Companies with unlimited PTO used to feel like rare unicorns, popping up in the job market and blessing a select few professionals. However, as more and more of the workforce works remotely, many companies have decided to make the switch and offer unlimited paid time off.
Why the big change-up?
In the past several years, companies have made a significant shift toward promoting a healthier work-life balance. The first major step in that direction was the increased opportunity (and popularity) of remote work, providing employees with more flexibility and comfort.
Now, workplaces are taking another step toward encouraging a healthier balance between work and life by adopting unlimited PTO (paid time off) vacation policies. These employers allow employees the freedom to take time off as needed, which benefits both the company and the employees.
Let’s take a deeper look into the benefits, possible downsides, and 25 remote companies offering unlimited PTO.
What is PTO?
Paid Time Off (PTO) is a benefit from your employer that allows you to take some time away from work (ex, a vacation) while still receiving your full salary. PTO typically covers various types of absences, such as vacations, sick days, and personal days.
Types of PTO
There are several types of PTO that you might need as an employee, including:
- Vacation Time: This is the most common form of PTO, giving you time off to relax, travel, or spend time with loved ones.
- Sick Days: Sick leave covers days when you feel unwell and need time to recover.
- Personal Days: This time can be used for personal obligations, appointments, or emergencies that may arise.
The Difference Between Unlimited PTO and DTO
While unlimited PTO and DTO (discretionary time off) both offer employees flexibility, there are systematic differences.
With a DTO system, employees must still get permission from their managers before taking time off. This affects the company culture as it implies that employees aren’t trusted to manage their own work schedules.
How Unlimited PTO Works
With traditional PTO policies, employees earn a certain number of hours of vacation time with each paycheck. Most employees let that time build up until they have enough to enjoy some time off.
Employees with unlimited PTO don’t accrue it over time, so there’s no “bank” of time (or a predetermined number of days) to draw from. Instead, employees request as much time off as they need, and their manager approves or denies the PTO request at their discretion.
However, just like using a bank of paid time off, employees receive pay for the number of vacation days taken under unlimited PTO policies.
The Benefits of Unlimited PTO
Unlimited PTO is a massive draw for many remote employees for several reasons. In fact, insights tell us that unlimited PTO also benefits employers. Benefits include:
Better Work-Life Balance
An unlimited PTO policy means you can take time off without worrying about running out of paid days off. This autonomy gives you more flexibility and freedom to plan vacations, take care of personal matters, and attend important events without having to take unpaid days if you run out of paid time off.
Mental Health
The workforce is increasingly concerned about mental health and the serious impacts of poor mental health. As a result, employers are increasingly prioritizing mental health because it helps the employees and the company.
Unlimited time off policies can help you manage stress, decrease burnout, and prevent long-term mental health issues. The ability to take breaks and step away from work when needed allows you to recharge and return to work with a fresh mindset.
Workplace Productivity
Believe it or not, unlimited PTO actually improves workforce productivity. Having the ability to take time off and clear your mind means you’ll be able to bring innovative ideas and stay engaged, leading to better focus that benefits your work performance.
Retention
Companies with unlimited PTO policies promote a positive company culture and demonstrate trust in your ability to balance the professional and personal aspects of your life. Employees working within a culture of trust are more likely to feel valued, experience a big morale boost, and have higher levels of job satisfaction.
Offering unlimited PTO is a progressive and highly desirable benefit that makes a company more competitive when recruiting and retaining top workforce talent.
Is there a catch with unlimited PTO?
While it’s highly desirable, unlimited paid time off policies are not a perfect system. Two downsides you should consider are that employees who have unlimited paid time off usually end up taking less time off because they don’t want to take advantage of the system.
The other downside is that without a bank of PTO hours, employers aren’t required to pay you for any unused vacation days when you leave the company.
Remote Companies With Unlimited PTO
Here is a list of companies that provide unlimited paid time off as a benefit to their remote employees. You’ll find a range of options, from large corporations to small nonprofits, spanning many different job sectors.
