A. Many people would have taken vacation before starting a new job. It is also a great idea to discuss taking time after you accept the offer. But your question about unlimited paid time off (PTO) policies seem to have extremely strong reactions on all sides. While employees think it sounds wonderful and anticipate taking plenty of time off, they find that the reality is that most people take less time off than average employees on other plans. Managers have conversations about who is taking “too much” time off. And employees often feel they need to follow their manager’s lead, who in turn are following their manager’s lead about what is a reasonable amount of time to take off.
One of the reasons that organizations favor this policy is that when people leave the organization, there’s no financial impact on unused vacation time needing to be paid out. This has also been the answer to organizations dealing with recognizing the diversity of religious holidays. Employees can take off the holiday with the most meaning for them. Keeping track of employee’s vacation time used is often the bane of a manager’s existence, particularly when people are working remotely and it’s difficult to track attendance. Did people actually work or were they off? This confusion has led employees to be more direct in asking their employers, “How much time off can I take in our unlimited vacation time policy?” Since you are new to the organization, have a conversation with your manager about your desire to take off some amount of time as you close out the summer.
Remember that unlimited PTO doesn’t mean that conversations with managers about your plans or desire to take time off shouldn’t happen. Managers need a team to get work done. As you’ve been on board less than a month, your manager probably doesn’t anticipate you taking time off. But having a conversation such as, “I’d like to take time off to enjoy part of the summer and don’t anticipate taking any more time off until the holidays,” or something else that describes your plans is important.
As there is so much uncertainty and ambiguity with unlimited PTO policies, it can be hard to know what is acceptable and what is excessive. What you consider reasonable PTO usage, another colleague may deem excessive. In your current conversation I’d add, “I’d also like to know how you’d like to handle these conversations in the future. If my work is on or ahead of schedule, would you have issues with me taking time off? What works best in our group?”
Remember to make plans to ensure your job gets done while you are off and that your colleagues are supported. All those things become important when organizations have this kind of policy. And to better understand why an organization makes the decisions they do, and the employee benefits they offer, look at their values and follow the dollars.
It’s important for companies to communicate clear guidelines about their unlimited PTO policies to employees along with encouraging employees to take time off when needed. Recognize that the flexibility associated with unlimited PTO policies can greatly enhance an employee’s work-life balance, lead to increased job satisfaction, and give employees more time to focus on both their physical and mental well-being.
Boston.com
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