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Unlimited Vacation?

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Unlimited Vacation?

I’m interviewing for a job with unlimited vacation listed as a benefit.

Is it a benefit, a perk or a right? Meaning, is it my right to use it?

Does this really mean unlimited or will managers make it difficult to use this time?

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  1. Kelly Miholic

    Open PTO means that whenever you need/want to, you may take time off, however, your work needs to be caught up or handed off. Studies have shown that open time off has lead to employees taking less time off than people with an assigned amount of time each year. (this study I am referencing is a few years old so it may have changed or been changed by the pandemic). If people see the end of the year approaching they tend to try to use up the pto they have left, with open time off there is no visible indication of time you should have taken throughout the year for yourself.

    Open time off can be a very useful benefit. It is important to be well balanced when using it and be respectful of your team and the company. If another resource on your team is off then you may not get the time you request as everyone cannot be out at once.

    I hope this was somewhat helpful. THere are a lot of nuances in how each oto company allows for the time to be taken.

  2. Samantha

    I can definitely agree about this. I used to accrue PTO and it could carry over. I switched to a job that it expires at the end of the year - use it or lose it, so now I'm having 7 days to take off (along with a lot of other people) and it's going to affect the workload overall.

  3. Anonymous

    I love the open PTO model and I've had the pleasure of working with companies for the last few years that practiced this. It's nice to see more companies adopting this model because I definitely believe this is part of the active movement of transforming the way we view work/life balance. It's definitely your right to use your time off as you wish! As Kelly stated below, there are a few studies out there that have concluded that this model has helped improve morale and culture for most companies. People like flexibility; we don't work in a one-size-fits-all schedule anymore and how you choose to use your time off is your business. You'll actually discover how much time you really take off versus feeling like its a "use the time off or lose it" process. I enjoy it! I don't think I could ever work for company that didn't offer this as a benefit. My lifestyle doesn't permit to have rigid time off guidelines (no offense to anyone here) of how I take time off.

  4. Anonymous

    It means, if you deliver quality work on time and budget and your absence can be tolerated by your team with coverage and support then you work with your manager to take PTO whenever you can.

  5. Anonymous

    This is my experience, too. The "right" to PTO is balanced by the responsibilities to the company and colleagues. You can't just take off whenever you want and for however long you want without coordinating with people. You also don't have to justify every hour you are out of the office. People do get fired for excessive use when their PTO impacts their ability to deliver job requirements or places and undo burden on colleagues (outside of medical or family leave, obviously).

  6. Anonymous

    Great advice . We all have encountered people who would be out of the office -- more than in with no regard .

  7. Anne Krook

    it will likely heavily depend on your manager, on how large the company is, and how large your team is. Policies are no better than their worst implementation, so you should try to find out what the policy really means, Ask around discreetly; in this case, your best resource may well be **former** rather than current employees.

  8. April Donnell-Surgant

    "Policies are no better than their worst implementation" This is SUCH a good way of verbalizing work policies. I'm borrowing this verbiage.

  9. Anonymous

    I work at a place with “unlimited” but there is an understood limit of 2 weeks per year for junior folks. It depends on the culture I would say. Definitely try to ask around the work life balance and that should help indicate.

  10. Ladyboss737918

    I would definitely scope around the office to get a feel of how it’s viewed - generally it’s the same as everyone else is saying: if your work is done (and good quality) and you have coverage while you’re out, you’re in the clear.

    There can be a perception for new or newer people (or those perceived by their peers in lacking quality contributions.) If that’s the culture then it’s a tred-lightly situation for usually about a year (read: taking 2-3 weeks total.)

    in any case it’s generally frowned upon to take more than 2 weeks at a time unless it’s something like a wedding or it’s medically related (health issues, having/adopting a child, etc.)

  11. Book Goddess

    This is always at the manager's discretion, but if your work is done and there is coverage it's usually not an issue. Most of the time people do not take advantage of this "perk" and oftentimes don't take a vacation at all.

  12. Lisa Guill

    That's true.