1. The Muse
How do you know if a company or career is the right fit? As the first values-based career platform, The Muse aims to help individuals answer that question by connecting them with jobs and companies that align with their priorities and core values.
If one of your core values is to enjoy life, you’ll enjoy unlimited vacation time as an employee at The Muse.
2. Netflix
Netflix, a global streaming service offering TV shows, movies, documentaries, and more, knows that entertaining the world can be challenging. They offer their employees unlimited PTO to encourage flexibility and promote productivity.
In addition to generous paid time off, they offer many other benefits, including mental health services, reproductive support, parental leave, health benefits, stock options, and more.
3. Bolt
Since its founding in 2014, Bolt has been making waves in the online commerce space with its payment technology, providing software that helps merchants enable one-click cart checkouts.
In addition to remote work and unlimited PTO, you’ll receive many other generous benefits, including 4-day work weeks with flexible working hours, 100% paid medical, dental, and vision insurance, parental leave, and a learning & development stipend.
4. Articulate
As a popular and growing e-learning software company that has been used by all of the top Fortune 100 companies to help more than 120 million people learn new skills, Articulate knows the value of continuous learning and self-improvement.
While their unlimited PTO policy allows you to grow at your own pace, they also provide many other appealing benefits. Employees receive health insurance, a monthly employee well-being stipend, parental leave, child care assistance, service sabbaticals, life coaching, and more.
5. Postman
Postman, an API development platform, provides unlimited PTO to its employees. They want their team to relax and recharge, making sure everyone can do their best work.
As an employee, you’ll also receive a generous healthcare package, a monthly healthy meal stipend, a health and wellness program, and more.
6. Swimply
The Airbnb of recreational hourly private space rentals, Swimply, is a service that allows you to rent local unique spaces by the hour. Rent a private swimming pool, pickleball or tennis court, basketball court, or backyard!
In addition to unlimited PTO, employees receive other benefits that promote productivity and a healthy work-life balance.
7. Credit Repair Cloud
Your financial well-being matters at Credit Repair Cloud, a credit repair software company. They offer an unlimited vacation policy, parental leave, flexible compassionate leave, health benefits, home office allowance, a learning budget, and even an annual bonus to their employees.
8. Roku
Roku is a streaming device company that manufactures digital media players such as Roku players and Roku TVs. This equal-opportunity employer delivers some appealing perks to its employees, such as unlimited PTO and comprehensive health and wellness benefits.
That way, you can enjoy your time away and come back refreshed and ready to build the future of TV.
9. Hubspot
Hubspot produces its marketing and sales software to help companies attract customers, convert leads, and close sales. This company encourages you to unplug with their unlimited PTO policy and companywide mandatory week off in July.
But that’s not all. After five years, you get a paid 4-week sabbatical to use as you wish. Go recharge so you can bring your A-game every day.
10. DNSFilter
DNSFilter blocks malicious websites and filters out inappropriate content, allowing companies to keep their data secure and promote workplace productivity. Employees receive unlimited PTO, flexible work hours, full medical and dental insurance, and cool perks like company retreats and fun bonuses.
11. Github
Github, the home of open-source and cloud-based collaboration, values work-life balance. The company offers employees unlimited PTO, so you can contribute your best code and rest when needed.
You’ll also benefit from flexible work hours, paid parental leave, 100% covered medical, dental, and vision insurance, and more.
12. Future Publishing
Future Publishing is a global multi-platform media company that encourages employees to take breaks by providing unlimited PTO. You can also enjoy many other perks, such as an annual bonus, well-being reimbursement, an employee referral program, and more.
13. TeamSnap
TeamSnap, a sports team management company, values flexibility and well-being, and this is evident in its unlimited PTO policy. In addition, as an employee, you’ll receive 100% premium medical, dental, and vision insurance coverage, a learning and development stipend, parental leave, and more.
14. Ghost
Ghost is a nonprofit company that produces a powerful app that allows creators to build a website, publish content, send newsletters, and offer paid subscriptions to members. Employees receive many incredible benefits, including unlimited PTO, a company laptop, team retreats, the last Friday of the month off, and more.
