5 ms·

Bingo: unlimited vacation is a scam

ghaff 2y ago
It's highly dependent on company (and team) culture. If you can actually take a generous amount of vacation, personal, and sick (if you need it) time, I have no real problem with it. (Then, I haven't moved around a lot--I know some people who move jobs every year or two count on a payout from accrued vacation when they do.) Someone I know who retired from a fairly senior position at Netflix rather liked it and took some fairly long vacations but said there really was a good tradition of umplugging at least as he observed that came from the top.
- leetrout 2y ago
  Minimum / mandatory PTO is the answer. https://namely.com/blog/minimum-pto-what-is-it-why-you-should-adopt-it/ https://namely.com/blog/minimum-pto-what-is-it-why-you-shoul...
  - ghaff 2y ago
    I don't really disagree although you can't really keep people from working on their days off if they want to, at least in a remote/WFH situation.
    - Schiendelman 2y ago
      You most certainly can. I work for a US company where when you're out on (paid, six month) parental leave, your system access is disabled. They don't do that for normal PTO but it's certainly feasible.
      - ghaff 2y ago
        There are a lot of reasons to cut access for people out for an extended period who may not even come back. Pretty much no one (outside of maybe something regulated who may mandate two week PTOs for security purposes) is going to do that every time an employee takes PTO. In any case, if I really want to do work I don't even need access to my employer's computers.
VincentEvans 2y ago
It really depends. The company I work for - doesn’t even have a time-keeping system. Taking vacation is a matter of sending a slack or email, or simply verbally letting your manager and team mates know that you won’t be available. So far this year I’ve taken more than 3 weeks at least. I know it’s not a ton, but the point is - that I don’t know the actual exact count, I strongly suspect that nobody really tracks it in any way, and I am planning to take few weeks more before the next year.
- leetrout 2y ago
  I replied to the sibling comment, minimum vacation policies are more employee friendly and can offer the same flexibility as "unlimited".

It's highly dependent on company (and team) culture. If you can actually take a generous amount of vacation, personal, and sick (if you need it) time, I have no real problem with it. (Then, I haven't moved around a lot--I know some people who move jobs every year or two count on a payout from accrued vacation when they do.) Someone I know who retired from a fairly senior position at Netflix rather liked it and took some fairly long vacations but said there really was a good tradition of umplugging at least as he observed that came from the top.

leetrout 2y ago
Minimum / mandatory PTO is the answer. https://namely.com/blog/minimum-pto-what-is-it-why-you-should-adopt-it/ https://namely.com/blog/minimum-pto-what-is-it-why-you-shoul...
- ghaff 2y ago
  I don't really disagree although you can't really keep people from working on their days off if they want to, at least in a remote/WFH situation.
  - Schiendelman 2y ago
    You most certainly can. I work for a US company where when you're out on (paid, six month) parental leave, your system access is disabled. They don't do that for normal PTO but it's certainly feasible.
    - ghaff 2y ago
      There are a lot of reasons to cut access for people out for an extended period who may not even come back. Pretty much no one (outside of maybe something regulated who may mandate two week PTOs for security purposes) is going to do that every time an employee takes PTO. In any case, if I really want to do work I don't even need access to my employer's computers.

VincentEvans 2y ago

It really depends. The company I work for - doesn’t even have a time-keeping system. Taking vacation is a matter of sending a slack or email, or simply verbally letting your manager and team mates know that you won’t be available. So far this year I’ve taken more than 3 weeks at least. I know it’s not a ton, but the point is - that I don’t know the actual exact count, I strongly suspect that nobody really tracks it in any way, and I am planning to take few weeks more before the next year.

leetrout 2y ago
I replied to the sibling comment, minimum vacation policies are more employee friendly and can offer the same flexibility as "unlimited".