  13. Anonymous

    There are different kinds of unlimited vacation. In my previous place, we used to have a computer system where we could request our time off and it would be approved. It was nice.

    In my new place, I have to verbally request my vacation each time I have to take time off and I don't like it.

  14. Kris Martin Lowe

    Unlimited vacation or unlimited paid vacation?

  15. Anonymous

    My company is moving to an unlimited PTO plan in 2022 and it's honestly fully based on your workload and whether or not you can offload it to someone else while you're out. It's still at the discretion of management. I'm lucky and have an awesome hardworking team and a manager who sees that, so it's unlikely that we would have any of our PTO days declined. Before you accept, I would ask for an average amount of days that employees take off per year under the unlimited plan. This should tell you if it's really unlimited or just fancy wording to suck in good talent.

  16. Becki Harrington-Davis

    People usually take less time off. When you have fixed PTO you say “Well I have the vacation days, use them or lose them,” and people tend to take them, but in my experience at two companies with unlimited PTO people feel more anxiety about whether it’s OK to take it. Whether your manager gives you a hard time is their personality/style.

  17. Anonymous

    You’ll need to understand the company culture to determine if it’s a perk. I worked at a company that had unlimited vacation for higher level employees. The problem is that they were so busy they could never take it, which also meant they were not paid out for the time when they left. A handful of executives always seemed to be on vacation, but those are the ones that associates didn’t like working for in general (never present and unresponsive). I would hope there is a happy medium somewhere between those two.

  18. Beth Daniell

    All of the answers below are great. One note I would make is that if an employer has a defined PTO, they are required to pay out the PTO balance (or some portion thereof) when the employee leaves the company. With unlimited PTO, there is no such requirement.

  19. Shayna Cooke

    There is no requirement to pay out PTO, a company can choose to do so if that aligns with their ideals but it is not a requirement, just FYI.

  20. Elise Pilkington

    I believe some state laws require payout. Also, a union contract may require it.

  21. Cristina Orlando

    This actually can be required depending on the state you live in. You should check local labor laws to see if it applies to you.

  22. Sonya Stephens

    Companies are not required to pay out unused PTO unless required by law (CA), or stated in the employee handbook.

  23. Karen Gongaware

    Simply ask the company for clarification. We can give you all the advice in the world, but we are not the company you are interviewing with.

  24. Lori Caso

    I have a job with “unlimited vacation” since I’ve had this benefit I’ve used LESS vacation time than I have in the past 5 years…

  25. Elise Pilkington

    My feeling about this is that companies go to "unlimited vacation" as a way to avoid the disadvantages (for them) of PTO as a vested right. They don't have to pay out unused PTO when an employee retires or quits. They don't have staffing shortages at year end because people have to use their vacation or lose it. Managers will still expect to exercise veto power over the timing of vacation if necessary, so I would say it's definitely not a right. It sounds good in theory, but I believe studies have shown that people take less time off under an unlimited vacation scenario. My company went to unlimited vacation right after I retired; I didn't base my decision on that but I was glad I didn't have to convert to the new system.

  26. Rebecca A Britt

    I took a job with unlimited PTO and had the same concerns. I think you need to feel out the culture and ask what that looks like. I’ve been with my company since June 2021 and have taken over a week off. People are out all the time.

    There is a very clear expectation that you cover your work, let people know as early as possible and don’t abuse it. Our general rule is no more than 2 weeks at once unless it’s well in advance. One of my peers planned a trip overseas and was gone 3 weeks.

    Again, see what they say, mention what you typically take “I usually have a 7 day vacation in August and March. How would that work with your company and my workload?”

  27. Beverly Ruyle

    Limited or unlimited, you still have to make sure your workload is covered.

  28. Nina Dale

    It definitely depends on the company culture. I work for a small company with unlimited PTO and I definitely use it. We're encouraged to take time off and I don't ever feel bad for doing so. I tend to take all of the days that my kids have off school, plus a family vacation, time around the holidays, spring break, etc. Our CEO stresses that our health and well being are number one and we need time away to recharge. But very few companies are like that (from my experience).

