I would say it was an open secret that was a bit dishonest. It’s a little thing that managers can do to keep their employees happy that doesn’t come out of thei

I would say it was an open secret that was a bit dishonest. It’s a little thing that managers can do to keep their employees happy that doesn’t come out of their budget. And in addition to providing a little bonus compensation, it also eliminates a somewhat dehumanizing aspect of having to ask for permission and track time away from the office. This was many years ago, but I still remember when my manager came by my desk and said “don’t ever submit another PTO request again. I trust you to take as much personal time as you need and still do a great job.” It made me feel valued and respected, which to me was a lot more important than the small cash bonus when I finally did leave (I eventually left when that company was acquired and found that the new company did not value their employees as much).