I think your second model isn't exactly accurate. I think it's more like: "take off as much as you like, but no more than you've earned; you earn 2 weeks each

I think your second model isn't exactly accurate. I think it's more like: "take off as much as you like, but no more than you've earned; you earn 2 weeks each year and can't bank more than 5 weeks" It's a subtle difference, but an important one. I usually bank vacation time up to my cap (typically 240 hours, but recently bumped to 300 hours). Once I'm close I take every other friday off. When coworkers ask about it my answer is "I'm at the vacation cap, so if I don't take this time off I lose it." This statement acts as a double-edged sword. "I'm at vacation cap" signals that I've worked hard and foregone time off in favor of work. i.e. I'm a hard worker. "if I don't take this time off I lose it" signals that I'm not willing to leave anything on the table, and it shows that I value a work-life balance.