I wasn't trying to make that assertion, actually. Maybe I wasn't all that clear, but my first point with regards to unlimited vaca policy is that even though i

I wasn't trying to make that assertion, actually. Maybe I wasn't all that clear, but my first point with regards to unlimited vaca policy is that even though it seems to be giving individuals freedom (like working from home can be seen to be), it doesn't always turn out that way in practice -- people are more likely to end up working more for whatever reason (inline with what you've articulated well above). I'm all for allotted days. My second point was a general thought. The appreciation I have for SO is undoubtedly shared across the tech community; the SE platform has changed how we (not just techies) learn. I believe that they are an exception to the rule and that their ethos teases the best out of engineers. As knowledge workers we have our greatest impact in our distraction-free flow state. If work is good, higher output is natural. With the right environment, a remote situation could possibly enable me to stay in the zone more.