First year with unlimited time off nearly complete

[kdonnel]

As 2022 comes to and end I sat down and added up how many days I took off under the new unlimited PTO policy.

Previously, as a new employee I qualified for 15 days of PTO and 2 personal choice holidays for a total of 17 days. In a previous job I qualified for 22 total days off. At the beginning of the year I thought it would be appropriate to take 17-25 days off.

I am on track to take 22 days.

At the beginning of the year I wondered if I would take more or less time off. I was really worried I would take less time because as an American we tend to focus on optics and how does it look if we take time off. I am happy to see that without planning, I took what I feel is an appropriate amount of time off. The only way I could afford to take more time off would be to do some staycations.

How have others done under unlimited PTO plans?

 

[mantysk8coach]

I started a new job with unlimited PTO on August 1. So far I’ve taken 5 consecutive days, for a trip that was already planned before I started the job. That was mid-August, shortly after starting. Haven’t taken any days since, and really probably won’t before the end of the year, since we’re closed (paid) between Christmas and New Year.

Still not sure how I feel about unlimited PTO. I do feel like it causes people to take less for fear that they look like they’re abusing it.

 

[sam_gordon]

I started a new job with unlimited PTO on August 1. So far I’ve taken 5 consecutive days, for a trip that was already planned before I started the job. That was mid-August, shortly after starting. Haven’t taken any days since, and really probably won’t before the end of the year, since we’re closed (paid) between Christmas and New Year.

Still not sure how I feel about unlimited PTO. I do feel like it causes people to take less for fear that they look like they’re abusing it.

I went from almost 30 days (actually it probably was with the "floating holidays") to 10 next year (new job). I will admit I didn't need the 30 days. 20-25 was pretty realistic. 10 is going to suck.

 

[cvjw]

My younger son took his first job after college and it has unlimited vacation. He is so unsure how many days he should take. He has been there 6 months and only taken 3 days.

 

[tvguy]

Great benefit. And to be honest never heard of a job offering it.

 

[cvjw]

Great benefit. And to be honest never heard of a job offering it.

It is very common now in atlanta. Almost all the jobs my sons have interviewed for have this perk. Companies are trying to attract the younger generation.

 

[disneychrista]

This year I took off more time than the previous 3 years combined. I took a week off for a vacation, I was out for about 10-12 days due to illness and another 7 days because those are use it or lose it. If I had unlimited time off I would likely have taken LESS time off. For the use or lose it time, I took random days off because I "had to."

 

[DisneyMommyMichelle]

My husband has done 23 and it will end up being 25 by the end of the year. Before the plan began, we was given 20 and 3 personals.

 

[_19disnA]

Is this in addition to vacation time? If they offer this to everyone who does your work when you aren't there? Do they hire more people knowing that for some number of days each year people won't be on the job? If a company offers 'unlimited' paid vacation time, how do they prevent employees from taking an excessive number of days off?

 

[ronandannette]

I'm curious about how companies manage this, in terms of work-flow. Are there periods that are "blacked-out" for taking vacation? How much notice do you need to give? Can you call in on Monday morning if you feel like making it a long weekend? Is there some restriction on how many people can all be gone at once, like say, can an entire department all take Christmas week?

 

[CinderEmma94]

My husband gets unlimited PTO. It’s pretty common in his industry (tech). Obviously not every company offers it but we are looking at a job change and see it as a benefit more often than not.

He takes 2 weeks a year for vacations and then the random day here or there for appointments. Maybe 18-20 days total? He still has to run it by his manager so they know he won’t be there but it’s never been denied. One day off requires one day notice, a vacation they ask for as much notice as is possible. With everyone working remotely worst case he misses a meeting that they email him the notes to. If he misses several consecutive days for vacation a coworker covers his necessary work. No big deal and no one (that he works with) abuses it. They’ve all covered for each other at one point or another throughout the year so not an issue, it’s just part of the company culture.

