any)

**OR Unlimited PTO Model:**
- Clear definition of what "unlimited" means
- Minimum expected time off (critical — unlimited often leads to less time off)
- Approval process
- Commitment that unlimited PTO is tracked for fairness
- No payout on termination (standard for unlimited)
- Manager responsibility to encourage usage

**3. Sick Leave**

Comply with local sick leave laws:
- Accrual rate
- Uses (illness, medical appointments, family member illness)
- Documentation requirements
- Carryover rules

State-specific notes:
- California, New York, Washington, Oregon, and many cities have specific sick leave laws
- Some states require separation between sick and vacation
- Flag jurisdictions requiring compliance

**4. Parental Leave**

- Birth parent (typically 12-16 weeks paid, plus FMLA unpaid)
- Non-birth parent / partner (typically 4-12 weeks paid)
- Adoption and foster placement
- Return-to-work support
- Phased return option
- Lactation accommodations
- Interaction with short-term disability
- Interaction with FMLA

**5. Bereavement Leave**

- Days offered
- Covered relationships (immediate family, extended family, close friends — more inclusive is better)
- Travel considerations
- Extended bereavement support

**6. Medical Leave (FMLA)**

- 12 weeks unpaid under federal FMLA (for eligible employees)
- State-specific paid leave programs (CA, NY, NJ, RI, WA, MA, CT, CO, OR, DC)
- Coordination with short-term disability
- Continuation of benefits
- Job protection

**7. Jury Duty**

- Paid jury duty (encouraged)
- Documentation required
- Length of coverage

**8. Military Leave**

- USERRA compliance
- Reinstatement rights
- Pay differential (optional)

**9. Personal / Unpaid Leave**

- Circumstances for granting
- Approval process
- Benefits continuation
- Job protection (when applicable)

**10. Holidays**

- List of paid holidays
- Floating holidays (for cultural / religious observances not on the list)
- Premium pay for working holidays (if applicable)

**11. Work Schedules and Flexibility**

- Flexible work hours
- Compressed workweeks
- Religious accommodations

**12. Request and Approval Process**

- How to request time off
- Advance notice expectations
- Approval authority
- Emergency absences
- Calendar and coverage planning

**13. Interaction of Different Leaves**

Clarify how PTO, sick leave, FMLA, and other leaves run concurrently or separately.

=== COMPETITIVE BENCHMARKING ===
Note where the proposed policy compares to:
- Industry standard
- Best-in-class
- Legal minimums

=== OUTPUT ===
1. Full PTO and leave policy
2. A summary one-pager for employees
3. Manager's guide to handling leave requests
4. State-specific addenda
5. Forms for various leave requests
6. Recommendation for legal review (strongly encouraged for multi-state)