  29. Peggie Arvidson * Career Consultant | Adoptee Advocate | Recruiter

    Our company has unlimited PTO. We still have metrics to meet and work to do.

    However, if you're working and doing your part I've never had a problem taking off.

    In my first year hear my dad was dying and I was often out of the office and did what I could to work on the fly from hospital rooms (or not).

    Then the pandemic so I didn't really take a ton of time off - just a couple of weeks to regroup.

    Last year I probably went away 1 a month for about 4 months running -

    Just got the work done that needed to be done when I was in the office.

    We also don't count our hours in the office. Frankly, I'm more conscientious about my results than ever - I don't want to let my team down!

    If I were to leave the company - would they "owe" me time? Nope.

    It doesn't accrue it just is.

  30. Sarah Borders

    I think this really depends on the company. Some companies really don’t put restrictions on it, as long as you get your work done and your area is covered when you’re out. But some companies use unlimited PTO as a carrot to attract talented employees, while anecdotally in practice, they make it very difficult to get requests for PTO approved, unless you’re sick. I suggest checking out reviews on FGB, Glassdoor, Indeed, etc. to see what current employees say about leave benefits.

  31. Nicole Cascella

    I have unlimited PTO right now and I took about 5 weeks this year. When I was interviewing, I asked how much time the average person at each job level (CEO, manager, front lines team) takes per year to help me establish if it's truly unlimited.

  32. Anonymous

    I have found that having unlimited PTO means the workload and expectations are high enough that it makes it hard to take it.

  33. Lacy Sharratt

    Same!

  34. Anonymous

    This is how I interpret it as well. It’s not easy to take time off with certain job details.

  35. Marla Fields

    Depends on the culture and very specifically your boss (because they have direct veto power). Ask a lot of questions...how much time does ur manager take and the other people who work for them? On average how much do people take at the company? How long have they had this policy (if it is new they could still be transitioning)? Check glassdoor, etc.

    Some companies do this well and some don't. Even within a company u can find managers that can't seem to figure out how to let their people go. And make sure u can handle it too. If u will feel guilty for taking vakay when it is not accrued it might not be for u!

  36. Abby Moore

    I’ve worked at a few companies with unlimited vacation time, I’ve found what it really means is in the first few years you get the same PTO as senior members of the team. You no longer have to wait five years to get three weeks off. It seems to just level the playing field for seniority based time off. Extra PTO is always the first benefit I request during negotiations.

  37. Anonymous

    Remember if you have unlimited PTO, that means they don't have to pay out your remaining PTO if/when you leave...

  38. Allie Grampa

    Half the states in the US don't pay out PTO anyway, definitely something to consider

  39. Anonymous

    That is exactly why my husband's employer is switching to unlimited PTO as of Jan 1 -- because people were leaving and they were paying out a lot of PTO. So, they're paying out on Dec 31 whatever anyone has left at that point, and then going to unlimited. I fear that the result will be that he won't really be able to take time off after the transition.

  40. Jennifer Bierds

    I just left a job and had 4 weeks of PTO left and it won’t be paid out. I was with a school.

  41. Anonymous

    I thought that was illegal, but I guess it varies by state.

  42. Anonymous

    I work in a job with unlimited PTO--and I am assuming that your position is in the consulting industry. Bottom line is: The work has to get done, and you have to meet the timelines for which you are accountable. In the consulting industry, they change faster and more often than in more established industries (where you're more likely to have a set PTO budget). As a manager, this means that if you decide to take PTO, your team will have to be reliable enough to respond to firedrills and take on your responsibilities. That said, I have taken maybe 5 days of PTO in the past year (and then with monitoring email and Teams), and I know that a lot of people at my current company are always checking in, even from PTO. So, if you really want to step away from work, look for a position that offers a set budget. In companies that offer unlimited, the expectation can be that, even if you're "away," you'll check in daily and are ready to take care of emergencies as they arise.

  43. Anonymous

    I work for a company with unlimited PTO. We are expected to take 1 to 2 weeks totally disconnected. No checking in, laptops packed away. The rest of the time - averages an additional 4 weeks or so, we may read emails but no one contacts you unless it is absolutely necessary. My company truely believes in downtime.

