Some people are uncomfortable talking about money. Others are uncomfortable talking about vacation time. I think it helps to have some sort of loose policy, bec

Some people are uncomfortable talking about money. Others are uncomfortable talking about vacation time. I think it helps to have some sort of loose policy, because people are so different. I watched a situation where there were 3 people doing the same role. One had seniority, took a lot of time off to travel (some of this unpaid) and the other two were left dealing with the extra workload. It's hard to have a non-policy policy because people are so different. I do agree with the article though, because I feel like the 8 hours a day, 5 days a week "norm" for knowledge workers is kind of silly. You're probably getting 5 hours a day of really productive time. The other 3 hours they are banking/scheduling/handling the business of life or taking a mental break. Factory shift work is probably better suited to the structure described, but that work is quickly becoming extinct. The key point in the article is that you have to talk about it openly, and don't shame people in to not taking time off. Sometimes (especially with client facing roles) sound judgement is the most important characteristic of an employee. If they don't get mental breaks every few months, they might show poor judgement.