4 ms·

As you get older then you realize time is finite and work is just a means to an end. I take all my vacation in the year I get it and if the company were to ever

As you get older then you realize time is finite and work is just a means to an end. I take all my vacation in the year I get it and if the company were to ever say anything then it's like shrug. It's like WFH in that you could tell me to work from a cube but I'd ignore that. I take my vacation and don't ever check email or respond to texts.

einpoklum 4y ago
Time is finite? :-O ... Now they tell me! T_T ... [ GONE FISHIN' ]
- sys_64738 4y ago
  Your lifetime is finite is what I really mean. I know you know but just saying anyways.
toomuchtodo 4y ago
I’m currently a manager at an org with unlimited PTO. I take at least five weeks a year, and I enforce a minimum four weeks a year with my directs. No Slack, no email, it all gets turned off in Azure AD until they return. There are few hills I’ll die on, but this is one of them. Life is short and most work is inconsequential on a long life arc. I don’t believe in the concept of unlimited PTO (usually disadvantages the worker), but I’m fine playing along when it’s their dime and they’re calling the tune.
- ghaff 4y ago
  >No Slack, no email, it all gets turned off in Azure AD until they return. I won't really categorically disagree. But, if I'm hanging in my hotel room and surfing or whatever, if I can point someone in a direction or answer a quick question, I'm not sure that's wrong. I assure you I'll go back to my book-reading or movie-watching right after.
  - sys_64738 4y ago
    It’s called psychology. Even though you’re on vacation you’re still working and engaged.
  - toomuchtodo 4y ago
    I appreciate that idea, I did so myself during my last vacation (I stay on slack and email as I report to c suite). But it is my job to defend the quality of life of my direct reports, and we can spend some more cycles as an org if needed versus bothering people OOO/PTO/Vaca. If we are so reliant on that person that we need that ability, we’ve failed (processes, documentation, cross training, etc). We’re not saving lives, we’re just moving bits. Edit @ghaff: Love the CEO anecdote in your reply, I’d work for that person! Priorities set properly.
    - ghaff 4y ago
      I'm mostly pretty disciplined. I'm on vacation but if I can spend 5 minutes unblocking something, hey, they pay me well enough. Though to your C-suite comment, an engineering director at a fairly high profile SV company was telling me that they hired a senior comms person who just couldn't deal with the fact that the CEO would take vacations where they literally unplugged--and ended up quitting.
    - sonofhans 4y ago
      Yes, this is a hidden benefit of having people take real time off. No org should be dependent for daily/weekly functioning on one person. If the cracks start showing in a single week of vacation, you’ve got some knowledge/skill sharing to do.
    - ghaff 4y ago
      I don't think I'm really giving anything away by saying this was Netflix.
    - renewiltord 4y ago
      Here's something you may find entertaining https://www.fdic.gov/news/financial-institution-letters/1995/fil9552.html https://www.fdic.gov/news/financial-institution-letters/1995... > The FDIC endorses the concept of a vacation policy that allows active officers and employees to be absent from their duties for an uninterrupted period of no less than two weeks. During this time, their duties and responsibilities should be assumed by other employees. This basic control has proven to be an effective internal safeguard in preventing fraud. In addition, such a policy is viewed as a benefit to the well-being of the employees and can be a valuable aid to the institution's overall training program.
- mbfg 4y ago
  Good for you. You are a unicorn.
  - toomuchtodo 4y ago
    Discovered the hard way. Paying it forward. Being decent is mostly free. Appreciate the kind words.
eb0la 4y ago
I just joined a company with unlimited PTO. Last week I found out one of my direct reports took less than one vacation week last year. I told the team they had to spend all vacation within the year (22 days). We're all spread in Europe. Not taking vacation could be a liability for the company, not to mention that tired and stressed people makes a lot of mistakes and I cannot afford loosing any engineer due to burnouts.
- WeylandYutani 4y ago
  No you really can't. In the Netherlands companies have to keep paying sick employees their salary for 2 years. It gives a nice incentive for a company to really care that they leave no man/woman behind.

einpoklum 4y ago

Time is finite? :-O ... Now they tell me! T_T ... [ GONE FISHIN' ]

sys_64738 4y ago
Your lifetime is finite is what I really mean. I know you know but just saying anyways.

toomuchtodo 4y ago

I’m currently a manager at an org with unlimited PTO. I take at least five weeks a year, and I enforce a minimum four weeks a year with my directs. No Slack, no email, it all gets turned off in Azure AD until they return. There are few hills I’ll die on, but this is one of them. Life is short and most work is inconsequential on a long life arc. I don’t believe in the concept of unlimited PTO (usually disadvantages the worker), but I’m fine playing along when it’s their dime and they’re calling the tune.

ghaff 4y ago
>No Slack, no email, it all gets turned off in Azure AD until they return. I won't really categorically disagree. But, if I'm hanging in my hotel room and surfing or whatever, if I can point someone in a direction or answer a quick question, I'm not sure that's wrong. I assure you I'll go back to my book-reading or movie-watching right after.
- sys_64738 4y ago
  It’s called psychology. Even though you’re on vacation you’re still working and engaged.
- toomuchtodo 4y ago
  I appreciate that idea, I did so myself during my last vacation (I stay on slack and email as I report to c suite). But it is my job to defend the quality of life of my direct reports, and we can spend some more cycles as an org if needed versus bothering people OOO/PTO/Vaca. If we are so reliant on that person that we need that ability, we’ve failed (processes, documentation, cross training, etc). We’re not saving lives, we’re just moving bits. Edit @ghaff: Love the CEO anecdote in your reply, I’d work for that person! Priorities set properly.
  - ghaff 4y ago
    I'm mostly pretty disciplined. I'm on vacation but if I can spend 5 minutes unblocking something, hey, they pay me well enough. Though to your C-suite comment, an engineering director at a fairly high profile SV company was telling me that they hired a senior comms person who just couldn't deal with the fact that the CEO would take vacations where they literally unplugged--and ended up quitting.
  - sonofhans 4y ago
    Yes, this is a hidden benefit of having people take real time off. No org should be dependent for daily/weekly functioning on one person. If the cracks start showing in a single week of vacation, you’ve got some knowledge/skill sharing to do.
  - ghaff 4y ago
    I don't think I'm really giving anything away by saying this was Netflix.
  - renewiltord 4y ago
    Here's something you may find entertaining https://www.fdic.gov/news/financial-institution-letters/1995/fil9552.html https://www.fdic.gov/news/financial-institution-letters/1995... > The FDIC endorses the concept of a vacation policy that allows active officers and employees to be absent from their duties for an uninterrupted period of no less than two weeks. During this time, their duties and responsibilities should be assumed by other employees. This basic control has proven to be an effective internal safeguard in preventing fraud. In addition, such a policy is viewed as a benefit to the well-being of the employees and can be a valuable aid to the institution's overall training program.
mbfg 4y ago
Good for you. You are a unicorn.
- toomuchtodo 4y ago
  Discovered the hard way. Paying it forward. Being decent is mostly free. Appreciate the kind words.

eb0la 4y ago

I just joined a company with unlimited PTO. Last week I found out one of my direct reports took less than one vacation week last year. I told the team they had to spend all vacation within the year (22 days). We're all spread in Europe. Not taking vacation could be a liability for the company, not to mention that tired and stressed people makes a lot of mistakes and I cannot afford loosing any engineer due to burnouts.

WeylandYutani 4y ago
No you really can't. In the Netherlands companies have to keep paying sick employees their salary for 2 years. It gives a nice incentive for a company to really care that they leave no man/woman behind.