Unlimited holdiay from work

[Raymond Lin]

I guess it could work if you are the sort of person whose work get busy and quiet periods, and when it is busy you work 18 hour days, then when it's quiet there is no harm taking leave until it's busy again with catching up on emails now and again on leave.

 

[Haggisman]

Seems a bit risky. What if you take a long break, and the company decides they didn't actually miss you that much? Redundancy no thx.

This was the point I raised when a guy in the office mentioned it.

Surely this is a great way of making your employees feel unimportant and expendable, as you're effectively saying "we don't need you/won't miss you if you disappear for a week".

He couldn't see that side of it though.

 

[tom_e]

I thought this wasnt all his staff?

Virgin Group employs more than 50,000 people around the world and operates in more than 50 countries


This unlmiited holiday is for 170 of his personal staff by the looks?

It's not, that is stated in the article.

 

[dowie]

This is something the MD of my work floated a while back, kind of hoping we get something similar.

Sounds like it would work, assuming no one takes advantage.

what is the point of putting it in place if no one takes advantage of it... 'unlimited' should mean unlimited not take what you like but unofficially try to stick to normal holiday allowances of 25 days a year but with maybe the odd 30 day year when you get married, have kids etc..

obviously it depends on the nature of the work you do but it could work for me - I work on software projects lasting a few weeks, few months... shouldn't matter if I were to say take 2 months off over the summer in between projects, when its quiet anyway... I'd just earn a bit less that year

 

[pitchfork]

I know some people who struggle to take their annual leave. /I don't get that. If you work hard (which most people do) why wouldn't you want a break?

Some people have sad home lives, nothing to live for, no hobbies and they're so bloody slow they can't get their work done in a week. "If I leave it'll be chaos, how can people manage without me" they say. Go away and we shall find out you slowpoke micromanaging twit...

I've encountered so many of them, I really feel sorry for them.

 

[Psypher5]

http://www.generationy.com/unlimited-paid-vacation-policy/

Zynga been doing it since 2012. Hope they filter it through to our office


American perks are always better

 

[Glaucus]

This was the point I raised when a guy in the office mentioned it.

Surely this is a great way of making your employees feel unimportant and expendable, as you're effectively saying "we don't need you/won't miss you if you disappear for a week".

He couldn't see that side of it though.

Bit it's not really a concern is it. They can't make you redundant unless the job no longer exists. But it does exist as you will need to make sure it's covered. Otherwise you can't take the time off work. You aren't going to be able to take years off work and still get the work done. So although it says unlimited, it really isn't.

Unless he releases how it's implemented it's hard to talk.
Is it paid? When he says work must be done, does that mean you have to find cover? Or if a project finish early, then you can take a few days off till the next one starts Etc.
Without details there's not a whole lot to discuss.

 

[Skidder]

American perks are always better

Really, when I worked for a US company I had 21 increasing to 25 days with service and my US colleagues in exactly the same role had 10 days

We have unlimited holiday but we are a small company. Only 5 full timers. The deal is give warning, try to think about the impact but take time. In practice I take masses but the others probably have no more than they would if we said it is a 25 day max.

 

[Glaucus]

http://www.generationy.com/unlimited-paid-vacation-policy/

Zynga been doing it since 2012. Hope they filter it through to our office


American perks are always better

Lol, American perks are rarely if ever better.

But at least that article explains it a little more. Cream of the crop. If you are cream of the crop in uk, you get massive benefits anyway.

 

[platypus]

American perks are always better

Eh? You know they're not legally required to provide any paid vacation time in the US?

 

[Psypher5]

depends who you decide to work for? (I am coming at this from a silicon valley point of view though, as that's the industry I'm in, where the perks (ok, if any perks at all, happy?) are always better in the US.)

For instance:
https://company.zynga.com/careers/life-at-zynga/perks-and-extras
https://company.zynga.com/careers/benefits

 

[Glaucus]

depends who you decide to work for? (I am coming at this from a silicon valley point of view though, as that's the industry I'm in, where the perks (ok, if any perks at all, happy?) are always better in the US.)

For instance:
https://company.zynga.com/careers/life-at-zynga/perks-and-extras

But are you cream of the crop?
Unless you are it's pointless looking at silicon valley. Are you on 6figure salary, are you likely to become a millionaire due to your work at the company?

If not the comparison is silly, also lots of companies have free gym, free coffee, free food etc. But again you need to be working in a top company and doing reasonably well.

 

[Psypher5]

That's for all staff. Not cream of the crop.

And as I work for Zynga (They purchased the company I work in this year), but in the UK, it would be nice to see those company benefits filter down through the company as time goes on. Including the "Open vacation policy".

:/

 

[Glaucus]

But as I said that's not massive benefits, you can find similar in many uk company, they still have to be the top companies though. Which will have much stricter employment process than lower companies.

 

[dowie]

What is a 'top company' and why do you have to be one to introduce flexible working environments?

Wouldn't introducing flexible working environments (where feasible) contribute towards making a company a 'top company'?

I know of small unknown companies with lots of flexibility - I don't know if they count as 'top companies' but it works for them.

 

[Glaucus]

The better the company, the better the employees and thus company offers more to hold onto them. If you're an average worker for an average company, you aren't going to get the benefits, as we just aren't worth that much money for the work we do.

You also can't look at small companies as they are small and so don't fall into any real brackets.

Prove yourself and get a better job with better benefits. But to say America offers more is hilarious.

 

[dowie]

I can look at small companies if I like... you've still not really defined 'top company' and why this only works for them?

 

[Psypher5]

But to say America offers more is hilarious.

But they do, in what I do. Not that hilarious.

 

[Glaucus]

I can look at small companies if I like... you've still not really defined 'top company' and why this only works for them?

Lol, yes I have.
It's to do with employees worth if your average, you don't get paid as much and don't get as many benefits.
All benefits add cost. However it's cheaper to up other benefits for the company than upping the pay. If you work for a top company, then they will offer better benefits to attract and keep high class of employee. It real is simple.

Small companies are unique by there nature, you can't have dead weight, you need mire flexibility in case people are off work etc.

 

[Glaucus]

But they do, in what I do. Not that hilarious.

No, they do in the top of the sector, that doesn't mean the average guy doing the job in America will get that, they won't and on top if that will get worse benefits than you in average.

Just because they brought you out, doesn't mean you are as high standard as they usually employee, you haven't been through their recruitment selection etc.


You seem to think everyone doing your job will get such benefits, they don't. American benefits on general are far far worse, look at Holliday for a start.