  44. Anonymous

    My current job and the two before this both had unlimited PTO and will agree with what a few others have said, it really depends on the company. I've found that most companies who offer this benefit really want people to use their time off. We often have to encourage employees to take time off. I consider it to be a very good benefit and as also mentioned, it is good for the company's financials as they are not accruing all of that unused vacation time. As of today I've taken about 13 days of PTO this year and have an additional 2 planned for next week. We are also closed the entire week between Christmas and New Year's (very common in the tech industry)

  45. surfnwrite

    I've worked in jobs with unlimited PTO and fixed PTO. With unlimited, I saw people trying to take as little as possible so as to appear to be a "team player," whereas with fixed amount, everyone took every day they were granted. Me personally, I prefer to take my allotted 5 weeks with abandon. Life is too short to not take vacation, and many European countries would laugh at the U.S. for our vacation-adverse culture.

  46. Anonymous

    5 weeks sounds great. Americans are here arguing for 2 weeks.

  47. surfnwrite

    I should note that the 5 weeks I got was after working there for 7 years. I believe I started at 2 weeks.

  48. Anonymous

    I agree. I get six weeks a year, and I use them. "Unlimited PTO" is a joke. No one uses the "perk".

  49. Anonymous

    The key element here is the work environment. Usually this "perk" comes with a competitive work environment where no one takes a day off.

  50. Anonymous

    Last year I left a company with unlimited PTO and I realized that I had only taken 2 weeks (a day here, a day there) yet with my current company and having 5 weeks of PTO, I am still carrying over days this year. Not because it was not encouraged but because I was not doing a lot of traveling due to all that was still going on in the world. What I found with my company that had unlimited is that the workload was so unbearable that it made it difficult to really take time off and disconnect. I was on a 2 person team that required daily coverage so Holidays were always a compromise.

    Management was open to employees taking time off, it was just met with "as long as the work gets done", which felt like the guilt knife being turned because there was clearly too much work for the 2 of us so even when you did take time off, what your inbox looked like upon return made you question WHY you even took off.

    That is not to say all companies are like that. Of course during an interview no one is going to say that there is too much work to take time off, but just like with all of the other pieces of the job, make sure you ask targeted questions so you can get make a good decision. During your interviews, ask the manager how many vacation days they typically take off during the year since you are not familiar with how the unlimited PTO process works. If you have a peer-to-peer interview, ask that person the same as well. I once asked an SVP I was interviewing with about how his day looks and he said he works 7 to 7 and his team usually does too (When I got home, I immediately notified the recruiter to remove my application from consideration because I was not planning to work 7 to 7 just because my boss was).

    In some company cultures, taking time off is encouraged and with so many changes in the work environment now, companies need to make sure they are more encouraging and flexible.

    Good luck on your job search journey.

  51. Anonymous

    It completely depends on the company and team’s culture. I worked for a company with unlimited PTO and I loved it. When I needed a mental health day, I took it. When I wanted to visit family out of state for an extended period of time (three weeks) I did it and then could still take time off to visit them again another time in the year or go on other excursions here or there. I could do all of this without stressing about how many PTO days I had left for the year. It was such a mental relief in my situation.

  52. Rosa Goes

    It sounds like a perk to allow for flexibility, especially during these unexpected times. Some companies also provide covid time off. I would ask about other benefits.

  53. DeLisa Dawkins

    I would ask for additional details to gain clarity.

  54. Liz Milne

    I've heard it both ways: one, a perk that you have on paper, but any time you try use it, you're told to make sure your full time job is done before you go off (meaning you never get to be properly off!) more of a curse, something you have in theory but never in practise; or two, a genuine benefit, allowing you to enjoy a good amount of downtime in between you hard work. Ask around, read reviews etc.

  55. Anonymous

    It usually depends on the manager or department how freely you'd get to use it. HR may present it as a benefit to employee but mainly benefit to company to not have PTO on the books since that represents a financial liability.

  56. Anonymous

    Exactly right, never really "unlimited"

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