Different (but not really because it relates to time off) everyone in the company is also given 12 weeks of paid parental leave.

 

[sipnride]

Is this in addition to vacation time? If they offer this to everyone who does your work when you aren't there? Do they hire more people knowing that for some number of days each year people won't be on the job? If a company offers 'unlimited' paid vacation time, how do they prevent employees from taking an excessive number of days off?

A. Learn to manage with a focus on relationships as opposed to authority. B. Steer clear of the toxic lean management principles that ultimately led to the demise of so many businesses when covid hit. C. Establishing cultures that make workers feel accountable to each other.

If you know you're letting your teammates down by taking too much time off, and you'll either adapt or find yourself out of favor by the boss AND co-workers, which usually ends up leading to separation one way or another. But that only works if the blame can't be put on cheap lean management (if there's only 4 people for a program that takes 8 people the problem isn't that one of them is taking too much time off, it's that management didn't hire enough people. If the program can't sustain the loss of one person who took 50 days off then it probably can't sustain losing someone for several months parental leave, or several months recovering from surgery, or multiple out sick simultaneously (for quarantine even).

 

[Skippy918]

I went from almost 30 days (actually it probably was with the "floating holidays") to 10 next year (new job). I will admit I didn't need the 30 days. 20-25 was pretty realistic. 10 is going to suck.

I went from a job with lots of time off to a new job starting with 10 days and it sucked a lot. The company eventually realized this and bumped up our accrual which helped a lot.

 

[tvguy]

My husband gets unlimited PTO. It’s pretty common in his industry (tech).

A friend went to work doing PR for a tech company and trying to track down staff for information drove her nuts.
Everyone had to work 40 hours a week, but there was no set schedule of work times or work days and she had to try and catch people if she was lucky enough to find them in the office. One guy was notorious for working 40 hours straight. Another guy liked to work 8 pm until Midnight and 2 am until 6 am.

 

[CinderEmma94]

A friend went to work doing PR for a tech company and trying to track down staff for information drove her nuts.
Everyone had to work 40 hours a week, but there was no set schedule of work times or work days and she had to try and catch people if she was lucky enough to find them in the office. One guy was notorious for working 40 hours straight. Another guy liked to work 8 pm until Midnight and 2 am until 6 am.

Sounds about right my husband works “normal” hours. But with everyone remote in different time zones and making their own schedules it gets a little crazy sometimes. Their only rule at their company is to plan your schedule around necessary meetings (usually a couple of hours a week). Other than that as long as you work your 40 hours they don’t care.

 

[luvthatduke]

When did this start being a thing?
So, there is NO incentive to earning time off?
I have never heard of it.
Is it related to enticing workers back from the pandemic?

 

[luv2cheer92]

When did this start being a thing?
So, there is NO incentive to earning time off?
I have never heard of it.
Is it related to enticing workers back from the pandemic?

Companies were doing this well before the pandemic.

 

[morgan98]

It has been a thing in my industry, public accounting, for several years now. Before switching, I had he maximum number of vacation days, (30 I think), Holidays were additional days off, It has not really changed the amount of time I use.

We try to give the young staff guidelines on what is reasonable, more in the 15-20 day range.

Unlimited PTO is more for there to make you feel like you can flex your schedule should you have an opportunity for a special vacation or need time for a personal matter.

We track the unlimited PTO and for the most part people do not abuse it. There are a few outliers though, there always are.

 

[luvthatduke]

Wow.
Thanks for the info - my DH & I had no idea this was happening,
now or in the past.
So, conceivably, a new employee could immediately put in for several weeks vacation,
or take off one week per month all year?
If the PTO is tracked, then it's not really unlimited - am I understanding?
He cannot imagine it working in his field of work (electronics).

 

[AnnaS]

My SIL has unlimited PTO. I still find it strange. During our conversations, I always say, "I don't understand it", he always tells me "it's different now".