What is Leave Compliance?

Leave compliance refers to adhering to the statutory labor laws that dictate employee time-off rights in a specific jurisdiction. This covers annual vacation entitlements, sick pay guarantees, maternity leave, and maximum working hours.

For international companies, understanding these legal frameworks is critical. Failure to comply with local \

Hiring globally means complying locally.

Labor laws vary drastically. A standard 40-hour work week in the US might be illegal in France. A 2-week notice period in the UK could be 3 months in Switzerland.

  • Statutory RightsMinimum paid leave, sick pay, and parental leave rights that cannot be waived.
  • Termination RulesStrict procedural requirements for dismissal and notice periods.
  • Working TimeMaximum daily hours, mandatory rest breaks, and overtime caps.
DE
Notice Period
Germany
4 Weeks
To 15th or month end
GB
Annual Leave
UK
28 Days
Incl. bank holidays
FR
Work Week
France
35 Hours
Legal standard
ES
Notice Period
Spain
15 Days
Standard by law
CH
Annual Leave
Switzerland
20 Days
Legal minimum
IT
Annual Leave
Italy
20 Days
Statutory minimum
US
Federal Leave
USA
No Mandate
At-will employment
CA
Annual Leave
Canada
10 Days
After 1 year
NL
Annual Leave
Netherlands
20 Days
EU minimum
BE
Annual Leave
Belgium
20 Days
Statutory minimum
PT
Annual Leave
Portugal
22 Days
Working days
IE
Annual Leave
Ireland
20 Days
Statutory minimum
DE
Notice Period
Germany
4 Weeks
To 15th or month end
GB
Annual Leave
UK
28 Days
Incl. bank holidays
FR
Work Week
France
35 Hours
Legal standard
ES
Notice Period
Spain
15 Days
Standard by law
CH
Annual Leave
Switzerland
20 Days
Legal minimum
IT
Annual Leave
Italy
20 Days
Statutory minimum
US
Federal Leave
USA
No Mandate
At-will employment
CA
Annual Leave
Canada
10 Days
After 1 year
NL
Annual Leave
Netherlands
20 Days
EU minimum
BE
Annual Leave
Belgium
20 Days
Statutory minimum
PT
Annual Leave
Portugal
22 Days
Working days
IE
Annual Leave
Ireland
20 Days
Statutory minimum
Team collaboration

Stop Managing Compliance Manually

Leavo is the modern infrastructure for global leave and compliance management. Instead of maintaining scattered policies or updating spreadsheets, Leavo gives you a single, reliable system that keeps every team aligned and compliant, automatically.

What Leavo delivers

  • Auto-generated public holiday calendars for every country, region, and city
  • Location-based rules applied automatically to each employee
  • A single source of truth, always up to date
  • Full compliance tracking with complete audit history
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Common questions about Labor Compliance

What is the difference between statutory and contractual leave?

Statutory leave is the minimum paid time off required by law. Contractual leave is any additional time offered by the employer as a benefit. You must track them separately for payout rules upon termination.

Can I have one global leave policy?

Rarely. While you can have a global philosophy, your actual policy documents must be localized to respect specific national laws regarding accruals, carry-over, and notice periods.

What is \

Unlimited PTO is common in US tech but legally complex in countries with strict statutory minimums (like Germany or France), where tracking actual days taken is mandatory for health and safety compliance.

How do I handle probationary periods?

Rules vary. In some countries, employees don't accrue full leave rights until probation ends. In others (like the UK), statutory leave accrues from day one.

Ready to automate your leave management?

Stop worrying about compliance rules and calendar updates. Let Leavo handle it for you.

Labor Law Compliance by Country - Leave Entitlements & Working Hours | Leavo