A recent Wall Street Journal article — an actual article, in the workplace/lifestyle section, not even an op-ed! — laments the recent trend of horrible, lazy workers who, umm … *checks notes* … tak…
Unfortunately a simple “unlimited PTO” policy is fake pro-employee policy.
Overall, studies show employees actually take less days off under that policy, likely due to the uncertainty and stress over what is “really” the expectation, and how it will affect the employee’s job security.
Employees end up working over vacations more often.
Since there are no fixed days, employers don’t need to pay for unused vacation time periodically or when an employee leaves.
It plays out in a way that actually ends up harming the employee.
Every “unlimited PTO” policy should be combined with a minimum PTO policy. If you’re wondering if a company actually cares about its employees’ mental health, that’s how you know.
I’ve worked at a few places with “unlimited PTO” and I totally agree.
It sounds great in practice: “as long as your work is getting done, take as much PTO as you want!” In reality, it never works out that way because there’s never a “good” time to take a vacation; if you don’t have vacation days that you have to use, you won’t use them.
This isn’t always the case, but it seems to be the majority of companies where it’s used this way. My current job truly is unlimited PTO with an unwritten “TAKE YOUR GODDAMN TIME OFF” rule.
We had unlimited PTO at my old job and I thought it was awesome. I’d take day off when sick, whenever I needed a break or I would pad my “annual” time off to extend my break over one extra weekend. This felt pretty standard in both places I worked with this policy. There was no question asked and no direct human interaction to take off. If people didn’t take advantage of that it is kinda on them imo. Not to remove anything from your point about forced PTO mixed-in.
Exactly, we don’t have that problem where I work. Personally, I know I don’t take enough time off, but that’s my own fault. I also lost a lot of PTO over the years when I didn’t take it.
Unfortunately a simple “unlimited PTO” policy is fake pro-employee policy.
It plays out in a way that actually ends up harming the employee.
Every “unlimited PTO” policy should be combined with a minimum PTO policy. If you’re wondering if a company actually cares about its employees’ mental health, that’s how you know.
I’ve worked at a few places with “unlimited PTO” and I totally agree.
It sounds great in practice: “as long as your work is getting done, take as much PTO as you want!” In reality, it never works out that way because there’s never a “good” time to take a vacation; if you don’t have vacation days that you have to use, you won’t use them.
This isn’t always the case, but it seems to be the majority of companies where it’s used this way. My current job truly is unlimited PTO with an unwritten “TAKE YOUR GODDAMN TIME OFF” rule.
We had unlimited PTO at my old job and I thought it was awesome. I’d take day off when sick, whenever I needed a break or I would pad my “annual” time off to extend my break over one extra weekend. This felt pretty standard in both places I worked with this policy. There was no question asked and no direct human interaction to take off. If people didn’t take advantage of that it is kinda on them imo. Not to remove anything from your point about forced PTO mixed-in.
Exactly, we don’t have that problem where I work. Personally, I know I don’t take enough time off, but that’s my own fault. I also lost a lot of PTO over the years when I didn’t take it.