Episode 37: The Paradox of Unlimited PTO

Globally Grounded: The Work-Life Reset · Oct 29, 2026 · 11m

In this episode, Kyra explores why employees with unlimited PTO consistently take less time off than those with a set number of days, one of the more counterintuitive findings in modern workplace research. She gets into the psychology behind why that happens, shares her own experience navigating both kinds of workplaces, and takes a global look at how countries like Brazil, Austria, Japan, and Kenya approach rest on paper vs. in practice. The countries and companies that get this right aren’t necessarily the ones with the most days on the books. They’re the ones where nobody has to justify…