15. Pax8
Pax8 is a cloud commerce marketplace that delivers cloud-based solutions to a worldwide network of partners and their customers. In addition to unlimited PTO, employees receive many other benefits, including paid medical, dental, and vision insurance, a home office allowance, and parental leave.
16. PROS
PROS is an AI-powered pricing and revenue management company that enables sales effectiveness in the digital economy. Employees of this tech company will enjoy their unlimited PTO policy, paid parental leave, general well-being benefits, and more.
17. Stacker Media
Stacker Media is a data-driven content platform that understands how crucial rest and recharging are for productivity. They offer unlimited PTO, bi-annual team retreats, parental leave, and more, so you always feel refreshed and ready to take on new challenges.
18. TriNetX
TriNetX, a health research analytics company, offers unlimited PTO and many other employee benefits to promote innovation, growth, and work-life balance.
19. MikeWorldWide
MikeWorldWide (MWW) is a public relations firm that provides unlimited PTO to its employees. When you work for MWW, you’ll also receive a week off before you start working, a week off at the end of each December, a monthly allowance for health and wellness, and much more.
20. Carrot
Carrot brings exceptional fertility care to women around the world. The company takes equally good care of its employees with perks such as unlimited PTO, paid parental leave, home office stipend, monthly productivity stipend, and more.
21. Chegg
Chegg provides online tutoring, homework help, digital (and physical) textbook rentals, and more to students. The company encourages employees to take time off as needed and provides other appealing benefits such as tuition reimbursement, home office stipend, and more.
22. SwagUp
SwagUp is an e-commerce business providing clients with streamlined swag production. They specialize in sourcing, creating, and selling high-quality, custom swag.
Full-time employees receive unlimited PTO, with other benefits including employee stock options, health benefits, and a travel budget.
23. Microsoft
Microsoft is one of the most well-known companies with unlimited PTO (and their model has made waves!).
In 2023, tech giant Microsoft announced that they were switching to an unlimited PTO model. For many companies, this signaled a change in the tides, with flexible work schedules dominating priority lists for new professionals.
Attractive to anyone starting a family, Microsoft offers further benefits, including caregiver leave, adoption assistance, subsidized child care, parenting classes, and more.
24. PicnicHealth
PicnicHealth is a health technology company offering direct-to-patient care. It gives users access to their full medical records, shares insights into their health history, and provides them with personalized health plans to take control of their wellness.
In addition to unlimited PTO, PicnicHealth offers comprehensive health insurance, a quarterly wellness stipend, and flexible work environments.
25. Skillshare
Skillshare is an online learning platform that offers classes on just about any topic. Community members can access education videos based on a paid subscription model.
The company boasts impressive employee perks, including unlimited PTO, 401k, and impressive medical benefits. As positions are remote, benefits also include a monthly internet reimbursement, a coworking space membership, and a home office stipend.
Finding Job Posting with Unlimited PTO
The best place to find jobs with unlimited PTO is to go straight to the source. Check out the careers page on any of the companies I’ve listed to see current job postings.
For more companies offering unlimited PTO, try using job boards like LinkedIn, Indeed, Zip Recruiter, or Glassdoor. Use their search function to limit results for remote positions and flexible PTO structures.
Set alerts for the companies above or similar positions so you never miss a new listing.
When seeking out companies with unlimited PTO, pay attention to Glassdoor reviews and reports of company culture. Positive reviews that emphasize a company’s dedication to a flexible work model are welcome sights.
WFH Companies With Unlimited PTO Wrapup
Remote companies are working to adapt so they stand out from the sea of employers. Offering appealing benefits, such as unlimited leave policies, helps these companies attract and retain the top talent in the field.
If you’re craving unlimited paid time off to improve your work-life balance, check out the work from home job openings at these companies.
Check out this list for more remote companies with benefits!
Originally published November 24, 2023. Content updated December 2024.